mistress.”
“Is there no one else who would have come by them?”
“No, sir, but not to worry. I’ll tell Miss Caroline you’re here.”
“You have my thanks, Claire or soon to be Mrs.—?”
She lowered her brown eyes. “Just Claire, sir.”
“Well, Claire. You’ll have to show me many things here, you and Will.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll get your room ready right away, and bring you supper.”
“Please tell my sister I’m here first.”
Claire stepped forward. “Yes, sir. If you go into the library, there's a good fire to warm you.”
“I’ll wait here,” he said, disturbed by the look of worry in Claire's eyes.
Claire nodded and left him to stand in the foyer. Seth pulled off his gloves. Uneasy and alone for the first time in his grandfather's house, a strange sense came over him, as if many pairs of eyes from the past watched him.
A painting hung on the wall to the right of him. The moon escaped the cover of a cloud and its gentle rays came through the glass in the window. It brightened the room enough for him to see the painting was Ten Width.
Movement came from the hallway above. He glanced up. The rustle of a woman's skirt glided across the floor. Amber light shone across the lady's cheek from the candlelight. Seth realized by the color of her hair, she could not be his sister.
Startled by what his eyes beheld, his breath caught in his throat. She came down the staircase in a frock of brown muslin; a touch of white lace edged the bodice and touched her bare skin. Her free hand ran along the balustrade, fingers delicate and smooth. Here he beheld the girl in the portrait, the face he secretly admired.
The same eyes, yet, through candlelight, a pair of amber gems edged with dark lashes took him prisoner. Above them, her brows arched in a graceful line against milky skin. To see her living and breathing made his heart race and he could not help but stare.
Once she had drawn closer, he could tell she’d been crying.
As for Juleah, Seth Braxton was nothing like what she had imagined. Where were the cruel eyes, the lined face that had gone unguarded from the sun? He should be an ugly man, a repulsive vagrant. Instead, he was handsome, his face arresting.
Kindness marked his expression, yet his eyes were turbulent and potent, the darkest blue she had ever seen, interrupted with flecks of slate. Brooding and fathomless, Juleah felt them upon her, and she glanced away.
He bowed and kept his gaze upon her. “You must be Juleah Fallowes.”
Amazed by this deduction, Juleah's lips parted. “How did you know me?”
“I saw your portrait in your uncle's house.”
“It is of no likeness to me now, I’m sure.”
“If I told you a living person is better to behold than what an artist may render, we might stand here for the next hour debating.”
She frowned. “I doubt we would, Mr. Braxton.”
“Have I upset you? Have I said something offensive?”
“No, not at all.” Juleah swallowed the tight feeling in her throat.
“Where is my sister? Why hasn’t she come down?”
“I’ll tell her you’ve arrived, to prepare her, if you do not mind waiting outside her door.”
A wail followed and startled them both. The sobs went on a moment and stopped. Juleah lifted her skirts and turned to rush up the stairs. Seth stopped her with a touch of his hand.
“Tell me what has happened. Is that her?”
Juleah looked at him, her heart broken, her face heated as if with a fever. “Her child has died. He was only two years old and her whole world. You must let me go to her.”
Seth pulled back his hand and moved past Juleah up the stairs.
When they reached the bedroom, Seth hurried over to his sister. Juleah's heart lurched to see Seth go down on one knee at Caroline's beside. At the touch of his hand, Caroline turned her face to see him.
“Seth?” Caroline lifted her hand out of his and touched his cheek.
“After so long, you know me?”
“There, above your right brow is the scar in the
“Is there no one else who would have come by them?”
“No, sir, but not to worry. I’ll tell Miss Caroline you’re here.”
“You have my thanks, Claire or soon to be Mrs.—?”
She lowered her brown eyes. “Just Claire, sir.”
“Well, Claire. You’ll have to show me many things here, you and Will.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll get your room ready right away, and bring you supper.”
“Please tell my sister I’m here first.”
Claire stepped forward. “Yes, sir. If you go into the library, there's a good fire to warm you.”
“I’ll wait here,” he said, disturbed by the look of worry in Claire's eyes.
Claire nodded and left him to stand in the foyer. Seth pulled off his gloves. Uneasy and alone for the first time in his grandfather's house, a strange sense came over him, as if many pairs of eyes from the past watched him.
A painting hung on the wall to the right of him. The moon escaped the cover of a cloud and its gentle rays came through the glass in the window. It brightened the room enough for him to see the painting was Ten Width.
Movement came from the hallway above. He glanced up. The rustle of a woman's skirt glided across the floor. Amber light shone across the lady's cheek from the candlelight. Seth realized by the color of her hair, she could not be his sister.
Startled by what his eyes beheld, his breath caught in his throat. She came down the staircase in a frock of brown muslin; a touch of white lace edged the bodice and touched her bare skin. Her free hand ran along the balustrade, fingers delicate and smooth. Here he beheld the girl in the portrait, the face he secretly admired.
The same eyes, yet, through candlelight, a pair of amber gems edged with dark lashes took him prisoner. Above them, her brows arched in a graceful line against milky skin. To see her living and breathing made his heart race and he could not help but stare.
Once she had drawn closer, he could tell she’d been crying.
As for Juleah, Seth Braxton was nothing like what she had imagined. Where were the cruel eyes, the lined face that had gone unguarded from the sun? He should be an ugly man, a repulsive vagrant. Instead, he was handsome, his face arresting.
Kindness marked his expression, yet his eyes were turbulent and potent, the darkest blue she had ever seen, interrupted with flecks of slate. Brooding and fathomless, Juleah felt them upon her, and she glanced away.
He bowed and kept his gaze upon her. “You must be Juleah Fallowes.”
Amazed by this deduction, Juleah's lips parted. “How did you know me?”
“I saw your portrait in your uncle's house.”
“It is of no likeness to me now, I’m sure.”
“If I told you a living person is better to behold than what an artist may render, we might stand here for the next hour debating.”
She frowned. “I doubt we would, Mr. Braxton.”
“Have I upset you? Have I said something offensive?”
“No, not at all.” Juleah swallowed the tight feeling in her throat.
“Where is my sister? Why hasn’t she come down?”
“I’ll tell her you’ve arrived, to prepare her, if you do not mind waiting outside her door.”
A wail followed and startled them both. The sobs went on a moment and stopped. Juleah lifted her skirts and turned to rush up the stairs. Seth stopped her with a touch of his hand.
“Tell me what has happened. Is that her?”
Juleah looked at him, her heart broken, her face heated as if with a fever. “Her child has died. He was only two years old and her whole world. You must let me go to her.”
Seth pulled back his hand and moved past Juleah up the stairs.
When they reached the bedroom, Seth hurried over to his sister. Juleah's heart lurched to see Seth go down on one knee at Caroline's beside. At the touch of his hand, Caroline turned her face to see him.
“Seth?” Caroline lifted her hand out of his and touched his cheek.
“After so long, you know me?”
“There, above your right brow is the scar in the
Similar Books
