Belladonna by Moline Karen

Author:Moline, Karen [Moline, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC000000
ISBN: 9780446549271
Publisher: WARNER BOOKS
Published: 2008-10-23T04:00:00+00:00

13

A Romp in the Hay

“I‘ve written something wonderful. Do you want to hear it?”

“No,” Belladonna says. “Leave me alone.”

Botheration. Looks like it’s going to be one of those days. We’ve been having a lot of those days lately, ever since Cooper was left lying in the dust. Unfortunately, that charming scene with him barely diffused the rage Belladonna hasn’t acknowledged since our encounter with Sir Patty. This anger is percolating so madly"like the coffee in our newfangled electric pots"that I fear something larger than Krakatau is soon to erupt.

“’Dear Laura,’” I plow on, undeterred, “’I wish to thank you for all your letters, and ask your forgiveness for my silence. I’ve been"’”

“Enough,” she interrupts, her teeth clenched. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Writing to Laura, of course,” I reply. “It’s long overdue, I might add.”

“No one asked you to add anything.”

“I thought it might be a goodluck charm. First Laura came to the club, then June, then Sir"”

“Don’t you dare mention his name to me,” she says fiercely. “I only want to hear his name when you tell me he’s dead.”

“All right,” I say. “Sorry.” I suppose this isn’t an especially propitious moment to tell her about June, the silly cow. She and her family have fled Kansas City in bankruptcy and disgrace, exactly as we’d planned. Back up to the frigid landscape of Minnesota, to the sheltering embrace of mommy and daddy, who don’t know what to do about their daughter babbling about kidnappers and torture. Nor do they realize that most of their holdings are about to disappear as well. Can’t imagine what’ll happen to their fragile health then. I’m certainly not losing any sleep over it. It’s a small price to pay for what they did to Belladonna, for negligence and disdain. For not ever trying to find her. For leaving her to"

No no no, we’re not quite there yet.

“Tear that letter up immediately. I don’t want Laura here, or anyone else,” Belladonna is saying. “I want to get this stupid party over with and be left alone.”

So I dramatically tear up the letter in front of her and go away. Except I forgot to tell her it was only a copy. After discussing the situation with Matteo and Jack, I’d taken the plunge and mailed the real letter a few weeks before"forging signatures is still one of my favorite pastimes"and had just gotten a reply, Laura thanking Leandro’s wife for her kind invitation to come on an extended visit to Virginia. That she was filled with gratitude to have heard from her after all this time. That she would be bringing a friend or two with whom she’d been planning to travel, since the Contessa was kind enough to extend her hospitality to them.

She’s arriving with them next week, and I know there’s going to be a lot of screaming when Belladonna finds out.

I shall spare you the unpleasantness that ensued, because you don’t need to hear the details. I’m not used to being on the receiving end of Belladonna’s hostility; nor do I want to return to that place ever again.

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.