Roman Sunset (Tales from the Grand Tour Book 6) by Merry Farmer

Author:Merry Farmer [Farmer, Merry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-06-25T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

In her years working for Her Majesty’s Secret Service, and even before that, in her father’s stifling household, Violetta had found herself in more than a few tense situations. But nothing prepared her for meeting the full force of the McGovern clan.

“Do you really perform plays here?” the vibrant and stylish Lady Evangeline asked as the bulk of the clan investigated the stage, took their seats on benches that should have been saved for the elderly or infirm, and wandered around the plaza in front of the stage.

“Yes,” Violetta answered with a bright smile. “You would be surprised at the size of the audiences our performances draw.”

“I should like to be on the stage one day,” Lady Maude said with a dreamy sigh, gazing at the stage as though it were the entrance to heaven.

“You’d make a lovely actress, dear,” Lady Evangeline said. “Perhaps Thomas’s new friend here could teach you a thing or two about treading the boards.”

“I’d be happy to share what I know about the acting profession,” Violetta said with pretend enthusiasm.

As far as most of the McGoverns knew, she was nothing more than a friend that Lord Landry had picked up since arriving in Rome. She was under no illusion about what kind of friend the McGovern ladies likely thought she was. Actresses had always had a reputation for being loose women as far back as history traced them. Violetta didn’t care what Thomas’s family thought, though. They weren’t wrong, for one, even if there hadn’t been time for her and Thomas to slip away for a repeat performance of their evening of passion. More importantly, if they considered her nothing more than a bit of skirt Thomas had taken a fancy to, perhaps they wouldn’t pry too deeply into who and what she really was.

“I see you and Miss Roan are becoming better acquainted,” Thomas himself said, striding up to join the group. He stopped by Violetta’s side, standing indecently close to her and grinning at her with a smile that left no question how they felt about each other.

“Yes, Miss Roan is quite a delight,” Lady Evangeline said with a wry smile for her brother. “Papa would be furious, of course.”

Thomas’s smile evaporated, replaced by a frown that was both sullen and sad. “Papa never thought much about me in life, so I doubt he’ll care what I do now that he’s gone to meet his great reward.”

Evangeline hummed as though Thomas had made a good point. Their sister, Lady Roselyn Briarwood, who had stood silently to one side, pale and far more anxious than the stories Thomas had told her in the last few days would have led Violetta to believe she was, burst into tears.

Thomas immediately stepped away from Violetta to slide an arm around his sister’s shoulders. “What’s wrong, Roz? This isn’t like you at all.”

“Papa is dead,” Lady Briarwood sniffed into the handkerchief she pulled out of her sleeve. “Poor Nathan is dead as well. I can’t bear to think that Asher might be…might be….

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