The Fiercest Joy (Sweetest Dark Book 3) by Shana Abe

Author:Shana Abe [Abe, Shana]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Five Rabbits, Inc.
Published: 2017-02-08T00:00:00+00:00

With Mrs. Westcliffe ensconced at our table, there was no chance of any sort of flagrant impropriety, such as conversation about anything more meaningful than what we were eating (Westcliffe: “This consommé fermier is exquisite!”), or what we might expect to eat soon (the colonel: “Beefsteak, extra rare! Puts field rations to shame, by gad!”).

Oh, and we also discussed the weather. Naturally.

Armand kept his foot against mine and Aubrey, I noticed, didn’t eat or drink anything; I knew it was difficult for him to dine neatly with his hands. But he was beaming and chatting, taking extra care to lure smiles from Honor, once even eliciting from her a small laugh (which she quickly smothered with her napkin).

I sampled everything presented and tried to savor it; I was hardly going to pass up a feast. But mostly I was aware of all the things that were happening beyond me.

The pressure of Mandy’s foot.

A bandage around Aubrey’s neck that was coming loose.

The headmistress’s watchful eyes, moving from me to Armand.

Chloe conversing at a table nearby, using her breathy voice again, the one men always seemed to believe revealed the real her.

Sophia speaking under her, much more normal.

The moon glowing. The stars twinkling.

The music from the gardens. The slow, aching notes of a violin as it crescendoed into a solo.

The paper lanterns strung in the trees, bobbing with the breeze; bright jewels of light against the dense dark night.

“Miss Jones, may I have the pleasure of this dance?”

I blinked and came back to myself. Aubrey had wheeled away from his place at the table to approach my side. He had a hand lifted to me.

I glanced down at my dessert plate, bemused. I’d finished my pear compote and hadn’t even noticed.

Aubrey misread my hesitation. “I can’t go all the way down the steps,” he said, jerking his chin toward the gardens, “but I can manage things well enough up here.”

I realized there were dancers around us now, most of them down on the paths. They swept in and out of the light, skirts flaring, faces gleaming. It was a waltz, and everyone below us spun and turned like miniature dolls inside a music box.

Armand had taken his foot from mine. I threw him a look but he was already rising, moving to bow before Honor. He hardly limped at all.

“I don’t know this dance,” she said.

He helped her to her feet. “It’s easy. I’ll show you the way.”

I stood as well. And I and Mrs. Westcliffe and the colonel and the doctor (whose name escaped me completely, even though he’d told me twice) all watched as the Marquess of Sherborne placed his feet upon the patio stones and braced his forearms against the arms of his wheelchair and slowly pushed himself upright.

I’d been right before. Aubrey was very tall indeed.

I took his arm, not his hand. His steps were short but even as he led us to the center of the patio where the tables had been cleared away and a handful of other couples twirled.

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.