Read Online A Prince for Aunt Hetty by Kimberly Truesdale - Free Book Online
Authors: Kimberly Truesdale
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to have a partner. Of course, that would mean not being nervous and rude around a man she felt attracted to. And that's what she'd finally admitted to herself last night, that she felt attracted to Mr. Henderson. Not that she expected anything to come of it.
Hetty focused again on the happy scene in front of her. The children had moved into little groups around the room and Agatha and Jonathan were reading her mail. Annabella even seemed to fit into the scene, sitting in a chair next to Agatha with sewing in her lap. Everyone had a place in the comforting tableau. Everyone but her...
“Children!” Agatha cried. Everyone turned to her. Hetty shook herself out of her maudlin reflection. I should know better than to ponder life when I am tried and hungry.
Agatha was grinning and holding up a letter she had just received. “I have something to share with you all!”
“What?” The children crowded around her and tried to grab for the letter.
She held it just out of reach. “A very special invitation has come for you, my dears.” Their excitement was palpable. “Would you like to know what it says?”
She had barely finished her question before they were yelling “yes” again.
“It says...” she paused dramatically. Agatha might have had a great career on the stage.
“It says... Honorable Children of the Hayes House ,” the children giggled at the formal address. Agatha continued, “ The resident beast of the castle, would like to invite you all to walk for the afternoon. He requests that you bundle up carefully and come over at your convenience to romp through his hedge maze and eat all of the sweet things in his house. ”
The children were already jumping with excitement. Agatha held up her hand to silence them. “I have not finished reading the letter!” They quieted to let her finish. “ Post script, your parents and aunt are welcome to come, too, if you think they should also be allowed to eat sweet things and play in the maze. ”
“Can we, mama? Please?” Agnes asked. The others chimed, in their most pleasing and sweet voices.
“I shall have to consult your father,” Agatha laughed. She turned her head to Jonathan and raised her eyebrows in question. “What say you? Shall our children be allowed an afternoon of fun?”
“I'm not certain that they should, my dear,” Jonathan pretended to consider.
Vanessa spoke up. “But you had a party last night and we didn't get to do anything . You even ate all the apple tarts so we didn't have any today. It's only fair that we get to have some fun.”
Hetty bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. Fair play to Vanessa. Hetty wondered if Agatha could see just how much her oldest daughter resembled her mother at that same age. Of course, Agatha had been the youngest where Vanessa was the oldest. But they both had a sense that they were owed something. And neither would let it go without at least making a good case for it.
“I see a problem with this invitation,” Agatha shook her head sadly. “I have too much work to do after the preparations of yesterday.”
“And I do, too,” Jonathan agreed.
All eyes turned to Aunt Hetty, the only other adult in the room. She had been named specifically, after all.
“So your entire happiness in life now rests on me, I suppose?” Hetty teased. She already knew her answer would be yes, but it was so much fun to tease the children. Besides, she was just as curious as they were to explore the castle and to perhaps get to know the “resident beast” a little more.
Hetty watched the children. From oldest to youngest, they were all giving her their most pitiful looks, as if to say that they were the most deprived children in the world who had never had any treats at all and their dearest aunt could give them one truly delightful afternoon before they had to return to their normal life of drudgery. It was too much. Hetty giggled. That started the girls giggling. Then everyone joined in.
“Of course, you
Hetty focused again on the happy scene in front of her. The children had moved into little groups around the room and Agatha and Jonathan were reading her mail. Annabella even seemed to fit into the scene, sitting in a chair next to Agatha with sewing in her lap. Everyone had a place in the comforting tableau. Everyone but her...
“Children!” Agatha cried. Everyone turned to her. Hetty shook herself out of her maudlin reflection. I should know better than to ponder life when I am tried and hungry.
Agatha was grinning and holding up a letter she had just received. “I have something to share with you all!”
“What?” The children crowded around her and tried to grab for the letter.
She held it just out of reach. “A very special invitation has come for you, my dears.” Their excitement was palpable. “Would you like to know what it says?”
She had barely finished her question before they were yelling “yes” again.
“It says...” she paused dramatically. Agatha might have had a great career on the stage.
“It says... Honorable Children of the Hayes House ,” the children giggled at the formal address. Agatha continued, “ The resident beast of the castle, would like to invite you all to walk for the afternoon. He requests that you bundle up carefully and come over at your convenience to romp through his hedge maze and eat all of the sweet things in his house. ”
The children were already jumping with excitement. Agatha held up her hand to silence them. “I have not finished reading the letter!” They quieted to let her finish. “ Post script, your parents and aunt are welcome to come, too, if you think they should also be allowed to eat sweet things and play in the maze. ”
“Can we, mama? Please?” Agnes asked. The others chimed, in their most pleasing and sweet voices.
“I shall have to consult your father,” Agatha laughed. She turned her head to Jonathan and raised her eyebrows in question. “What say you? Shall our children be allowed an afternoon of fun?”
“I'm not certain that they should, my dear,” Jonathan pretended to consider.
Vanessa spoke up. “But you had a party last night and we didn't get to do anything . You even ate all the apple tarts so we didn't have any today. It's only fair that we get to have some fun.”
Hetty bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. Fair play to Vanessa. Hetty wondered if Agatha could see just how much her oldest daughter resembled her mother at that same age. Of course, Agatha had been the youngest where Vanessa was the oldest. But they both had a sense that they were owed something. And neither would let it go without at least making a good case for it.
“I see a problem with this invitation,” Agatha shook her head sadly. “I have too much work to do after the preparations of yesterday.”
“And I do, too,” Jonathan agreed.
All eyes turned to Aunt Hetty, the only other adult in the room. She had been named specifically, after all.
“So your entire happiness in life now rests on me, I suppose?” Hetty teased. She already knew her answer would be yes, but it was so much fun to tease the children. Besides, she was just as curious as they were to explore the castle and to perhaps get to know the “resident beast” a little more.
Hetty watched the children. From oldest to youngest, they were all giving her their most pitiful looks, as if to say that they were the most deprived children in the world who had never had any treats at all and their dearest aunt could give them one truly delightful afternoon before they had to return to their normal life of drudgery. It was too much. Hetty giggled. That started the girls giggling. Then everyone joined in.
“Of course, you
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