Read Online A Modern Day Persuasion by Kaitlin Saunders - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kaitlin Saunders
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instinctually yawned before heading towards the bathroom.
“You look ghastly!” Mary commented.
Anne grimaced at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and made a half-hearted attempt to repair the ravages of a sleepless night.
“I bought you a croissant and coffee,” informed Mary. Anne gave up trying to salvage her appearance and accepted the coffee. The warmth of the cup felt good to Anne’s hands. “Has the doctor been in yet?” Mary inquired before taking a bite of her Danish.
“No, but the nurse is certain the doctor will send Nick home today. He was fine through the night.” Anne sat back down, exhausted. She glanced over at Mary and could tell there was something her sister was bursting to tell.
“Well…don’t you want to hear about the dinner?” Mary breathed with excitement. Anne immediately became alert. She had momentarily forgotten about last night. But before Anne could respond, Mary began to share. “Louise cooked again. Obviously a ploy to try and impress their dinner guest, but she really shouldn’t have. The chicken was so tough I could barely cut it. But…the real scoop of the evening wasn’t how badly Louise cooked.” Mary paused for effect, and then burst out, “It was him! Your old boyfriend! Rick Wentworth! He’s one and the same! I couldn’t have been more surprised! And not only that, he’s rather handsome. I didn’t remember him being so nice-looking, but then, I only got to see him once or twice since Daddy packed me off to boarding school. I’ll tell you one thing though…Etta and Louise sure noticed what a fine specimen he is. The girls ignored me the whole evening. You’d think they’d never seen a man before.” Anne tried to look surprised. Mary handed Anne her croissant. “Anyway,” continued Mary, “I found out he’s an author of all things. Charles told me he’s very good at it. He even has a fan club! Can you believe that?” Mary laughed. “Boy! Would my mother-in-law love to see him marry one of her girls! It’s so annoying.” Mary shoved the rest of the Danish into her mouth, then brushed the crumbs from her hands. “Well, Charles should be arriving soon,” Mary added. “Once again, it’s me that misses out on everything. First thing this morning, my husband headed back over to his mom and dad’s house. Can you believe that? And all because Rick was invited to breakfast. Charles and Rick really hit it off last night. They talked of nothing but hunting and fishing, blah, blah, blah, hunting and fishing.”
Mary heard what sounded like Charles’ voice in the corridor. To confirm, she walked over to take a quick peek into the hallway only to hurry back to Anne. “Oh my goodness, they’re here!” Mary exclaimed in excitement.
“Who’s they?” Anne asked, finishing up her croissant.
“All of them! Charles, Louise, Etta, and Rick Wentworth!”
Anne stood up, stunned, the color draining from her face.
Mary swiftly barked out an order, “No! Sit down! We don’t want to make it look like we were expecting them.” Anne obediently reclaimed her seat. Recalling how she looked, Anne touched her face and hair mournfully, then glanced down to her wrinkled outfit. Meanwhile, Mary quickly positioned herself closer to the boys to look more attentive and motherly. She roused her sleeping children, “Wake-up! Daddy’s coming!”
Charles and his entourage entered the hospital room with Louise and Etta quickly rushing to the boys with outstretched arms.
Anne looked up at Rick who didn’t appear to notice her. In a way it was a relief, yet at the same time, Anne felt invisible and that hurt. Studying Rick, Anne thought him even more handsome than she remembered. Rick’s eyes were still the same vivid sky blue, but made even more so by his tanned face and light brown hair. He wasn’t a pretty boy like some of the leading men in today’s movies. Instead, Rick looked rugged and strong yet still having a persona of kindness—something that made
“You look ghastly!” Mary commented.
Anne grimaced at her reflection in the bathroom mirror and made a half-hearted attempt to repair the ravages of a sleepless night.
“I bought you a croissant and coffee,” informed Mary. Anne gave up trying to salvage her appearance and accepted the coffee. The warmth of the cup felt good to Anne’s hands. “Has the doctor been in yet?” Mary inquired before taking a bite of her Danish.
“No, but the nurse is certain the doctor will send Nick home today. He was fine through the night.” Anne sat back down, exhausted. She glanced over at Mary and could tell there was something her sister was bursting to tell.
“Well…don’t you want to hear about the dinner?” Mary breathed with excitement. Anne immediately became alert. She had momentarily forgotten about last night. But before Anne could respond, Mary began to share. “Louise cooked again. Obviously a ploy to try and impress their dinner guest, but she really shouldn’t have. The chicken was so tough I could barely cut it. But…the real scoop of the evening wasn’t how badly Louise cooked.” Mary paused for effect, and then burst out, “It was him! Your old boyfriend! Rick Wentworth! He’s one and the same! I couldn’t have been more surprised! And not only that, he’s rather handsome. I didn’t remember him being so nice-looking, but then, I only got to see him once or twice since Daddy packed me off to boarding school. I’ll tell you one thing though…Etta and Louise sure noticed what a fine specimen he is. The girls ignored me the whole evening. You’d think they’d never seen a man before.” Anne tried to look surprised. Mary handed Anne her croissant. “Anyway,” continued Mary, “I found out he’s an author of all things. Charles told me he’s very good at it. He even has a fan club! Can you believe that?” Mary laughed. “Boy! Would my mother-in-law love to see him marry one of her girls! It’s so annoying.” Mary shoved the rest of the Danish into her mouth, then brushed the crumbs from her hands. “Well, Charles should be arriving soon,” Mary added. “Once again, it’s me that misses out on everything. First thing this morning, my husband headed back over to his mom and dad’s house. Can you believe that? And all because Rick was invited to breakfast. Charles and Rick really hit it off last night. They talked of nothing but hunting and fishing, blah, blah, blah, hunting and fishing.”
Mary heard what sounded like Charles’ voice in the corridor. To confirm, she walked over to take a quick peek into the hallway only to hurry back to Anne. “Oh my goodness, they’re here!” Mary exclaimed in excitement.
“Who’s they?” Anne asked, finishing up her croissant.
“All of them! Charles, Louise, Etta, and Rick Wentworth!”
Anne stood up, stunned, the color draining from her face.
Mary swiftly barked out an order, “No! Sit down! We don’t want to make it look like we were expecting them.” Anne obediently reclaimed her seat. Recalling how she looked, Anne touched her face and hair mournfully, then glanced down to her wrinkled outfit. Meanwhile, Mary quickly positioned herself closer to the boys to look more attentive and motherly. She roused her sleeping children, “Wake-up! Daddy’s coming!”
Charles and his entourage entered the hospital room with Louise and Etta quickly rushing to the boys with outstretched arms.
Anne looked up at Rick who didn’t appear to notice her. In a way it was a relief, yet at the same time, Anne felt invisible and that hurt. Studying Rick, Anne thought him even more handsome than she remembered. Rick’s eyes were still the same vivid sky blue, but made even more so by his tanned face and light brown hair. He wasn’t a pretty boy like some of the leading men in today’s movies. Instead, Rick looked rugged and strong yet still having a persona of kindness—something that made
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