Heiress in Red Silk, Hunter, Madeline [good beach reads TXT] 📗

During the day, she escaped that sickness of the heart. She kept busy at the shop. She remained close to Lily and enjoyed her company. It was at night, when she was alone, that she hurt the way she had when her father had passed.

She reminded herself now that she had not left London because of that row with Kevin. Not in itself, at least. They had had them before about the enterprise. Always about that.

She had always known he merely tolerated her as a partner too. It was something he could do nothing about, so he accepted it. But he didn’t like it. Still, she thought they had found common ground, especially after Paris. But maybe not. Perhaps desire and pleasure had blinded her, and him too.

The argument ran through her memory, word for word, his outburst at the end ringing loud and hard. Something had happened then. To her. It was as if she suddenly stood to the side and watched, and realized exactly what was really occurring in front of her eyes.

Mostly, she saw herself too clearly, from the prospect of her own heart as well as his words. That Kevin considered her an interfering, common hat maker, and mostly an irritation unless they were in bed—Possibly she could have accommodated that. She might have learned to live with it. However, knowing that he not only did not love her the way she loved him, but also that he probably never would—accepting that hurt badly. She had again experienced the humiliation she’d known in the garden with Charles.

She did not want to live like that, so aware that he scorned one part of her life. Their life. One part of her, really. It would affect everything, even the pleasure. Even now she was seeing some of the time they had shared differently.

Her thoughts distracted her. She pricked her finger, something she rarely did anymore. She set aside the hat and reached for the salve. At the other table, Lily had gone back to her own work.

She wrapped her finger and waited while she looked out the window at the sky. Blue today, after so much rain. The garden at Chapel Street probably had all its roses in bloom.

With time, maybe she would go back. Once she conquered the love. She had no intention of spending another five years living a dream, though. She was too old for that.

The rest was no more or less than she had bargained for, if she was honest. It had been her fault, not his, that she had forgotten that.

He had guessed where she was. A letter had come ten days ago. One sentence:

“Are you well?”

She shook her head and laughed. His wife leaves without warning, and that was his only question?

She had responded just as briefly.

“Yes, quite well.”

Then another letter, four days ago. Nothing about her health in that one. He had simply informed her that Chase had announced that Minerva was with child. He thought she would want to know. Two sentences this time.

Steps sounded on the stairs. Mrs. Hutton emerged, first her head and then the rest of her.

“Molly, I’ll be needing you below now. I’ve some things for you to do,” she said after she entered the workroom.

Molly set down her work and left, her dark curls bouncing. Mrs. Hutton did not follow. She came over to Rosamund and placed a card on the worktable. “He is below. He wants to see you. What should I say?”

It was Kevin’s card. Not yet, her heart said.

That would never do. She stood. “Come with me, Lily.”

Lily followed her down the stairs. Rosamund paused on the last step and took a deep breath. She turned her head and spoke to her sister. “Lily, Mr. Radnor is in the shop. I want you to meet him.”

Lily’s eyes widened. She stretched her neck to see around the stairwell wall and almost fell. Rosamund took the final step that brought her into the shop. Kevin stood near the window at the far end, angling his head to examine a hat.

“You didn’t tell me he was handsome,” Lily whispered.

He was handsome. Especially today. Or perhaps several weeks apart made him more handsome than usual.

He looked down the workshop and saw them. Rosamund pushed Lily forward like a shield until they joined him at the window. “Kevin, this is my sister, Lily.”

Lily executed a curtsy the way her school had taught her. Kevin bowed, then smiled. Lily beamed a big smile in return.

Rosamund exhaled, proud of herself. She hadn’t shown how flustered she felt. She hadn’t cried.

* * *

Lily was a beautiful child. Rosamund had probably looked much like this at that age, before she grew into a woman. He knew nothing about talking to children, but he asked her how she liked school, and she chattered away, telling him about the other girls and the teachers. While she talked, he stole glances at Rosamund.

It had not been long, but he felt as if he were seeing her anew, standing at the door of Chase’s library, stunning him. She smiled softly while her sister talked, but when the girl paused to breathe, she placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Save some for later,” she said. “Why don’t you find Molly to see what Mrs. Hutton needed her to do?”

“Before she goes, perhaps you want to give her this.” Kevin turned and lifted a box he had brought with him. “It arrived a few days ago.”

Lily’s eyes widened. She looked at Rosamund, who nodded. Carefully Lily lifted the top of the box. “Oh, my.” She reached in and brought forth a metal doll. Together she and Rosamund admired it front and back.

“What is this?” Lily asked when she discovered the key.

“Turn it, then set it on the floor,” Rosamund said.

Lily did so. The woman smiled. Then she raised the hand that held a hat, and placed it on her head. Lily gaped