A Christmas In Bath by Cheryl Bolen

Author:Cheryl Bolen [Bolen, Cheryl]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harper & Appleton
Published: 2014-11-04T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter 4

The first thing she saw after she said good-bye to Mr. Blankenship on her home's doorstep was another bouquet on the sideboard in the entry hall. Glee must be spending a fortune on flowers. All in a vain effort to make Mr. Blankenship jealous.

Her aged parent met her in the corridor. "You've just missed a Mr. Appleton, who brought those violets for you. How popular you've become since you've acquired Lady Sedgewick's castoffs. It's fortunate for my daughter that breeding twins put the extra weight upon the countess."

Her mother was incapable of suppressing an inflection of pride in her voice when she mentioned Lady Sedgewick—friend to her daughter. (And to Miss Arbuckle's mortification, Mama was guilty of boring her own friends by casually working into every conversation, "My Mary's friends, Lady Sedgewick and the Earl of Sedgewick's two sisters. They were together at Miss Worth's School for Young Ladies, you know.")

"I am not sorry to have missed Mr. Appleton. By comparison to my dear Mr. Blankenship, his company would have been tiresome."

Her mother's eyes narrowed. "May I remind you that Mr. Blankenship treats you only as a friend. Other men may wish to offer you something more."

Even though her mother spoke only out of love, her words wounded Miss Arbuckle. She had never before realized how disappointed her mother was in her failure to attract a husband.

Mary nodded, then spun away. She could not allow her mother to see that she was on the verge of erupting into tears. She clutched Mr. Blankenship's partial essay more tightly in her hands and began to mount the creaking wooden stairs. "I am most anxious to read this piece that Mr. Blankenship has asked my opinion of."

In her bedchamber, she sat near the fire. Before she began to read Mr. Blankenship's work, she wished to recall the many things she and he had so freely discussed that day. She had not enjoyed herself so much since he had left Bath at the end of the summer.

More than anything, she glowed. Never before had he consulted her regarding a personal matter. How honored she was! And more than once today he had told her she was his dearest friend. Clearly, in so many vital ways, he regarded her as she regarded him.

Was there any hope that his deep friendship could turn into something even deeper?

Her thoughts flitted to Melvin and Catherine Steffington. The day she had heard that they were marrying was unquestionably the most shocking day in Miss Mary Arbuckle's life. She would have wagered the roof over their head that the serious twin was incapable of even noticing if a woman happened to be lovely.

If Melvin Steffington could fall in love, then so could Jonathan Blankenship!

She wondered if she had done the right thing by putting all her trust in Glee. Glee had been the one to tell her that under no circumstances was she to consent to see Jonathan Blankenship two days in a row. "Make him believe you have other callers," Glee had insisted.

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