Read Online Jane and Austen by Stephanie Fowers - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stephanie Fowers
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husband, Eddy, seemed more subdued in comparison. He wore black-rimmed glasses over clear blue eyes with blond, almost transparent lashes. He had a cool geek chic thing going with his lanky build, bow tie and suit jacket.
The gentle energy surging from the couple immediately put me at ease. The cousins were almost opposites. Where Taylor was wound tighter than hair in pigtails, Elly was calm and laid-back. She patted her cousin’s hand in a friendly way; her touch had a soothing effect on Taylor.
My eyes drew back to the captain. He glanced my way, and his jaw tightened. Oh my. He was brooding, wasn’t he? Unbidden, the image of a Jane Austen scene came to mind. I couldn’t help it. Redd looked the epitome of a wronged suitor. The collar of his dark jacket was a little higher than usual. His khaki pants could pass as the breeches of a fashionable gentleman of the era. Due to all of his military training, his broad shoulders and narrow waist gave him a triangular look. He stiffened when he saw me. And then he did exactly what I thought he would do—pretended I didn’t exist. He looked past me and nodded. “Austen.”
Austen sauntered into the room, his eyes dancing with humor. “Redd, you came for little Miss Taylor’s wedding?”
“She put a note in my invitation that I couldn’t refuse.”
Had she? The traitorous Taylor stood up, clasping Redd’s hands in hers. I hoped she wasn’t trying to set us up again, because if so, it would not go the way she had planned. She smiled like a certain bear with a honey jar. “Redd, you see, Jane has come. I told you she would if I texted that you were here.”
“Interesting; she wasn’t nearly as responsive to my texts,” Redd said in his deep voice.
My face bloomed red. Austen gave me a considering stare, and I knew I looked the hypocrite since I had chided him about the same thing only an hour ago. “Is that so?” I asked. Redd’s last text seemed like a big group invite. “I’m sorry. I thought I was part of some mass group text or I would’ve said something.”
Austen smirked at that because I was proving to be just as big of a jerk as he was.
At Redd’s disbelieving look, I remembered his other texts too late—he had hounded me with texts after our sort of break up—hardly any of which I’d returned. Oh dear, yeah, I was a coldhearted jade and now a liar. I remembered that I had tried to wean him off me by replying to his numerous communications with a text a day until that proved ineffective and I had to go cold turkey and stop texting him altogether. His last text before the mass invite had accused me of being dead.
And apparently I thought so little of it that I had immediately forgotten all about it because—well, to be honest—I always had these kinds of run-ins when it came to the dating scene. That, along with a terrible memory, made me quite the villain. I knew I made a lot of enemies, but usually it didn’t come back to bite me so hard.
I mumbled something about being a bad texter, and Austen turned away from me, but not quick enough. His expression told me exactly how amusing he thought my predicament was.
Changing the subject was Taylor’s talent, and she did it with a charming laugh. “Redd, dear, where are you staying while you’re in town?”
Redd’s expression smoothed into a pleasant one. “Just next door to here actually. I’m staying at the Kellynch.”
Taylor made a strangled sound. “You are?” It made sense that he’d go to North Abbey’s rival rather than be close to me.
“It’s close to the action, but not too close,” he told her with a wink.
“Well, there’s no vacancy here,” Austen said. “Jane stole the last room.”
I gave him a warning look, but I shouldn’t have bothered. Redd wasn’t about to discuss anything “Jane” related. Instead, he smiled vaguely at the minister and his wife sitting across the room. “Did you drive all the way from Washington DC for the wedding?” he asked.
The
The gentle energy surging from the couple immediately put me at ease. The cousins were almost opposites. Where Taylor was wound tighter than hair in pigtails, Elly was calm and laid-back. She patted her cousin’s hand in a friendly way; her touch had a soothing effect on Taylor.
My eyes drew back to the captain. He glanced my way, and his jaw tightened. Oh my. He was brooding, wasn’t he? Unbidden, the image of a Jane Austen scene came to mind. I couldn’t help it. Redd looked the epitome of a wronged suitor. The collar of his dark jacket was a little higher than usual. His khaki pants could pass as the breeches of a fashionable gentleman of the era. Due to all of his military training, his broad shoulders and narrow waist gave him a triangular look. He stiffened when he saw me. And then he did exactly what I thought he would do—pretended I didn’t exist. He looked past me and nodded. “Austen.”
Austen sauntered into the room, his eyes dancing with humor. “Redd, you came for little Miss Taylor’s wedding?”
“She put a note in my invitation that I couldn’t refuse.”
Had she? The traitorous Taylor stood up, clasping Redd’s hands in hers. I hoped she wasn’t trying to set us up again, because if so, it would not go the way she had planned. She smiled like a certain bear with a honey jar. “Redd, you see, Jane has come. I told you she would if I texted that you were here.”
“Interesting; she wasn’t nearly as responsive to my texts,” Redd said in his deep voice.
My face bloomed red. Austen gave me a considering stare, and I knew I looked the hypocrite since I had chided him about the same thing only an hour ago. “Is that so?” I asked. Redd’s last text seemed like a big group invite. “I’m sorry. I thought I was part of some mass group text or I would’ve said something.”
Austen smirked at that because I was proving to be just as big of a jerk as he was.
At Redd’s disbelieving look, I remembered his other texts too late—he had hounded me with texts after our sort of break up—hardly any of which I’d returned. Oh dear, yeah, I was a coldhearted jade and now a liar. I remembered that I had tried to wean him off me by replying to his numerous communications with a text a day until that proved ineffective and I had to go cold turkey and stop texting him altogether. His last text before the mass invite had accused me of being dead.
And apparently I thought so little of it that I had immediately forgotten all about it because—well, to be honest—I always had these kinds of run-ins when it came to the dating scene. That, along with a terrible memory, made me quite the villain. I knew I made a lot of enemies, but usually it didn’t come back to bite me so hard.
I mumbled something about being a bad texter, and Austen turned away from me, but not quick enough. His expression told me exactly how amusing he thought my predicament was.
Changing the subject was Taylor’s talent, and she did it with a charming laugh. “Redd, dear, where are you staying while you’re in town?”
Redd’s expression smoothed into a pleasant one. “Just next door to here actually. I’m staying at the Kellynch.”
Taylor made a strangled sound. “You are?” It made sense that he’d go to North Abbey’s rival rather than be close to me.
“It’s close to the action, but not too close,” he told her with a wink.
“Well, there’s no vacancy here,” Austen said. “Jane stole the last room.”
I gave him a warning look, but I shouldn’t have bothered. Redd wasn’t about to discuss anything “Jane” related. Instead, he smiled vaguely at the minister and his wife sitting across the room. “Did you drive all the way from Washington DC for the wedding?” he asked.
The
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