Lily Mine by Joseph Annabel

Author:Joseph, Annabel [Joseph, Annabel]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: General Fiction
ISBN: 9780615508368
Google: hexJXwAACAAJ
Amazon: 0615508367
Goodreads: 11921355
Publisher: Scarlet Rose Press
Published: 2011-06-29T06:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven: Fitting Rewards

Autumn marched on and soon enough bright Lilyvale took on a bare, stark aspect. To Lily it felt somber, like waiting. Waiting for spring to return again, waiting for Claire's season, waiting for Lilliana to return. The looming end of her time with James still haunted her every day.

Lily had slept far later than she should. The servants must think her a hopeless lie-abed, but James kept her up quite late most nights. Not that she minded, of course. Heat rose in her cheeks, remembering some of their more recent activities. Since the dark night on the forest floor, James seemed to have left off any pretense of controlled and civilized desires, and Lily gladly helped him explore the shadows of his erotic imagination.

But now, in the light, when James was gone and she faced herself in the mirror, she had misgivings and no small amount of guilt. She was not married to James, and so what they were doing was immoral. No one judged her, of course, because no one knew. But she knew.

Kind Mrs. Gertrude was dressing her hair as if she were a perfectly moral lady and wife. Lily noted that Mrs. Gertrude's ailings were getting worse, and that it grew more difficult for the woman to manage her unruly mane, but Lily could not take away her pleasure. The old woman did so love to talk with "milady" and fix her hair "special," even though Lily's maid could have done it in half the time. But she rarely hummed her merry Scots tunes under her breath anymore, and complained often of headache. Lily noticed too that her hands had begun to shake with greater severity. Today, Mrs. Gertrude's face looked positively pinched.

"Mrs. Gertrude, are you quite well?" Lily asked. "I'm afraid you don't look in the best of health in recent times."

"Oh, milady, you know I've been ailing for some months now."

"You ought to have Lord Ashbourne send for a physician. I'm certain he would if you only asked. If you wish, I can ask him for you."

"The master had a physician out for me when the headaches first started, and the pains in my joints. The doctor wanted to put holes in my head and bleed me and whatnot, but the master wasn't having none of it. Said those procedures did more of harm than good. I have to say I was glad he took up against them. Seems barbaric, putting holes in an old woman's brow."

"That does sound barbaric. Perhaps one of the ladies in Smeeth might know of some more natural remedies. Simples or herbal teas or such."

"Oh, ma'am, I makes my own herbal potion what has helped me out greatly for a while. But lately I drink more and more and get worse and worse, and I can't say as why."

Lily raised her eyes to consider the woman, with her shaking hands and pale color.

"What type of 'herbal potion' are you talking about?"

"It's my own concoction I make using things I find in the kitchen and the garden.

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.