The Golden Feather by Amanda McCabe - The Golden Feather

Author:Amanda McCabe - The Golden Feather [McCabe, Amanda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 0451207289
Google: 9Yy_tYUfn0AC
Amazon: 0451231082
Barnesnoble: 0451231082
Goodreads: 7120665
Publisher: Signet
Published: 2001-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

“I never meant any harm, Caro. I promise!” Phoebe sat next to her sister on the settee, her hands pressed to her tearstained cheeks. “I would not have worried you for all the world.”

Caroline sighed. “I know you meant no harm, darling. But did they not teach you of the proprieties at Mrs. Medlock’s? Of common sense, for heaven’s sake! You must know better than to go down to the shore in the middle of the night. Why, there could have been any sort of criminals about! Not to mention what could have happened to your reputation.”

“I know, I know! It was silly of me, I know, but when Mr. Seward said something about a treasure, I simply had to see it. It was just like Secrets of a Windswept Sea.”

Caroline knew then that she was going to have to go through Phoebe’s chamber and dispose of every horrid novel. She pressed a handkerchief into Phoebe’s trembling hand, and said, “You must never leave a party, or anyplace else, without telling me first. I was very worried.”

“But I was not alone with Mr. Seward, Caro! Miss Bellweather was with us.” At Caroline’s stern glance, Phoebe subsided again, and said meekly, “I promise I will not do it again.”

“I do hope not. You know that Wycombe is a very small place, darling. It would never do to have people think you are, well, less than proper. A young lady’s reputation is so very important, you know.”

Phoebe wiped at her eyes and nodded. “I know you are depending on me, Caro, and I will not fail you. I would never do anything to demean our family.”

“I know you would not. Just, please, be very careful in the future. Especially where Mr. Seward is concerned.” Caroline leaned over to kiss Phoebe’s cheek, then gave her a reassuring pat on the hand. “Now, why don’t you go upstairs and wash your face? Perhaps we could go out for ices this afternoon.”

Phoebe smiled. “I would like that,” she said, and left the room quickly, obviously relieved that the scolding was over.

When she was gone, Caroline tucked her left foot beneath her right knee on the settee and rubbed at the scar on her ankle wearily. How very complicated chaperonage was! Not at all as simple and enjoyable as she had thought it was going to be. Never could she have imagined a scene such as the one she faced last night.

She closed her eyes as she recalled rushing down to the shore with Lord Lyndon and the hysterical Phoebe. The sight of Mr. Seward flailing about with his hand caught between some rocks, shrieking fit to raise the dead, had been so very comical she had had to fight to keep from laughing aloud.

Worse, she had seen the same sort of repressed laughter on Lord Lyndon’s face as he worked to free his brother’s hand.

She did laugh now, alone in her drawing room, at the memory of that absurd tableau.

But she knew very well that it would not have been in the least comical if the entire company had witnessed the scene.

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