Bride Enchanted by Edith Layton

Author:Edith Layton [Edith Layton]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
ISBN: 9780061739705
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2007-09-08T04:00:00+00:00

Eve stopped listening to Sherry’s praise of Arianna after a while. She had learned one thing: to add a note of caution or warning was futile. The first time she did, he turned to look at her as though she’d run mad.

“What?” Sherry had asked, eyes wide.

“Watch the road!” she cried, “You’ll have us in a ditch.”

“You think I’m clunch enough to force the issue of seeing her again?” he said, ignoring her warning. “She’s miles above me, Evie. Miles. I don’t deserve to touch the hem of her gown. That she danced with me at all is a wonder. I’m not rich or madly attractive, and I know that I’m too young for her, thank you very much. Mind, that doesn’t mean she’s too old for me.” He turned attention to his team again and murmured, “It’s just that I know a woman of such beauty, poise, and experience would be mad to think seriously about a fellow like me. But a man can dream, can’t he?”

All Eve could do was nod and mumble agreement. And then listen to him continue to carol about the wonders of her husband’s sister as they drove to the village together.

She had to broach the topic of their visit to the village to him before they got there. And so when he fell into a somber reflective mood, and stopped talking for one minute, she did.

“Actually, Sherry, I have an ulterior purpose in going to the village this morning. I don’t know many people here, and I ought to, I really ought. The Ashfords have lived here forever and…well, the long and short of it is that I want to know more about them. Now, seeing as I’m mistress of the Hall, I can hardly go in and ask anyone directly, can I? It would make them nervous. So I was hoping that you could go to the tavern, have ale with the regulars, and just mention the subject of the Ashfords. You can find out more about your Arianna too that way, you know. And I can go to the dressmaker’s or the market and do the same. Unobtrusively, mind. As though the subject of gossip never entered our minds.”

She looked at him. His mouth was actually open. But not as wide as his eyes.

“What!” he thundered. “You want me to spy? And on whom, I wonder? Not on your Aubrey, I’m sure. Why don’t you come right out with it, Eve? It’s all so you can spy on his sister. Well, I won’t. How could you ask me?”

She straightened her shoulders. “I want us to find out about both of them. Understand, Sherry, I never knew Aubrey had a sister until last night. It made me realize that though I love him dearly, there’s too much I don’t know. He’s not a Bluebeard or a liar. But I just have this feeling that there’s something too painful for him to tell me. And it’s not spying. It’s…” she paused. “It’s research. Now, are you with me, or not? Never fear, whatever I discover I will tell my husband.

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