The Queen's Gambit: An unforgettable and unputdownable historical novel (Wonderland Book 4) by Irina Shapiro

Author:Irina Shapiro [Shapiro, Irina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781805081524
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Published: 2023-11-16T16:00:00+00:00

THIRTY-NINE

JANUARY 24, 2015

Surrey, England

Simon gazed around the church from his vantage point by the Cheshire Cat pillar, as he liked to think of it. He’d always loved that little face, especially when he was a boy coming to church services with his mother. He liked to pretend that it was the real Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland and it appeared and disappeared at will, materializing in different parts of the church during the sermon and playing clever tricks on the limited imagination of Reverend Lambert.

The reverend had been younger then, but just as boring. Blimey, if boring was a sport, the good reverend could bore for England, and no doubt qualify for first place, Simon thought as he recalled those long-ago hours spent sitting in the hard wooden pew. But today he wasn’t here for the service. The church was decorated with white flowers and gauzy swaths of fabric, making it look like a garden in full bloom in the middle of winter.

Heather had done a lovely job organizing the wedding, no thanks to him. He hadn’t seen her dress, but he was sure her gown would be beautiful; understated and classy. Heather had good taste, especially in men, as she liked to point out.

The church was filling up, pews dotted with the colorful outfits of the ladies who wore elaborate hats despite the dreadful weather. It had snowed the night before, but today was a combination of sleet and rain, which made the short trip to the church perilous. Still, everyone was on time. There were people from the village, including Doctor Lomax and his wife, who sat next to his mother as if he were family. Stella Harding was wearing an outfit in lavender with an elaborate hat, which completely blocked the person sitting behind her. Simon wasn’t quite sure if his mother had chosen lavender, the color of mourning, for his wedding as a not-so-subtle message. She never uttered a word of reproach, but he was beginning to realize that she didn’t care for Heather or her campaign to become the next Lady Everly.

Simon supposed that no one would be good enough for him in his mother’s eyes. She was the only person in this world who loved him unconditionally, and he returned that love tenfold. He hoped that his mother and Heather would get on but knew with a dead certainty that if he were ever forced to choose between the two, his mother would always be the winner. Heather had once called him a “mama’s boy,” but he wasn’t so much a mama’s boy as a grateful son who realized what his mother had given up to give him a good life and keep him in the orbit of his indifferent father, in the hope that one day maybe a relationship would finally blossom between them, or, at the very least, his father would feel guilty enough at the sight of him to do something for Simon’s future.

“Are you ready, old boy?” Jack asked as he came up behind Simon.

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