Tall Poppies by Janet Woods

Author:Janet Woods [Woods, Janet]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
Publisher: Severn House
Published: 2012-04-01T04:00:00+00:00

Eleven

Livia had been tempted to wear the gown the late Margaret Sangster had given her, the one her mother had designed. But the wedding was to be a quiet one, so a ballgown would be out of place. Amongst the rather old-fashioned wardrobe she’d inherited was an unfussy but elegant pink suit with a tunic top. The skirt had a handkerchief hem, the points of which reached her ankles, and she found a pair of kid shoes with Louis heels and a strap across the instep.

Esmé helped, choosing from a variety of hats a wide-brimmed cream creation weighed down with pink silk roses.

‘It’s rather large; hat’s are smaller now,’ Livia told her.

Esmé looked disappointed. ‘But you’re a bride, and the hat looks pretty with the suit.’

It seemed as though Esmé was developing their mother’s fashion sense, and Livia smiled at her. ‘Yes, I suppose it does. All right, I’ll wear it just for you.’

She removed half of the flowers, which made the hat lighter, and sewed them on to a pink velvet ribbon to wear at her wrist.

She hoped the frantic gasps of the mad March wind wouldn’t carry the hat away.

‘You look like a princess,’ Esmé said, unable to keep the excitement from her voice.

‘So do you.’ Livia had kept Esmé home from school for the occasion, and had made her a pretty pink-flowered cotton frock with puffed sleeves, using the sewing machine that lived in the back room. She’d bought her a pink mohair cape with pearl buttons to wear over it, and in her hair she wore a large pink satin bow.

They telephoned Chad at school to tell him the news. Cautiously he asked her, ‘Does that mean the captain is going to be my stepfather?’

‘No, since I’m your sister, not your mother. Richard will be your brother-in-law.’

‘Super, I wouldn’t mind having a big brother. I mean, girls are all right, but sometimes they don’t understand a chap as well as another chap. Good luck then, Livia. How is Esmé keeping now?’

‘Her cough has almost gone and she’s eating more and has more energy.’

‘Oh, jolly good. And Bertie? I expect he misses me.’

‘I expect he does, but he’s sprightly, and we keep him busy so he doesn’t pine. Whiskers chases him around the cottage and we take him for walks every evening. Oh, by the way, we’ll be moving into Foxglove House.’

‘Wizard! Mrs Starling is a much better cook than you are. I say, Livia, would you send me some of her gingerbread. They starve us half to death in this school.’

Livia doubted it. ‘How’s your Latin going?’

He said casually, ‘Oh, not so bad. I came fourth in class in the exam, thanks to the captain cramming me.’

‘Well done!’

‘It was nothing really. I don’t know why I was so worried about it. You can tell the captain if you like. He should be pleased, I imagine.’

‘He’s here if you’d like to talk to him yourself.’

‘Rather!’ And the comment was voiced with such enthusiasm that she nearly laughed.

‘Hello, Chad, I hope you don’t mind me marrying your sister.

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