Read Online Forget-Me-Not Bride by Margaret Pemberton - Free Book Online

described as beautiful. The eyes were too big, the nose too short, the mouth too wide. These deficiencies had, however, been spectacularly overcome. Unnatural-looking fox-red hair was piled high, tumbling forward in a frizz of curls over her forehead. The lemur-like eyes danced with laughter. The wide, dazzlingly smiling mouth was painted as garishly as a chorus-girl’s.
    â€˜No,’ Lilli said with an answering grin. ‘Lottie and Leo are my brother and sister.’
    â€˜I don’t think anyone will choose you as a bride when they know you have a family in tow,’ a heavy-featured girl with an unfortunate dark line of hair on her upper lip, said doubtfully.
    Lilli sat down and hoisted Leo onto the bench beside her. ‘I’m the one that’s going to be doing the choosing,’ she corrected, keeping her voice friendly.
    â€˜I’m afraid that’s not quite how it …’ the girl began, a slight frown drawing thick eyebrows together.
    â€˜For goodness sake, we should be making introductions, not getting pickety.’ It was the husky-voiced girl. She stretched her hand across the table towards Lilli. ‘My name is Marietta Rivere and I’m very pleased to meet you.’ It was a small hand, almost paw-like.
    â€˜I’m pleased to meet you, too,’ Lilli said warmly.
    Leo had been gazing at Marietta in almost mesmerized fascination. Now he said admiringly, ‘I like that coloured stuff on your mouth. Does it taste nice?’
    There was a snort from a pale-looking girl sitting on Marietta’s left-hand side. Marietta ignored it. ‘I think it must do,’ she said, a chuckle in her voice, ‘Because I’ve never had any comp …’
    â€˜I think you should remember Leo’s age,’ an auburn-haired girl sitting at the top of the table said quickly, her voice gently reproving. She turned her attention to Lilli. ‘I’m Miss Salway. Kate Salway.’
    â€˜Lilli Stullen,’ Lilli said as the moustached girl next to her passed her three enamel plates.
    There was a large dish of crisp bacon rashers in the centre of the table and as Lilli began to fork rashers onto the plates the girl said bluntly. ‘Bumby.’
    â€˜I beg your pardon?’ Lilli said, startled.
    â€˜Bumby,’ the girl said again. ‘Miss Susan Bumby.’
    â€˜And I’m Miss Nettlesham,’ the almost albino-looking girl sitting on Marietta’s left-hand side said, not proferring her christian name, her intonation indicating that she regarded herself as being of far more consequence than Miss Bumby or Miss Salway and certainly of far more consequence than the outré Miss Rivere.
    â€˜I’m pleased to meet you,’ Lilli said politely, hiding her amusement, understanding all too well why Lettie had taken such a dislike to her.
    â€˜Edie hasn’t introduced herself,’ Marietta said as she poured a mug of milk for Leo.
    The young woman in question, sitting on Marietta’s right-hand side, blushed and bit her bottom lip in an agony of shyness.
    Marietta handed Leo the mug of milk and then said, ‘Edie’s full name is Edith Hobson. She’s only sixteen and is the baby amongst us. Or she’s the baby gold-rush bride-to-be amongst us, because I don’t suppose Lottie is looking for a husband yet and I’m not including young gents, like Leo here, in my reckoning.’
    Even though the very expression ‘gold-rush bride-to-be’ filled Lottie with panic on Lilli’s behalf, Marietta’s fizzing effervescence was so contagious that Lottie found herself giggling. Leo, highly flattered at being referred to as a ‘young gent‘ positively preened himself.
    â€˜If Edie’s the youngest, I must be the oldest,’ Miss Bumby said gruffly, a gleam of bacon fat trickling down her chin. ‘I’m twenty-eight,’ she added, so that there would be no need for speculation.
    â€˜And