Summerset and knew they couldn’t run this way forever, but he still wanted his girls to appreciate the grace, dignity, and elegance of the home that he loved so much. She thought again of the intolerance that even her frivolous cousin Elaine would show Prudence and she winced. “I’m so sorry, Pru,” she repeated.
“I know.” An aching silence of things unsaid filled the room. “I’m going to go help Victoria dress.”
Rowena nodded and turned to her reflection. She twisted her hair and held it in place while she jabbed ivory and pearl combs haphazardly into the knot. If they didn’t like the way she wore her hair, they could jolly well sod off. Very little about this situation was her choice. She didn’t choose to have her father die, nor did she choose to have a family full of insufferable snobs.
“So why do I feel so guilty?” she asked her reflection. She took out her delicate pearl dog’s collar, considered it, and then set it aside for the simple gold locket her father had given her. Restless, she decided to go down to the drawing room, even though she would be early.
She passed Victoria’s room and heard Prudence laughing. Victoria’s high-spirited nonsense—reciting poetry and changing the words—could make anyone feel better. She almost went in but decided against it. Even though it wasn’t fair, she had a feelingboth girls blamed her for their current circumstances and she didn’t want to put a pall on their fun. God knew they needed it.
Elaine was already in the drawing room when Rowena arrived.
“My, your mother has been busy, hasn’t she? This is the second room I’ve seen so far that’s been completely redecorated since I was here last.”
Every piece of furniture in the room had been swathed in a hectic rose and cream print fabric. In contrast, the plush rug beneath her feet was a plain dark red. Gold patterned wallpaper adorned the walls and in the center of the room hung the focal point, an enormous crystal chandelier suspended from a ceiling of such intricate plasterwork, it looked as if it had been carved from stone.
Elaine snickered. “Well, really, what else does she have to do?” She moved over to a serving table. “Would you like to try an American cocktail before my parents come down?”
Rowena raised a brow. “What are you drinking?”
“Have you tried a gin sling?”
Rowena shook her head.
“Colin taught me how to make one last time he came up from Oxford. They’re quite good and will make you silly in a very pleasant kind of way.”
“Oh, why not?” Rowena thought she could use a little silly right now. She watched as Elaine expertly mixed the contents of several cut-glass decanters together. Obviously, she’d done this before. “How is Colin, anyway?”
Elaine grinned at her, and once again Rowena was struck by how much her cousin had changed in the last year. Her skin glowed alabaster against the black silk of her gown and the added inches from her French heels made her look voluptuous ratherthan pudgy. “Do you want the parental version or do you want the truth?” Elaine asked.
Rowena took the glass Elaine handed her. “I always prefer the truth.”
“He hates university almost as much as he hates being here. Oh, don’t get me wrong. He loves Summerset, we all do, but he doesn’t want his whole life to be the price of wheat, wool, and rents. He’d much rather just fiddle with his motors, but who ever heard of the Earl of Engines?”
Rowena took a careful sip of the drink and then shuddered as it burned its way down her throat. “So what is he going to do?”
Elaine shrugged. “What else can he do? What can any of us do? Exactly what’s expected of us, of course.”
Warmth spread through Rowena’s chest and the tension in her neck and shoulders eased. She took another appreciative sip. “So he gives up being a mechanic to be an earl?”
“Who’s giving up being a mechanic?” Victoria came into the room behind them.
“King
“I know.” An aching silence of things unsaid filled the room. “I’m going to go help Victoria dress.”
Rowena nodded and turned to her reflection. She twisted her hair and held it in place while she jabbed ivory and pearl combs haphazardly into the knot. If they didn’t like the way she wore her hair, they could jolly well sod off. Very little about this situation was her choice. She didn’t choose to have her father die, nor did she choose to have a family full of insufferable snobs.
“So why do I feel so guilty?” she asked her reflection. She took out her delicate pearl dog’s collar, considered it, and then set it aside for the simple gold locket her father had given her. Restless, she decided to go down to the drawing room, even though she would be early.
She passed Victoria’s room and heard Prudence laughing. Victoria’s high-spirited nonsense—reciting poetry and changing the words—could make anyone feel better. She almost went in but decided against it. Even though it wasn’t fair, she had a feelingboth girls blamed her for their current circumstances and she didn’t want to put a pall on their fun. God knew they needed it.
Elaine was already in the drawing room when Rowena arrived.
“My, your mother has been busy, hasn’t she? This is the second room I’ve seen so far that’s been completely redecorated since I was here last.”
Every piece of furniture in the room had been swathed in a hectic rose and cream print fabric. In contrast, the plush rug beneath her feet was a plain dark red. Gold patterned wallpaper adorned the walls and in the center of the room hung the focal point, an enormous crystal chandelier suspended from a ceiling of such intricate plasterwork, it looked as if it had been carved from stone.
Elaine snickered. “Well, really, what else does she have to do?” She moved over to a serving table. “Would you like to try an American cocktail before my parents come down?”
Rowena raised a brow. “What are you drinking?”
“Have you tried a gin sling?”
Rowena shook her head.
“Colin taught me how to make one last time he came up from Oxford. They’re quite good and will make you silly in a very pleasant kind of way.”
“Oh, why not?” Rowena thought she could use a little silly right now. She watched as Elaine expertly mixed the contents of several cut-glass decanters together. Obviously, she’d done this before. “How is Colin, anyway?”
Elaine grinned at her, and once again Rowena was struck by how much her cousin had changed in the last year. Her skin glowed alabaster against the black silk of her gown and the added inches from her French heels made her look voluptuous ratherthan pudgy. “Do you want the parental version or do you want the truth?” Elaine asked.
Rowena took the glass Elaine handed her. “I always prefer the truth.”
“He hates university almost as much as he hates being here. Oh, don’t get me wrong. He loves Summerset, we all do, but he doesn’t want his whole life to be the price of wheat, wool, and rents. He’d much rather just fiddle with his motors, but who ever heard of the Earl of Engines?”
Rowena took a careful sip of the drink and then shuddered as it burned its way down her throat. “So what is he going to do?”
Elaine shrugged. “What else can he do? What can any of us do? Exactly what’s expected of us, of course.”
Warmth spread through Rowena’s chest and the tension in her neck and shoulders eased. She took another appreciative sip. “So he gives up being a mechanic to be an earl?”
“Who’s giving up being a mechanic?” Victoria came into the room behind them.
“King
Similar Books
