The Hesitant Heiress (The Everstone Chronicles Book 1) by Dawn Crandall

Author:Dawn Crandall [Crandall, Dawn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Whitaker House
Published: 2014-07-31T12:00:00+00:00

SEVENTEEN

Rumors and the Truth

“Hatred, by a gradual and quiet process,

will even be transformed to love….”

—Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter

A few days later, Lawry invited Jay Crawford to join us for dinner.

I was beginning to realize what it was about Jay that bothered me. Even though he’d already proposed to me, he’d not once, before or since, tried to flirt with me. At least, not like Nathan insisted upon doing. Nor did he act obtuse, like Wyatt Harden did every time he came to Hilldreth. Jay had such a reserved nature, an almost statuesque poise to him, that I’d never been able to get behind.

Was he hiding something? I wasn’t really sure what I thought of Jay, beyond that he was a welcome distraction to keep my mind off the fact that every time I found myself alone with Nathan I nearly allowed him to kiss me.

Surely, the dream I kept having was at fault.

I hated that in my dreams, I unwittingly allowed myself to delight in him. How could my mind so completely betray me? Or was it my heart? I could not tell. All I knew was that I needed to put a stop to the uncontrollable thoughts creating such rebellious feelings.

“If you want her, you have to tell her, Nathan. Don’t leave her hanging, wondering what’s wrong with you.” Lawry’s voice echoed loudly through the crack between the pocket doors of the study.

“You hardly understand. I’ve tried everything,” Nathan’s velvety voice answered, oblivious to my prying ears. “She’s still annoyed with me. She hardly believes a word I say.”

I stood perfectly still before the doors, hoping to figure out whom they were speaking of. Surely, it was Nicholette.

“You haven’t tried everything.”

“I’ve tried everything save for kissing her senseless. Not that I haven’t wanted to.”

“Well then, now you know what you must do. When does your father return? You have until then, correct?”

My heart plummeted to the floor. It had to be Nicholette. She was likely disgruntled by the fact that he’d practically ignored her existence since returning to Boston, and now she was obviously playing hard to get.

“Trust me, Lawry, this is the most difficult task I’ve ever taken up in my life…and he wants me to announce the engagement upon his arrival.”

Nathan’s words caught me off guard, and I backed away from the door. I couldn’t stand to hear any more of the conversation. I shouldn’t have tarried outside the door as long as I had.

His words, and the implications, nearly made it impossible for me to breathe.

As I finally took a breath and turned to make my way down the hall, the pocket doors opened.

“Amaryllis! We were wondering what was keeping you. Where’s Jay?” Lawry ushered me into the room, as if the secrets shared a few moments earlier were not still hanging in the air.

“He’s waiting in the drawing room.” I stood at the threshold, refusing to go in. My mind raced with questions I would never dare ask.

Was Nathan, indeed, going to be engaged

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