Happily Never After by Sonya M Black

Author:Sonya M Black [Black, Sonya M]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781490453927
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2013-07-20T20:00:00+00:00

***

Ella stared into the fire, watching the flames dance over the logs. Red and orange light flickered around the room, leaving behind odd shadows. Her mind wandered over all that Rose had told her, everything Jarret and Alastair had said, and all of the events that had led up to her sitting in front of this fire. She traced her hand over the fine leather of her father’s journal, feeling the smooth texture. She pictured him, his dark curls and merry blue eyes. He had been a large man, full of life. She could smell the earthy scent of the vineyard that had clung to him, the rich smell of dirt and grapes mixing with his musky aftershave. Her heart ached. In the years after his death, she had mourned his loss privately, shedding tears as she huddled in the dark next to the kitchen hearth. Her stepmother had simply moved on with her life, going from married to widowed as if nothing had changed.

She stared at her hands, noting the changes that had occurred in the last few weeks. They were no longer cracked and dry from long hours of scrubbing pots. The thick calluses on her fingertips and palms from scouring floors had disappeared. Evangeline had given her a cream to rub into her hands every night. When they fenced she insisted that Ella wear thick gloves. Ella’s nails were long and clean. Gone were the grime-encrusted, chipped nails that had never seemed to be clean no matter how much Ella had soaked them. A knock at her door startled her.

“Come in,” she called, sitting up and laying the journal on the table next to her.

Jarret stepped in carrying a covered tray. “I thought you might be hungry. You missed dinner.”

Ella nodded, then shrugged. “I didn’t really feel like eating with everyone else.”

“I don’t blame you.” Jarret set the tray in front of her and whipped off the top, revealing a bowl of strawberries and cream as well as bread, cheese, and tea. “I know this used to be your favorite.”

She smiled up at him, narrowing her eyes in thought. “How do you remember that?”

He cleared his throat and looked away. “I remember everything about the time we used to spend together.”

Ella blushed at the implications. “Why? Why do you remember?” she whispered. “I thought you were just hanging around me because your father wanted you to.”

Jarret sat down next to her, staring into the fire. “At first I was. You were younger than I was, and it annoyed me to have to look out for you. Then I started to enjoy having you around.”

Ella reached over and touched his hand gently, uncertain how she felt. “I loved following you around. You were like a big brother.”

Jarret covered her hand with his. “Am I still a big brother?”

Ella felt her entire body go still. “I don’t know,” she whispered.

Jarret nodded without looking at her. He patted her hand gently. “Well then, I suppose it’s a good thing we will have chaperones.

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