Unexpected Courtships by Alina K. Field

Author:Alina K. Field [Field, Alina K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781944063320
Publisher: Havenlock Press

Chapter 7

Late the next morning, Annabelle knelt in front of a trunk in her simply-appointed bedchamber. Packing a bag with clothes for the journey wouldn’t take long. A stack of folded garments sat on her bed, next to the bundle of Veronica’s clothing she hadn’t yet had the heart to unveil.

She unrolled a gown and matching robe. The red silk felt cool against her cheek, sleek and seductive with its scandalous lace inserts. The set had been a gift from her mother, ordered special from London.

Annabelle blinked back tears. For your bridal trousseau, her mother had said. Annabelle, then eighteen, was without beauty or suitors. Weeks later, when a wasting disease took her mother away, she understood the reason for the unexpected gift.

She wrapped the gown and robe and set them aside. Marriage had not come, nor love, and in her circumstances, would not.

Perhaps she would take it along to Brockton Manor and wear it. The scandalous book could not stay here—who knew when she would be able to return? Annabelle wrapped it in a dark scarf, tied it with ribbon, and pushed it under the clothes to be packed.

Her father’s Rigby pistols came next, unearthed from the bed of linens in the trunk’s bottom. She would load them and carry them. She got to her feet, went to a locked cabinet, checked for the primer and bullets, and closed it up again. She would load them tomorrow. It wouldn’t do to leave loaded weapons around the boys.

There was a knock at the door, and Thomas popped his head in.

“A note from that shop, Mum.” His eyes lit on the pistols.

Annabelle dropped her shawl over them and reached for the note. “Thank you, Thomas. Have you finished your lessons?”

“Mr. Lewis was tellin’ us a story.”

“Oh, was he? Well, best you get back to your sums. I’ll be down in a minute to check your progress. Go on then.”

“Are we going to that lady’s house then for Christmas?”

“Perhaps.”

A frown creased his brow. She spoiled him too much. She must be firmer, because sooner rather than later he would have to go out to work. It wouldn’t be fair to keep him on as a spinster’s spoiled pet.

She touched his shoulder. “The lessons, Thomas.” She closed the door of her room and opened the note.

Her heart quickened. The stationer had a letter for her. Please, God, it could only be from Veronica. The bundle of clothing caught her eye. She untied the string and unrolled the paper.

Tears sprang to Annabelle’s eyes. This wasn’t clothing. It was a collection of linens, hand-embroidered by their mother. Annabelle had her own set, packed safely away. She lifted each layer, memories flooding her of her mother’s attempts to teach her the art. Veronica had always been the better seamstress, and indeed, some of the pieces must have been of her making.

At the very bottom she found one garment, a dress. The cheap, worn clothing did not look like Veronica’s. It would suit a shorter woman, a woman in considerably reduced circumstances.

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.