Call of the Sea by Daphne Moore

Author:Daphne Moore
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Vaughn Publishing LLC
Published: 2021-02-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

The next morning, Betty came up bearing tea, bread and butter, and gossip. She had not been happy at being displaced by Celeste and had made it clear when she undressed Nora for bed the night before.

“The washer maid told me that Lady Talbott is definitely not increasing, and never has, no matter other rumors. And she would know. And there’s whispers that there’s more to Mr. Willoughby than meets the eye. I’ve not gotten anyone to loosen their tongues further yet. Oh, and you’re to go and see your Stepmama in the study in an hour, which is enough time for you to be up and have your hair done; Miss High-in-the-nose is busy dressing her.”

Nora slid out of the soft bed, pulling off her nightrail. Betty had already laid out two dresses, one black crepe, and one in darkest grey with a thin band of black embroidery on the hem. Nora chose the grey, even though she should still be wearing only black. It would go better with grandmother’s shawl, which made her feel safer when it was wrapped around her shoulders. She drank the tea and ate the bread and butter; her next meal would be a long way off in the afternoon. This was an early rising after the late night Stepmama must have had; they kept Town hours here.

Betty helped Nora get dressed and arranged her hair in simple curls, muttering still about Celeste.

Nora considered the tiny harvester. She had brought parts in her trunk and wondered if something to assist with dusting would help the brownie in her labors. It would be simple, but it would need wings to reach the high moldings without scuffing the paint. Something similar to the messenger birds. Her fingers itched for pen and paper, but she suppressed the urge. First, the meeting.

The house was quiet as she made her way down the stairs to the study. The room stirred old memories. It had been her father’s place, redolent with the mixed scents of books and snuff, filled with interesting items from far off lands- Father had kept many mementoes of their days in India.

None of them were in evidence now. The room now smelled of potpourri and had been cleared of anything masculine. The dark polished wood of the desk was stripped bare and the shelves’ ornaments were noticeably delicate and feminine. Stepmama nodded to Nora, herself clad all in black, her light hair dressed in black ribbons. The color suited her.

“Nora. I have important matters I wish to speak with you about.” Her tone, kind but businesslike, set Nora on edge. What now?

Nora seated herself, folding her hands in her lap and waited. She struggled to keep her expression mild, but her heart was beating wildly.

“While your father made arrangements for you whilst he was alive, some persons have seen fit to gossip about perceived impropriety in the match, given that you have a substantial inheritance and have never been introduced to the ton.” She rose, walked to the window and gazed out over the park.

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.