Read Online ROMANCE: Regency Romance: Fated to His Kiss (Historical Victorian Romance) (Historical Regency Romance Fantasy Short Stories) by Eva Madden - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Eva Madden
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“Perhaps it would be wise to pay a visit to your sister and see how she is faring after the whole affair,” Henry suggested, and the idea appealed to Anabelle so much that they quickly thanked Rafe, sent him on his way, and ordered the servants to ready their carriage.
The journey to Isadora's seemed to be endless, given the aching information the two of them had just been given. But Anabelle was touched to discover that Henry did not let go of her hand the entire ride there. When she alighted from the carriage, Anabelle felt a sense of sickness wash over her as she took in her childhood home in all its splendid shabbiness, amazed that she had hardly noticed it when she lived there. The entire place was hung over with a cloud of doom, and when she entered the house, there was a crypt-like silence all around her.
It was a while before she could locate any of the servants, and even more time before she discovered one who knew where her sister was. It was from a tiny stable boy named Benjamin that Anabelle received the final, devastating news of where exactly her sister was.
“He came 'round about an hour ago, ma'arm,” squeaked the shy, dark-haired little boy, his clothes strewn with stray bits of hay.
“Who did?”
“He'n, Lord Haversham, ma'arm.”
“Whatever for?”
Benjamin wiped his wee little nose. “Told Lady Givens to g'on and get her things together, that he found them a priest who'd do the deed.”
Anabelle's blood ran cold as ice. “A priest? Did she go?” she cried with alarm, exciting the little boy to quite a worrisome state. All he could do was nod mutely at her, wondering to himself at the strange actions of the wealthy.
Anabelle was quite wild with rage and fear when she found Henry in her childhood bedroom, waiting for her. “Henry, oh Henry, that foolish girl has gone and done it,” she cried, throwing herself into his arms.
“What, my love, what happened?” he asked, dropping a kiss into her hair. She looked up at him, feeling the smart sting of tears prick at her eyes.
“Oh, Isadora, that little fool! She's eloped with Haversham!”
Henry eyed the coming dark outside. “Speak quickly, Anabelle. Tell me exactly what you heard.”
She recalled the paltry bit of information that she had managed to glean from the stable boy, feeling bile rise up in her throat. As if the family was not mired in enough scandal to begin with! Now Isadora was completely ruining her reputation by running off and getting married to Devon Haversham against his mother's wishes; what was she thinking? Henry, after a moment's consideration after she relayed the tale, ordered the little stable boy to draw up a fresh set of horses for the carriage.
“Where are you going to look for them?” she cried, watching him take control all over again.
“I have an idea, and hopefully they are not so far ahead in their start so that I may catch up with them before the damage is—” and here he broke off, cognizant of the fact that the both of them knew that in some ways, the damage was already done.
Anabelle bit her lip. She tried to go with him, but Henry bade her stay. Exhausted by the momentousness of the day, but unable to sit still and wait for Henry to come back, Anabelle went back upstairs to her room and paced back and forth for a good long while. Images of the ruin that Isadora was bringing upon herself plagued Anabelle, increased her pacing until she was exhausted enough to collapse onto the bed in a troubled sleep.
Images floated in and out of her brain
The journey to Isadora's seemed to be endless, given the aching information the two of them had just been given. But Anabelle was touched to discover that Henry did not let go of her hand the entire ride there. When she alighted from the carriage, Anabelle felt a sense of sickness wash over her as she took in her childhood home in all its splendid shabbiness, amazed that she had hardly noticed it when she lived there. The entire place was hung over with a cloud of doom, and when she entered the house, there was a crypt-like silence all around her.
It was a while before she could locate any of the servants, and even more time before she discovered one who knew where her sister was. It was from a tiny stable boy named Benjamin that Anabelle received the final, devastating news of where exactly her sister was.
“He came 'round about an hour ago, ma'arm,” squeaked the shy, dark-haired little boy, his clothes strewn with stray bits of hay.
“Who did?”
“He'n, Lord Haversham, ma'arm.”
“Whatever for?”
Benjamin wiped his wee little nose. “Told Lady Givens to g'on and get her things together, that he found them a priest who'd do the deed.”
Anabelle's blood ran cold as ice. “A priest? Did she go?” she cried with alarm, exciting the little boy to quite a worrisome state. All he could do was nod mutely at her, wondering to himself at the strange actions of the wealthy.
Anabelle was quite wild with rage and fear when she found Henry in her childhood bedroom, waiting for her. “Henry, oh Henry, that foolish girl has gone and done it,” she cried, throwing herself into his arms.
“What, my love, what happened?” he asked, dropping a kiss into her hair. She looked up at him, feeling the smart sting of tears prick at her eyes.
“Oh, Isadora, that little fool! She's eloped with Haversham!”
Henry eyed the coming dark outside. “Speak quickly, Anabelle. Tell me exactly what you heard.”
She recalled the paltry bit of information that she had managed to glean from the stable boy, feeling bile rise up in her throat. As if the family was not mired in enough scandal to begin with! Now Isadora was completely ruining her reputation by running off and getting married to Devon Haversham against his mother's wishes; what was she thinking? Henry, after a moment's consideration after she relayed the tale, ordered the little stable boy to draw up a fresh set of horses for the carriage.
“Where are you going to look for them?” she cried, watching him take control all over again.
“I have an idea, and hopefully they are not so far ahead in their start so that I may catch up with them before the damage is—” and here he broke off, cognizant of the fact that the both of them knew that in some ways, the damage was already done.
Anabelle bit her lip. She tried to go with him, but Henry bade her stay. Exhausted by the momentousness of the day, but unable to sit still and wait for Henry to come back, Anabelle went back upstairs to her room and paced back and forth for a good long while. Images of the ruin that Isadora was bringing upon herself plagued Anabelle, increased her pacing until she was exhausted enough to collapse onto the bed in a troubled sleep.
Images floated in and out of her brain
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