Heiress Gone Wild by Laura Lee Guhrke

Author:Laura Lee Guhrke
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2019-09-23T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

Jonathan had never had a high opinion of aristocratic society, but as he glanced around the Duke of Torquil’s dining table, he realized he would have to revise his opinion, at least as far as his own relations were concerned.

From all that he could see, Irene and Clara were every bit as settled as their letters had indicated, and their husbands seemed good and honorable gentlemen. On their behalf, he was both glad and relieved.

As the others conversed with Marjorie, asking her about her life in America and making suggestions about what she might enjoy doing here in England, he said little, content to observe and enjoy the sight of his sisters’ smiling faces in the candlelight.

It was good, he thought, to be home.

He straightened a little in his seat, startled by the notion. This wasn’t his house. This certainly wasn’t his life. And England wasn’t his home anymore. After ten years away, he was a fish out of water here, and yet, it wasn’t as strange to be back as he’d feared. Perhaps one could never completely leave behind the place one had been born and raised, no matter how far one traveled or how long one stayed away.

“I think I’m the one who needs to give you a penny,” Marjorie murmured, breaking into his contemplations. “You’re very quiet.”

“Am I? I was just letting it all sink in—being in England again, seeing my sisters.”

“But are you glad you’re back?”

“I am, yes, and it surprises me. In fact—” He broke off and gave a laugh, a little embarrassed. “I don’t know what I was so worried about.”

That made her smile. “I’m glad you’ve made peace with your sisters.”

“So am I. It was easier than I thought it would be.” He paused, thinking of Irene’s definition of his duties as a guardian. “I hope you’ll be happy here. If there’s anything I can do to make your transition easier, I will.”

“There is, actually,” she said. “I’ve been thinking, and I’ve got an idea.”

“Uh-oh,” he murmured. “That’s trouble.”

She made a face at him. “I’m serious.”

“So am I. Your ideas always seem to wreak havoc in my life.”

“This one won’t,” she assured him. “In fact, I think what I have in mind just might make everything easier for both of us.”

That sparked his curiosity, but before he could inquire further, Irene’s voice intervened.

“Ladies,” she said, standing up and bringing everyone else to their feet, “shall we go through?”

She started out of the dining room to leave the men to their port, the other ladies following her, but Marjorie lingered long enough to lean down and whisper in his ear, “We’ll talk about it after dinner.”

With that, she departed, forcing him to put his curiosity aside, but afterward, when the men joined the ladies in the drawing room, neither he nor Marjorie was given a chance to bring up the topic, for David suggested bridge.

“There are eight of us,” he said. “No one would be left out.”

“We can’t,” Clara said, setting aside her coffee cup and standing up.

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.