Read Online Jaded Moon (Ransomed Jewels Book 2) by Laura Landon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Laura Landon
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know, but this is important.”
Josie dropped the book onto the grass and rushed to where the two little boys stood. She put an arm around each small shoulder and turned them toward the path that led to the apple orchard. She was desperate to get them away before he saw them.
“But we don’t want to go,” Charlie said, speaking for both of them. He was usually the one who took control. The one who spoke for Robbie even though Robbie was the older of the two.
“I know you don’t, Charlie. But…” Josie knelt in front of them so she was eye level with the two four-year-olds. “If you go with Jenny now and mind everything she says, tonight when the rest of the children have to go to bed the three of us will stay up. We’ll sit in front of the fire in the study and I’ll read you the story.”
“From the beginning?” Robbie asked.
“From the beginning,” she agreed.
“And can we have some hot chocolate?” Charlie asked, bobbing his head enthusiastically.
“If you are very good and obey everything Jenny tells you to do.”
“We will, Miss Josie!” they both chorused in unison. “We’ll be very good.”
“Come on, Jenny,” Charlie said. “Miss Josie wants us to go down to the orchard and you’re to come with us.”
“Mrs. Lambert will come to get you in a little while,” she told Jenny as the girl led the two little boys away. “And hurry.”
Josie watched the two little boys until they were out of sight, then sat back down on the blanket to finish reading the story. She’d known he would come today. He’d said as much yesterday when he left Lady Clythebrook’s. And if she couldn’t keep him away, she might as well use his presence to her advantage. She’d let him see all the children who were approximately the age of the child he’d come to find; all of them except the one for whom he was searching. She’d never let him see that one. She’d never let one of her children go to someone with his reputation. It would be like throwing Charlie to the devil.
Josie looked at the children sitting at her feet, many of them with backgrounds no different than the child the marquess sought. A nagging question ate away at her. Why did he want to remove Charlie from Sacred Heart? What better place was there for an unwanted child than an orphanage? That was the solution most commonly adhered to by members of the nobility.
Bastard children were unfortunate mistakes that needed to be dispensed with. Well, she’d take care of his mistake for him. Little Charlie didn’t need to spend his whole life waiting for his father to come back to get him like she had. It was better if the boy thought his father was dead. Better if he didn’t have a face to put with the name of the man who would never love him.
She focused again on her story, saying the words with no thought to what she was reading. After every sentence, she cast a glance toward the orphanage and felt an intense sense of relief when the path remained empty. But she knew it wouldn’t be long. Mrs. Lambert promised to keep him occupied long enough to get the boys safely hidden, then bring him where she had the children gathered so he could inspect them. Maybe when he was satisfied the child he was looking for wasn’t here, he’d leave them alone and continue his search elsewhere.
Josie looked up the path again then back to the words on her page. Not only did she have to keep him away from the orphanage, but from Clythebrook as well. For at least a month. He could ruin everything if she didn’t.
Her last thought came to an abrupt halt. He was close. The tingle at the back of her neck told her he was. She read on, keeping her voice normal as she concentrated on the words that swam before her. One by one every small pair of eyes moved to a spot high above her right shoulder. But still she read on. She would give him adequate time to take note of each child. To wonder if the child he was searching for was here.
She waited a few more agonizing
Josie dropped the book onto the grass and rushed to where the two little boys stood. She put an arm around each small shoulder and turned them toward the path that led to the apple orchard. She was desperate to get them away before he saw them.
“But we don’t want to go,” Charlie said, speaking for both of them. He was usually the one who took control. The one who spoke for Robbie even though Robbie was the older of the two.
“I know you don’t, Charlie. But…” Josie knelt in front of them so she was eye level with the two four-year-olds. “If you go with Jenny now and mind everything she says, tonight when the rest of the children have to go to bed the three of us will stay up. We’ll sit in front of the fire in the study and I’ll read you the story.”
“From the beginning?” Robbie asked.
“From the beginning,” she agreed.
“And can we have some hot chocolate?” Charlie asked, bobbing his head enthusiastically.
“If you are very good and obey everything Jenny tells you to do.”
“We will, Miss Josie!” they both chorused in unison. “We’ll be very good.”
“Come on, Jenny,” Charlie said. “Miss Josie wants us to go down to the orchard and you’re to come with us.”
“Mrs. Lambert will come to get you in a little while,” she told Jenny as the girl led the two little boys away. “And hurry.”
Josie watched the two little boys until they were out of sight, then sat back down on the blanket to finish reading the story. She’d known he would come today. He’d said as much yesterday when he left Lady Clythebrook’s. And if she couldn’t keep him away, she might as well use his presence to her advantage. She’d let him see all the children who were approximately the age of the child he’d come to find; all of them except the one for whom he was searching. She’d never let him see that one. She’d never let one of her children go to someone with his reputation. It would be like throwing Charlie to the devil.
Josie looked at the children sitting at her feet, many of them with backgrounds no different than the child the marquess sought. A nagging question ate away at her. Why did he want to remove Charlie from Sacred Heart? What better place was there for an unwanted child than an orphanage? That was the solution most commonly adhered to by members of the nobility.
Bastard children were unfortunate mistakes that needed to be dispensed with. Well, she’d take care of his mistake for him. Little Charlie didn’t need to spend his whole life waiting for his father to come back to get him like she had. It was better if the boy thought his father was dead. Better if he didn’t have a face to put with the name of the man who would never love him.
She focused again on her story, saying the words with no thought to what she was reading. After every sentence, she cast a glance toward the orphanage and felt an intense sense of relief when the path remained empty. But she knew it wouldn’t be long. Mrs. Lambert promised to keep him occupied long enough to get the boys safely hidden, then bring him where she had the children gathered so he could inspect them. Maybe when he was satisfied the child he was looking for wasn’t here, he’d leave them alone and continue his search elsewhere.
Josie looked up the path again then back to the words on her page. Not only did she have to keep him away from the orphanage, but from Clythebrook as well. For at least a month. He could ruin everything if she didn’t.
Her last thought came to an abrupt halt. He was close. The tingle at the back of her neck told her he was. She read on, keeping her voice normal as she concentrated on the words that swam before her. One by one every small pair of eyes moved to a spot high above her right shoulder. But still she read on. She would give him adequate time to take note of each child. To wonder if the child he was searching for was here.
She waited a few more agonizing
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