Ordinary Girl, Society Groom by Natasha Oakley

Author:Natasha Oakley
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

ELOISE glanced down at the softly swinging ivory skirt of her dress with a sense of guilt. Classically elegant and beautifully understated, it had cost a fortune. She would suit the environs of Coldwaltham Abbey perfectly, but it had cost more money than she had to spare.

And just who was she trying to impress? And why? She would like to have believed it was her father, but…

She couldn’t fool herself. There would be other people to impress today. Her father’s second wife, her half-brother, her half-sister…

Jem.

Jem. Eloise clutched at the small gift she held in her hand. She didn’t like the way Jem Norland had started to fill her mind. It was inevitable she would think of him to some degree—he’d been so involved in her first meeting with her father, but…

Did she really have to behave like a nervous teenager whenever he phoned? Or wonder whether he was pleased she’d decided to accept a second invitation to the Abbey? She couldn’t tell from his voice or from what he said. There was always the suspicion that he was charming simply because he couldn’t be anything else.

As she headed for the central steps, she took a moment to steady her breathing. This time she’d have to walk in the main entrance. Alone.

It was so difficult. Walking into Coldwaltham Abbey alone was like removing your armour without knowing whether you were going to be killed. She’d always been so self-sufficient, so confident, but the potential for being hurt was immense.

Outwardly Eloise appeared calm, her habitual poise completely intact. Her hair hung in a smooth curtain, her make-up flawless, and the shape and colour of her dress a testament to her skill as a style guru.

She could do this. Of course she could. Her stomach churned unpleasantly as she forced herself to walk forwards. The main entrance to the Abbey was so imposing. So grand.

It had probably been a mistake to come. She wouldn’t be wanted. How could she be? Countless times over the past few days she’d decided to make a telephone call to her father and cancel, but something had always held her back.

And here she was. A guest at her father’s seventy-fourth birthday. A small, select gathering. Just the family.

The wide door swung open before she’d climbed the first of the steps.

‘Hello,’ she began foolishly, ‘I—I’m Eloise Lawton.’

The butler smiled. It was professional perfection. Just the right mix of confidence, warmth and servility.

‘The family are expecting you, Miss Lawton. They’re in the Winter Sitting Room. If you’ll follow me?’

Divested of her soft wool coat she followed, desperately conscious of the opulence and the intimidating formality. The entrance hall had been designed to impress and it entirely met all the expectations of that long-ago architect.

Eloise stepped through the doorway into the Winter Sitting Room, the butler’s understated announcement ringing in her ears. Her fingers convulsively gripped the present and her smile was over-bright.

The immediate impression was of warmth. Along one wall heavy curtains in a paisley pattern hung at the four floor-to-ceiling windows.

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