Summer Holiday by Nancy Campbell Allen & Sarah M. Eden & Annette Lyon

Author:Nancy Campbell Allen & Sarah M. Eden & Annette Lyon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Romance, Regency romance, Victorian Romance, Clean & Wholesome Romance, christian romance
Publisher: Mirror Press, LLC
Published: 2017-08-23T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

You never used to be hurtful. Hurtful. Carina’s words echoed in Grant’s mind for hours on end.

He hadn’t been hurtful. He’d been civil and polite. He’d not embarrassed her or himself. He’d kept their interaction as serene as possible despite the many questions swirling in his mind. What more could she expect of him?

The question weighed heavily on his mind as he stepped into the Beaumonts’ house that night for a society gathering. He had actually been looking forward to it. His enthusiasm, however, had waned after what transpired that morning.

She would be there. He knew she would. And those words—You never used to be hurtful—would follow him all evening long. There were a lot of things he never used to be, things she never used to be. Strangers, for one. Alone, for another. They used to have each other. Nothing had been the same since that changed.

Miss Beaumont met him not three steps inside the music room, her open, friendly manner weaving its usual spell. He felt content in her company, something he appreciated even more than usual just then.

“We have secured an unparalleled performer for this evening,” she said, slipping her arm through his. “She is in demand on the opera stages in London, as well as Milan. Quite a coup for Mother.”

Carina would be pleased. She had once attended a musical evening and heard an operatic soprano. She’d spoken of the experience on more than one occasion, waxing poetic about her enjoyment of the performance.

How had she entered his thoughts again?

“You seem distracted this evening,” Miss Beaumont said. “Did you have difficulties at the mill?”

He smiled apologetically. “No, my thoughts are simply wandering. I believe a musical evening is precisely what I need to calm this overworked mind of mine.”

“Then I am even more pleased you are here.” She led him toward the rows of chairs set in place in anticipation of the evening’s entertainment.

A few of the guests were seated already, but most were moving about, mingling. As his luck of late would have it, Miss Beaumont led the two of them directly to Miss Chadwick and Carina, who stood a few paces from a small gathering of attendees.

“Miss Chadwick, Miss Herrick,” she greeted. “How pleased we are to see you here this evening.”

Miss Chadwick’s gaze darted from Grant to Miss Beaumont and back again, pausing only long enough to eye their interlinked arms. “How very gracious of you both to greet the guests so personally.”

Something in that observation felt like a challenge to Grant. If Carina noticed anything odd, she did not allow it to show. Her focus remained to the side, not acknowledging the conversation going on directly before her.

Miss Beaumont noticed. “Is something amiss, Miss Herrick? You appear displeased with your company.”

“Not at all.” Her denial was spoken softly, not unlike the denunciation she’d offered him earlier. “I have simply had a taxing day.”

“You and Mr. Ambrose both,” Miss Beaumont said.

The comment brought Carina’s eyes to him at last. What he saw

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