One Whisper Away by Wildes Emma

Author:Wildes, Emma [Wildes, Emma]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: PENGUIN group
Published: 2011-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

“Watch me!”

Next to her, Lillian saw Carole hide a smile. Betsy didn’t even bother to try, her grin open as they all observed their precocious niece attempting a clumsy tumble across the small inner square of grass in the garden and leap up in triumph.

Perhaps in the midst of disgrace, in the middle of the blow of her parents’ untimely deaths, in the chaos of being forced into self-imposed seclusion, Lillian had forgotten about the joys life had to offer, among them a child’s exuberance over such a simple pleasure as a sunny afternoon and a patch of grass. Had four years really passed her by?

“Lovely.” Lily applauded, her neglected parasol leaning against the marble bench where they sat. Since her complexion hardly mattered, what did she care? “Addie, do it again.”

“Don’t encourage her.” Carole gently elbowed her in the ribs. “Her gown is already getting quite dusty.”

The late-afternoon sun slanted across the flowers, the soothing low drone of a bee intent on a nearby bush soporific. Betsy brushed back a chestnut curl and laughed. “I have to admit Addie is delightful. I was startled when she first called me Auntie Bets, for I felt like a veritable fossil, but frankly, her sunny disposition is quite captivating.”

And Jonathan clearly adored his little daughter. No one could deny that. The unconditional acceptance of a child born on the wrong side of the blanket was unusual, but then again, their brother was not a typical aristocrat either. His eclectic habit of late-night rides aside, he read to Adela in the evenings, closely supervised her care, and whenever possible, took her with him. Childish laughter was no longer a surprise in the household, but an expected sound.

It was odd, but since his arrival, which she had so dreaded, Lily was finding life . . . interesting for the first time since her debacle with Arthur four years ago, and she had her unpredictable brother to thank for it.

While Addie executed another less than perfect somersault, Lily murmured to her sisters, “So tell me, how is it all progressing?”

Why was it she felt so old when she really wasn’t more than a few years their senior? Maybe it was the unwelcome reality of making a grievous error and having to live with the consequences.

Carole and Betsy glanced at each other and smiled.

“What?” she demanded. “Good heavens, you can’t keep it from me if there is something to tell.”

Betsy waved a hand. “There are a few promising prospects out there.”

“As in?”

“The Lane brothers perhaps.”

For a moment Lily had no idea who that might be, as she was so out of touch, but then she understood. “The twin sons of Lord Stonevale?”

It was Carole who nodded, looking demure in her ruffled day gown. “For a moment we thought we were interested in the same man, but then it turned out there were two of them. Imagine.”

“Two sisters and two brothers . . . that is interesting.”

“Come join us at the next gathering and we will all compare our thoughts on the subject.

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.