Read Online Courting Constance (Fountain of Love) by Kirsten Osbourne - Free Book Online
Authors: Kirsten Osbourne
Ads: Link
between the two. “Are they identical?”
Lily shook her head. “No, look, their noses are just a little bit different. Mabel’s nose turns up just the tiniest bit at the end and Millicent’s doesn’t.”
Constance smiled and nodded. “Good, I’ll be able to tell them apart then.”
Charles watched the two women for a moment before clearing his throat. “Looks like I just became unnecessary.” He liked looking at Constance with his tiny niece. He desperately wanted to see her with his child. “I need to get home.”
Lily looked up at him. “Oh, won’t you stay for supper?”
He shook his head, unwilling to stay for a supper he knew Constance wouldn’t be eating with the family. She was a servant here. “I need to go.”
“Thank you for bringing Constance to us.” Lily smiled, her eyes tired but happy. “Would you join Constance and I for tea tomorrow?”
He nodded, happy to think that she’d be having tea with the family. “I’d love that.”
Constance smiled, because she was thrilled for the opportunity to see him. She knew it was better for her when she didn’t, but she couldn’t seem to convince her heart of that.
“Come around two then,” Lily told him. “Hopefully we can have the twins napping then so we’re not fighting them as we eat our biscuits.”
“I’ll be here,” Charles told them both.
“Thank you for bringing me, Lord Charles.” Constance looked up at him as she said the words. She was struck again by his beautiful brown eyes. She wished there were some way to make things work out between them.
After he’d left, Lily turned to her. “It’s not impossible, you know.”
Constance frowned. “What’s not impossible?”
“A marriage between you and Charles.” Lily watched the other woman closely as she said the words.
Constance shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Lily laughed. “I’d have to be blind not to see the looks that keep passing between you and my brother. Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.” She cooed down at the baby in her arms for a moment. “You both deserve happiness.”
Constance was mortified that her emotions showed so clearly when Charles was around. “I can’t be his mistress.”
“Of course, you can’t! He would never even ask it.”
Constance said nothing as she stared down at the baby in her arms. She wasn’t going to try to disillusion Lily about her brother.
“He didn’t!” Lily sounded truly scandalized. “He hit Kit, repeatedly, when I got pregnant before marriage, and he thinks it’s perfectly fine to have a mistress? Especially a mistress he cares so much about? What is wrong with that man?”
Constance blushed. “Please don’t say anything to him. He won’t marry me, because everyone would be scandalized. It’s fine. I understand.”
“He lives in the country. No one will be scandalized. It would be harder if he were part of the London social scene, but he’s not. He never has been. He prefers his quiet time in the country, so he could marry you and no one would say a word.” Lily shook her head. “You were raised country gentry, weren’t you?”
Constance nodded. “I was, but my family wasn’t wealthy. If I were an heiress it would be one thing, but I’m not. I’m just from a poor country family with no title.”
Lily shrugged. “That doesn’t matter to me. I’d be willing to bet it doesn’t matter to our brother, James. What difference does all that make?”
“It makes a difference to most people.”
Lily shook her head. “Charles has always been extremely open-minded. My father wouldn’t let me marry Kit because he was a third son. Charles would have told me to marry for love.”
“He’s told me we can’t marry. That he’d be happy to have me for his mistress, but not his wife. He wants me to live in his house with him.”
Lily sighed
Lily shook her head. “No, look, their noses are just a little bit different. Mabel’s nose turns up just the tiniest bit at the end and Millicent’s doesn’t.”
Constance smiled and nodded. “Good, I’ll be able to tell them apart then.”
Charles watched the two women for a moment before clearing his throat. “Looks like I just became unnecessary.” He liked looking at Constance with his tiny niece. He desperately wanted to see her with his child. “I need to get home.”
Lily looked up at him. “Oh, won’t you stay for supper?”
He shook his head, unwilling to stay for a supper he knew Constance wouldn’t be eating with the family. She was a servant here. “I need to go.”
“Thank you for bringing Constance to us.” Lily smiled, her eyes tired but happy. “Would you join Constance and I for tea tomorrow?”
He nodded, happy to think that she’d be having tea with the family. “I’d love that.”
Constance smiled, because she was thrilled for the opportunity to see him. She knew it was better for her when she didn’t, but she couldn’t seem to convince her heart of that.
“Come around two then,” Lily told him. “Hopefully we can have the twins napping then so we’re not fighting them as we eat our biscuits.”
“I’ll be here,” Charles told them both.
“Thank you for bringing me, Lord Charles.” Constance looked up at him as she said the words. She was struck again by his beautiful brown eyes. She wished there were some way to make things work out between them.
After he’d left, Lily turned to her. “It’s not impossible, you know.”
Constance frowned. “What’s not impossible?”
“A marriage between you and Charles.” Lily watched the other woman closely as she said the words.
Constance shook her head. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Lily laughed. “I’d have to be blind not to see the looks that keep passing between you and my brother. Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.” She cooed down at the baby in her arms for a moment. “You both deserve happiness.”
Constance was mortified that her emotions showed so clearly when Charles was around. “I can’t be his mistress.”
“Of course, you can’t! He would never even ask it.”
Constance said nothing as she stared down at the baby in her arms. She wasn’t going to try to disillusion Lily about her brother.
“He didn’t!” Lily sounded truly scandalized. “He hit Kit, repeatedly, when I got pregnant before marriage, and he thinks it’s perfectly fine to have a mistress? Especially a mistress he cares so much about? What is wrong with that man?”
Constance blushed. “Please don’t say anything to him. He won’t marry me, because everyone would be scandalized. It’s fine. I understand.”
“He lives in the country. No one will be scandalized. It would be harder if he were part of the London social scene, but he’s not. He never has been. He prefers his quiet time in the country, so he could marry you and no one would say a word.” Lily shook her head. “You were raised country gentry, weren’t you?”
Constance nodded. “I was, but my family wasn’t wealthy. If I were an heiress it would be one thing, but I’m not. I’m just from a poor country family with no title.”
Lily shrugged. “That doesn’t matter to me. I’d be willing to bet it doesn’t matter to our brother, James. What difference does all that make?”
“It makes a difference to most people.”
Lily shook her head. “Charles has always been extremely open-minded. My father wouldn’t let me marry Kit because he was a third son. Charles would have told me to marry for love.”
“He’s told me we can’t marry. That he’d be happy to have me for his mistress, but not his wife. He wants me to live in his house with him.”
Lily sighed
Similar Books
