The Lady Who Knew Too Much by Alyson Chase

Author:Alyson Chase [Chase, Alyson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: iBooks
Publisher: Alice Weiss
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Sixteen

Juliana folded one of her shawls into a triangle and laid it on the back of Brogan’s sofa. There. That bit of color quite spruced up his sitting room. “I’m happy to loan your sister some of my books about sex and women’s role in society,” she called. “She might learn not to value her worth by a man’s affections. She seemed interested when I spoke of them.”

Brogan minced into the room, balancing trays and dishes on his arms. “I think she’ll be too busy with whatever punishment my father will devise for her to read.”

“Oh!” She hurried forward and took the plate of mutton and the dish of green beans from him. “I do hope he won’t treat her too harshly. She was young and in love.” An emotion she wasn’t certain she had ever felt. She had certainly felt tenderly toward James, but when they had agreed to part, her heart hadn’t been injured. What would it be like to fall in love?

She cast a glance at Brogan as she set the plates at the small table in the corner of the room. His apartments didn’t have a separate dining room, consisting only of a bedroom, a small kitchen, and this sitting room. A bachelor’s rooms.

Had he ever been in love? Ever thought about ending his unmarried state? She couldn’t quite picture him professing words of love to a woman, either. Perhaps they were alike in that regard. Perhaps neither of them were destined to feel such deep emotion.

She swallowed, the back of her throat thick. But he would marry eventually. Of course, a man like him would marry. And he would be devoted and steady and everything a husband ought. And she would be…

She cleared her throat. “Tomorrow we speak with Mr. Pickens. This should be a celebratory dinner. Tomorrow we learn all, and you’ll be rid of me.” She tried to make it sound like a jest, but the truth in it made her chest ache.

Seeing Brogan with his family hadn’t helped. He was such a caring son and brother. What would it feel like to be someone this man cared for? Her brother had paid people to find her, true, but she couldn’t imagine him ever coming to fisticuffs over her honor.

“Yes,” he agreed. He set a plate down then nudged it a couple inches over then back to its original location. For once, Brogan seemed uncomfortable.

“I like your family.” She took a seat and started serving. “There is true affection between all of you.”

She would have preferred if Brogan’s father had discussed Sally’s behavior with her instead of a gruff, ‘go to your room,’ when they’d returned, but she could tell he loved his daughter.

And the way his mother had held Juliana so tightly before she’d left…

Juliana knew it had been misplaced gratitude, thinking she might have played a larger role in recovering her daughter than she had, but having the woman’s arms wrapped about her had felt wonderful. It had been a mother’s hug, and that was something she hadn’t felt for a long time.

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