Georgette and the Unrequited Love: Sisters of Castle Fortune Book 1 by Alicia Cameron

Author:Alicia Cameron [Cameron, Alicia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-04-10T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Onslow and Faulkes came down the stairs to see a brightly smiling Georgette at the foot, awaiting them. After his late-night reflections, Onslow considered the smile sinister.

Even Faulkes must have felt it, for he said, surprised, ‘You are very cheerful this morning, Miss Fortune. Is there a special cause?’

She started and said, with an attempt at levity, ‘Am I not always cheerful, Sir Justin?’

Guilty, thought Onslow. But what of? They moved off in the direction of the stables. He laughed. ‘Not if there is a lack of eggs. Or a dog ate the meat.’

‘Did I tell you about that? And a good hostess is supposed to keep all domestic emergencies invisible to her guests.’

She met Onslow’s eye, looking for the laugh there he supposed, but he could not respond. He hated this. He would, as her friend, just ask her, and then all could be as it was. It was not too intrusive for such a friend as he to simply ask ‘Why did you go to the stables last evening? Did you chance to meet Bellamy there?’ Such a friend as he, he repeated to himself. How could he presume to call himself so and to interrogate her? She had blushed last night when asked her whereabouts. What could it mean? He had tossed in bed all night thinking that. When he found out Bellamy might have been— The colonel’s attention to her last evening before dinner had been most marked. They knew each other already.

Why, oh why was this disturbing him? He knew nothing of Bellamy, but he could not like a man who lures a woman to some tryst at night. She had her sister with her, true. But there was something disturbing. She had been afraid to confront her father. Something had been said or done. Bellamy liked Georgette Fortune. He had been happy to display that. What did it mean? In her own home, among her protectors, the man could not mean anything dishonourable. Onslow, now riding like the devil, found something worse. What if Bellamy had not dishonourable, but honourable intentions towards Miss Fortune?

She had caught up with him, George Fortune’s black stallion beneath her, her hair escaping its pins, and he wondered why thinking Bellamy might be serious was somehow worse.

‘Lucian!’ his friend’s voice cut into his thoughts. ‘What is wrong with you? I have addressed you twice already!’

‘Sorry. I had a bad night, Justin. Not quite awake yet.’

‘Well, don’t ride like a madman, then. We have not ridden this path before, and you do not know the pitfalls.’

‘Quite right,’ drawled Onslow.

Breakfast was a nightmare for Georgette. Onslow had hardly spoken a word to her during the ride and his eyes at the table were unfocused and serious. Opposite him sat Miss White, for the informality of breakfast allowed her to manage that, thought Georgette. It appeared that Onslow’s gaze, dazed as it seemed, was fixed on Julia’s. Miss White smiled at him several times, but he did not respond. She let her eyes drop in maidenly modesty at the fixedness of the stare.

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