Blythe Court (Novella) by Nora Covington

Author:Nora Covington
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romantic suspense, historical fiction, historical romance, regency romance, novella, victorian romance, novella mystery, novella romance, romance 1850s, romance suspense mystery
Publisher: Holland & Eyre Press

Multiple Choices

The circumstances that I faced caused me to reflect upon the person I had become in life. After my marriage and its consummation, I sensed a growing maturity of my personality. My station in life had become one of a wife, marchioness, and mistress of the grand estate in which I lived. Unbeknownst to me, however, my newfound position of responsibility would be severely tested for character and stamina.

Early in my marriage, when I realized John did not love me, I reluctantly accepted my position in his life. Of course, I clung to the hope that one day it would change. Now that I knew his heart unequivocally belonged to another woman, it entirely altered my perspective.

I had been cheated out of love to no fault of my own. The unfairness of my state of affairs presented difficult choices for me to make. Two paths stood before me. I could be a victim or a victor in this complicated scenario. Whether I gained victory out of spite or cleverness would reveal much about my character. I hoped my cleverness would prevail if I were to keep John from hating me in the end. It would be a delicate task to accomplish because acting spiteful would clearly bring more satisfaction to my wounded heart.

When the dinner hour arrived, I dressed without Melanie’s summons for assistance. I feared my raw emotions would strike out, and I needed time to withdraw my claws. John waited for me in the parlor. He held a drink in hand and gazed out of the window when I entered.

“Good evening,” I said, walking toward him. No servants were around to find my actions out of place, so I gave him a kiss on the cheek. “How was your day?”

My affectionate display apparently surprised him by the widening of his eyes. Outward exhibitions of affection, even in the home in which I grew up, were considered improper behavior. There were traditions I wished to abolish in my marriage. I saw no harm in expressing endearment toward my husband, within reason, of course.

“Fine,” he said, sounding noncommittal.

Feeling the need to put him on the spot further, I prodded for more. “Mr. Rhodes told me you and Mr. Williams were at the hunting lodge this morning discussing repairs.” John pulled his gaze away and took a sip of his drink. I anxiously awaited his lie.

“Yes, the roof needs mending and a few other items.”

“Do you intend to use it on a regular basis again for hunting or as the gamekeeper’s residence?” I knew exactly what he used it for but restrained my imagination.

“Simply general repairs,” he answered. “And what about you? Mr. Rhodes told me you took an unplanned visit to see your mother today. Is everything all right?”

He finally turned and looked at me. There was not a speck of guilt in his eyes, which I found irritating. Didn’t he possess a conscience?

“Oh, yes,” I answered, flashing a deceitful smile. “I had an overwhelming urge to share with her our honeymoon and the many places we visited.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.