Read Online Glorious Angel by Johanna Lindsey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Johanna Lindsey
Ads: Link
that. A father to replace the one she lost.”
By now, Angela had tears on her cheeks. All the questions she would have asked were asked by Crystal and Zachary and answered in turn. Was this really possible? How was it that fortune could shine on her so brightly?
“You must forgive me, Angela, for not telling you about this when we were in the study, but I wanted to say it only once,” Jacob said tenderly, then continued. “And I’m sorry I wasn’t more explicit when I talked to you after the funeral. But now that you know I want to take care of you, will you agree?”
“I would be a fool to refuse your kind offer, Mr. Maitland—I mean, Jacob,” she managed without breaking down.
“Splendid!” He looked around the table, defying the others to say anything more. Then he smiled and called out in a booming voice, “Tilda, you can send in the food now.”
Ten
The night was a long one, for Angela had a difficult time falling asleep. She spent hours remembering every word said at the dining-room table.
Crystal hated her, Angela had no doubts on that score. But Robert Lonsdale was a different story. He had been surprised at first, but then Angela detected amusement in him. He had eyed her all evening, as if she were a mare he was appraising for purchase. She would have to be wary of Robert, she was sure of that.
As the night wore on, Angela began worrying about Bradford. How would he react? It suddenly hit her that he might not like it any better than Zachary did.
She fell asleep thinking of her father. He had been gruff and took to the bottle a bit too much, but she had loved him. She had had a hard childhood,but she would give anything to be home with William Sherrington now. She cried herself to sleep.
“Mornin’, Missy.” Hannah came bustling into the room in a cheery mood. “Sun’s been shinin’ for some time now. You don’t usually sleep this late, do you?”
Angela opened her eyes to find the room flooded in daylight. “What time is it?”
“A little past eight.”
“Eight!” Angela quickly jumped from the bed and ran for the closet.
“What’s your hurry, honey?”
Angela stopped short as she realized there was no hurry. She no longer had chores to do.
“I guess I forgot.”
Hannah laughed in her cheerful way. “You’ll get use to this easy life soon enough. All you got to worry about is if you wants your breakfast downstairs, or if you wants me to send up a tray for you.”
“Will the others be goin’ down to eat?” Angela asked apprehensively.
“Only Mr. Lonsdale. Master Jacob ate some time ago, and Miss Crystal eats in her room.”
“And Zachary?”
“He went into the city this mornin’,” Hannah replied. “He gots hisself a law office he’s tryin’ to build up again, now that the war is over.”
“Then I guess I’ll go down for breakfast, Hannah,” Angela stated. As long as she didn’t have toface Crystal or Zachary and their obvious dislike of her, there was no point in staying in her room. “I can’t go gettin’ lazy.”
“Good girl. You gonna need all the exercise you can get, now you ain’t got so much to do. And afterward, Master Jacob wants to see you in the study.”
“Did I do something wrong again?”
“No, honeychild, he just wants to talk to you,” Hannah replied quickly, setting Angela’s mind at ease. “Now, I’ll send Eulalia up to fix your hair and help you dress. She’s gonna be your personal maid, ’lessen you don’t like her?”
“But I don’t—”
“You hush now.” Hannah cut her off as she went to the door, knowing Angela’s objections. “You gonna be a lady now, and ladies don’t do nothin’ for themselves. You got lots to get use to, child.”
A while later, Angela was wearing a stiff green cotton dress, with an equally rough chemise under it. She would much rather be wearing her old beat-up breeches and cotton shirt. But Hannah had taken it upon herself to get rid of those old articles.
Angela had
By now, Angela had tears on her cheeks. All the questions she would have asked were asked by Crystal and Zachary and answered in turn. Was this really possible? How was it that fortune could shine on her so brightly?
“You must forgive me, Angela, for not telling you about this when we were in the study, but I wanted to say it only once,” Jacob said tenderly, then continued. “And I’m sorry I wasn’t more explicit when I talked to you after the funeral. But now that you know I want to take care of you, will you agree?”
“I would be a fool to refuse your kind offer, Mr. Maitland—I mean, Jacob,” she managed without breaking down.
“Splendid!” He looked around the table, defying the others to say anything more. Then he smiled and called out in a booming voice, “Tilda, you can send in the food now.”
Ten
The night was a long one, for Angela had a difficult time falling asleep. She spent hours remembering every word said at the dining-room table.
Crystal hated her, Angela had no doubts on that score. But Robert Lonsdale was a different story. He had been surprised at first, but then Angela detected amusement in him. He had eyed her all evening, as if she were a mare he was appraising for purchase. She would have to be wary of Robert, she was sure of that.
As the night wore on, Angela began worrying about Bradford. How would he react? It suddenly hit her that he might not like it any better than Zachary did.
She fell asleep thinking of her father. He had been gruff and took to the bottle a bit too much, but she had loved him. She had had a hard childhood,but she would give anything to be home with William Sherrington now. She cried herself to sleep.
“Mornin’, Missy.” Hannah came bustling into the room in a cheery mood. “Sun’s been shinin’ for some time now. You don’t usually sleep this late, do you?”
Angela opened her eyes to find the room flooded in daylight. “What time is it?”
“A little past eight.”
“Eight!” Angela quickly jumped from the bed and ran for the closet.
“What’s your hurry, honey?”
Angela stopped short as she realized there was no hurry. She no longer had chores to do.
“I guess I forgot.”
Hannah laughed in her cheerful way. “You’ll get use to this easy life soon enough. All you got to worry about is if you wants your breakfast downstairs, or if you wants me to send up a tray for you.”
“Will the others be goin’ down to eat?” Angela asked apprehensively.
“Only Mr. Lonsdale. Master Jacob ate some time ago, and Miss Crystal eats in her room.”
“And Zachary?”
“He went into the city this mornin’,” Hannah replied. “He gots hisself a law office he’s tryin’ to build up again, now that the war is over.”
“Then I guess I’ll go down for breakfast, Hannah,” Angela stated. As long as she didn’t have toface Crystal or Zachary and their obvious dislike of her, there was no point in staying in her room. “I can’t go gettin’ lazy.”
“Good girl. You gonna need all the exercise you can get, now you ain’t got so much to do. And afterward, Master Jacob wants to see you in the study.”
“Did I do something wrong again?”
“No, honeychild, he just wants to talk to you,” Hannah replied quickly, setting Angela’s mind at ease. “Now, I’ll send Eulalia up to fix your hair and help you dress. She’s gonna be your personal maid, ’lessen you don’t like her?”
“But I don’t—”
“You hush now.” Hannah cut her off as she went to the door, knowing Angela’s objections. “You gonna be a lady now, and ladies don’t do nothin’ for themselves. You got lots to get use to, child.”
A while later, Angela was wearing a stiff green cotton dress, with an equally rough chemise under it. She would much rather be wearing her old beat-up breeches and cotton shirt. But Hannah had taken it upon herself to get rid of those old articles.
Angela had
Similar Books
