Read Online Lady Dearing's Masquerade by Elena Greene - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elena Greene
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birdsong and the rushing of the nearby stream.
As she approached the entrance to the cave, Sir Jeremy beside her, Livvy prayed once more that she was right.
“Come out. You are discovered,” she shouted.
There was no answer.
She moved a tangle of ivy aside to reveal the opening. It was smaller than she remembered, and too dark to see the interior. She heard a scuffle and a muted whisper. Her shoulders sagged with relief.
“I know you are in there. Come out this instant, all of you,” she said in a fierce tone she rarely used.
Please don’t disobey me now.
A moment later Philippa poked her head out of the hole. Pale despite smudges of dirt on her cheeks, the girl had clearly screwed up her courage to be the first out. Livvy stretched out her hand and helped her climb out of the gap to emerge, staring wide-eyed at Sir Jeremy.
“Sir Jeremy, this is Philippa,” said Livvy.
She gave the girl a pointed look until Philippa dropped Sir Jeremy a polite curtsey, which he returned with a grave nod.
Livvy turned back to the gap. The next face to appear was Robbie’s; his eyes seemed enormous in his puckish little face, beseeching her understanding. She lifted him out bodily, taking the opportunity to give him a quick squeeze before setting him down and introducing him.
Ben emerged, his face sullen. Though he dared not try to speak, he made a little bow when introduced to Sir Jeremy.
Finally, Livvy helped Mary through the gap. The girl scrambled out, bearing a basket containing the food they’d stolen. Paler than the rest, she kept her eyes downcast.
“Sir Jeremy, this is Mary,” Livvy said, watching Sir Jeremy closely to see his reaction as Mary curtseyed to him.
The moment stretched awkwardly as he stood staring down at Mary with an odd yearning in his eyes. Livvy’s heart, which had started to slow, resumed its gallop. Then as if suddenly released from a spell, Sir Jeremy bowed.
Livvy drew a ragged breath. “Perhaps one of you will explain what you were doing in the cave. Philippa?” she said, turning her gaze toward the eldest.
Her heart bled to see Philippa’s look, defiant and pleading at the same time.
“I—we could not allow Sir Jeremy to take Mary back to the Foundling Hospital,” the girl returned at length.
“So you were listening to us in the library? You know how I regard eavesdropping.”
Ben stepped forward, dark eyes large in his face. “It was m-m-m-m-me,” he said, with a painful effort.
“Thank you for being honest,” said Livvy more softly, then looked around the small group. “But what an ungrateful thing to do! Do you not realize that you very likely owe your lives to the kindness of gentlemen like Sir Jeremy, who manage and fund the Hospital?”
Robbie began to sob.
She longed to cuddle him, but resisted. “How do you think Sir Jeremy must feel now?” she said, raking the group with her eyes.
Philippa and Mary both burst into tears; Ben was scowling with the effort of holding his own back. Sir Jeremy shifted his stance uncomfortably.
She’d done enough.
“You must all apologize to Sir Jeremy now.”
The children broke out into a chorus of frightened apologies, which Sir Jeremy accepted gravely but politely. Then Livvy went to hug each one in turn.
“But we still don’t want Mary to go!” blurted out Robbie, as she embraced him.
Livvy moved on to Mary, whose face was still streaked with tears.
“Don’t make me go, my lady!” whispered Mary, clinging to her. “Please don’t ask me to tell you why!”
Livvy glanced over Mary’s head toward Sir Jeremy. His expression smote her: stark misery. He’d heard.
“Listen, all of you,” she said, still holding Mary. “You must not have heard all of our conversation. Sir Jeremy was not talking of returning Mary to the Hospital.”
“No?” Mary lifted her head to stare up at her.
Livvy gave Sir Jeremy a questioning glance. He nodded.
“Sir Jeremy was thinking of taking you to his aunt’s house, which is
As she approached the entrance to the cave, Sir Jeremy beside her, Livvy prayed once more that she was right.
“Come out. You are discovered,” she shouted.
There was no answer.
She moved a tangle of ivy aside to reveal the opening. It was smaller than she remembered, and too dark to see the interior. She heard a scuffle and a muted whisper. Her shoulders sagged with relief.
“I know you are in there. Come out this instant, all of you,” she said in a fierce tone she rarely used.
Please don’t disobey me now.
A moment later Philippa poked her head out of the hole. Pale despite smudges of dirt on her cheeks, the girl had clearly screwed up her courage to be the first out. Livvy stretched out her hand and helped her climb out of the gap to emerge, staring wide-eyed at Sir Jeremy.
“Sir Jeremy, this is Philippa,” said Livvy.
She gave the girl a pointed look until Philippa dropped Sir Jeremy a polite curtsey, which he returned with a grave nod.
Livvy turned back to the gap. The next face to appear was Robbie’s; his eyes seemed enormous in his puckish little face, beseeching her understanding. She lifted him out bodily, taking the opportunity to give him a quick squeeze before setting him down and introducing him.
Ben emerged, his face sullen. Though he dared not try to speak, he made a little bow when introduced to Sir Jeremy.
Finally, Livvy helped Mary through the gap. The girl scrambled out, bearing a basket containing the food they’d stolen. Paler than the rest, she kept her eyes downcast.
“Sir Jeremy, this is Mary,” Livvy said, watching Sir Jeremy closely to see his reaction as Mary curtseyed to him.
The moment stretched awkwardly as he stood staring down at Mary with an odd yearning in his eyes. Livvy’s heart, which had started to slow, resumed its gallop. Then as if suddenly released from a spell, Sir Jeremy bowed.
Livvy drew a ragged breath. “Perhaps one of you will explain what you were doing in the cave. Philippa?” she said, turning her gaze toward the eldest.
Her heart bled to see Philippa’s look, defiant and pleading at the same time.
“I—we could not allow Sir Jeremy to take Mary back to the Foundling Hospital,” the girl returned at length.
“So you were listening to us in the library? You know how I regard eavesdropping.”
Ben stepped forward, dark eyes large in his face. “It was m-m-m-m-me,” he said, with a painful effort.
“Thank you for being honest,” said Livvy more softly, then looked around the small group. “But what an ungrateful thing to do! Do you not realize that you very likely owe your lives to the kindness of gentlemen like Sir Jeremy, who manage and fund the Hospital?”
Robbie began to sob.
She longed to cuddle him, but resisted. “How do you think Sir Jeremy must feel now?” she said, raking the group with her eyes.
Philippa and Mary both burst into tears; Ben was scowling with the effort of holding his own back. Sir Jeremy shifted his stance uncomfortably.
She’d done enough.
“You must all apologize to Sir Jeremy now.”
The children broke out into a chorus of frightened apologies, which Sir Jeremy accepted gravely but politely. Then Livvy went to hug each one in turn.
“But we still don’t want Mary to go!” blurted out Robbie, as she embraced him.
Livvy moved on to Mary, whose face was still streaked with tears.
“Don’t make me go, my lady!” whispered Mary, clinging to her. “Please don’t ask me to tell you why!”
Livvy glanced over Mary’s head toward Sir Jeremy. His expression smote her: stark misery. He’d heard.
“Listen, all of you,” she said, still holding Mary. “You must not have heard all of our conversation. Sir Jeremy was not talking of returning Mary to the Hospital.”
“No?” Mary lifted her head to stare up at her.
Livvy gave Sir Jeremy a questioning glance. He nodded.
“Sir Jeremy was thinking of taking you to his aunt’s house, which is
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