still
convinced that he did fix on you in the beginning, if you want to know the truth. And then changed his
mind as he watched Corina bloom into a great beauty."
"That is unfair, Amelia. Richard is not shallow." "Don't he too certain of that. And I'll tell you something
else. He would never have offered for Corina, either, if you had not settled a large portion on her. His
parents would never have given their approval if they had not believed that she could bring some money
into the family."
"You are right on that point." Iphiginia wrinkled her nose in disdain. She had never liked Richard's
parents.
Iphiginia had known Richard most of her life. They were the same age. The Hamptons and the Brights
had been neighbors in the smallDevonvillageofDeepford.
Squire Hampton and his wife had never fully approved of Iphiginia's parents. People with uninhibited,
artistic natures were always suspect in small villages dominated by unspoken rules of decorum and
behavior.
Iphiginia had always liked Richard, however, and he had always been kind to her, especially during the
difficult time after her parents had been lost at sea.
When she recovered from the impact of the first dreadful shock of their deaths, Iphiginia had found
herself left with her nine-year-old sister and herself to support.
Unfortunately, the Brights had left very little in the way of an inheritance. Iphiginia's mother had never
made much money from her paintings. Her father, a gifted architect, had lacked the business acumen to
turn his elegant, classical designs into reality.
The unexpected hidden costs of construction, a poor talent for selecting his business associates, and the
myriad problems inherent in building houses on speculation had combined to make most of Bright's
profits evaporate.
In any event, both of Iphiginia's parents had been far more interested in renewing their artistic spirits with
frequent trips to the ruins ofEgypt,Italy, andGreecethan they had been with making money.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
The Brights had traveled widely, with little concern for the shifting theaters of the war that had raged at
various points on the Continent for years. Iphiginia and her sister had usually accompanied them on their
travels.
But Iphiginia and Corina had been left behind when the indomitable Brights had set out on their last
journey. News of their deaths at sea had come as a devastating blow to their beloved daughters.
Faced with the responsibility of providing for herself and Corina, Iphiginia had taken a hold step. She
had scraped together every available penny she could get from the sale of her mother's paintings and a
pattern book that her father had created.
She had used the small sum to open her academy for young ladies. It had been an immediate success.
Richard had assisted Iphiginia by persuading his father to rent her a suitable house for her academy. He
had made certain that the rent was reasonable. He had gone out of his way to perform other small acts of
kindness as well. He had even convinced his mother to recommend Iphiginia's academy to her friends.
She would always be grateful to Richard, Iphiginia thought. And she would always feel a certain
fondness for him. He was a handsome, amiable man with a likable manner.
But she knew now that she would not have been the best choice for a wife for him. He, apparently, had
comprehended that better than she had at the time.
The truth was, she would have been quite miserable if she had been forced to spend the remainder of
her life in Deepford. She had not realized just how much she had been obliged to repress her naturally
exuberant, independent, adventurous, intellectual nature until she had left the village last year.
She had felt as though she had shed a cocoon and become a creature with wings.
Iphiginia had discovered this past year that she had inherited a full measure of her parents'
unconventional,
convinced that he did fix on you in the beginning, if you want to know the truth. And then changed his
mind as he watched Corina bloom into a great beauty."
"That is unfair, Amelia. Richard is not shallow." "Don't he too certain of that. And I'll tell you something
else. He would never have offered for Corina, either, if you had not settled a large portion on her. His
parents would never have given their approval if they had not believed that she could bring some money
into the family."
"You are right on that point." Iphiginia wrinkled her nose in disdain. She had never liked Richard's
parents.
Iphiginia had known Richard most of her life. They were the same age. The Hamptons and the Brights
had been neighbors in the smallDevonvillageofDeepford.
Squire Hampton and his wife had never fully approved of Iphiginia's parents. People with uninhibited,
artistic natures were always suspect in small villages dominated by unspoken rules of decorum and
behavior.
Iphiginia had always liked Richard, however, and he had always been kind to her, especially during the
difficult time after her parents had been lost at sea.
When she recovered from the impact of the first dreadful shock of their deaths, Iphiginia had found
herself left with her nine-year-old sister and herself to support.
Unfortunately, the Brights had left very little in the way of an inheritance. Iphiginia's mother had never
made much money from her paintings. Her father, a gifted architect, had lacked the business acumen to
turn his elegant, classical designs into reality.
The unexpected hidden costs of construction, a poor talent for selecting his business associates, and the
myriad problems inherent in building houses on speculation had combined to make most of Bright's
profits evaporate.
In any event, both of Iphiginia's parents had been far more interested in renewing their artistic spirits with
frequent trips to the ruins ofEgypt,Italy, andGreecethan they had been with making money.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
The Brights had traveled widely, with little concern for the shifting theaters of the war that had raged at
various points on the Continent for years. Iphiginia and her sister had usually accompanied them on their
travels.
But Iphiginia and Corina had been left behind when the indomitable Brights had set out on their last
journey. News of their deaths at sea had come as a devastating blow to their beloved daughters.
Faced with the responsibility of providing for herself and Corina, Iphiginia had taken a hold step. She
had scraped together every available penny she could get from the sale of her mother's paintings and a
pattern book that her father had created.
She had used the small sum to open her academy for young ladies. It had been an immediate success.
Richard had assisted Iphiginia by persuading his father to rent her a suitable house for her academy. He
had made certain that the rent was reasonable. He had gone out of his way to perform other small acts of
kindness as well. He had even convinced his mother to recommend Iphiginia's academy to her friends.
She would always be grateful to Richard, Iphiginia thought. And she would always feel a certain
fondness for him. He was a handsome, amiable man with a likable manner.
But she knew now that she would not have been the best choice for a wife for him. He, apparently, had
comprehended that better than she had at the time.
The truth was, she would have been quite miserable if she had been forced to spend the remainder of
her life in Deepford. She had not realized just how much she had been obliged to repress her naturally
exuberant, independent, adventurous, intellectual nature until she had left the village last year.
She had felt as though she had shed a cocoon and become a creature with wings.
Iphiginia had discovered this past year that she had inherited a full measure of her parents'
unconventional,
Similar Books
