Read Online The Baron Next Door (Prelude to a Kiss) by Erin Knightley - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Erin Knightley
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Father, he had a good head on his shoulders.
He and his heiress wife had always been distant at best, preferring to keep to themselves in their massive estate outside of Bromsgrove, a good two hundred miles from the rest of the family in Durham.
However, after twelve years of marriage without a single pregnancy, she had at last conceived, and for the first time they were reaching out to the family. Having no close female relatives of her own, Mrs. Burton had happily accepted Mama’s offer to come stay with her during her lying-in.
“I’m so glad Mama could be there to visit. I know they have never been particularly close, but nothing brings a family together quite like a new baby.” She was exceedingly grateful for it, too. Mama might have decided to join them in Bath otherwise, and Charity really, really needed to get away from her parents for a while.
At the end of August, when the festival was over, she and Grandmama would head north to visit the Burtons and their new baby; then Mama would join them on their journey back to Durham. In the next two months, however, Charity planned to enjoy her little getaway to the fullest.
She popped the rest of the biscuit in her mouth and sat back against the cushions. With the small exception of the dreadful baron next door, this was proving to be the most lovely holiday she could remember. Could not the man find it in himself to be more polite to her guests? Granted, he wasn’t nearly as disagreeable as he could have been, but he certainly could have been nicer.
Of course, she could have tactfully refrained from bringing up the wall-knocking incident. She grimaced. She really didn’t like that he seemed to bring out the worst in her.
“Indeed,” Grandmama said, shuffling her letters together and setting them on the table. “Now, my dear, tell me all about your rehearsals. From what little I heard, you ladies are coming together nicely.”
Charity’s favorite topic. She smiled resolutely and firmly pushed away all thoughts of the baron. “Everything is going splendidly. With the changes we’ve made to the sonata, I think it is the perfect complement to our instruments.”
“It is too bad you hadn’t time to compose something original, though I am quite certain you’ll have brought some great improvement to Mr. Mozart’s work. I think the three of you shall take the festival by storm.”
Her smile was so sweet and encouraging, Charity stood and gave her a doting kiss on the cheek. She was the only one who supported Charity’s efforts at writing music. When Grandmama had bad days during her illness, Charity would sit beside her bed, quietly composing songs. On the good days, she insisted on coming to the music room in order to hear the fruits of Charity’s labor. On those days, Grandmama would rest on the settee beside the pianoforte, her eyes closed and her toes wagging in time with the music. Charity smiled at the memory.
Truthfully, the illness had brought them so much closer. When Charity was younger, Grandmama had been tight-lipped and strict, offering little more than distant nods or formal greetings. Charity would never have wished her long suffering or illness on her, but she was grateful for the changes it had wrought.
“Thank you, Grandmama. We shall certainly do our best. And even if everyone hates it, at least I will have made two very lovely friends because of it.” Odd that Charity could have been in the same circles with Sophie for two Seasons, and was only now just realizing what a delight she was.
“That’s wonderful, my dear. Although,” she said, her slender silver eyebrow arching, “it does look as though Miss Wembley and Miss Bradford are not the only friends you are making in this city.”
Charity bent to pour herself some tea. The steam curling from the tip of the delicate pink-and-gold teapot was thin, but still present. “Yes, I have high hopes of a much more successful summer than my spring was. I enjoyed meeting some of the
He and his heiress wife had always been distant at best, preferring to keep to themselves in their massive estate outside of Bromsgrove, a good two hundred miles from the rest of the family in Durham.
However, after twelve years of marriage without a single pregnancy, she had at last conceived, and for the first time they were reaching out to the family. Having no close female relatives of her own, Mrs. Burton had happily accepted Mama’s offer to come stay with her during her lying-in.
“I’m so glad Mama could be there to visit. I know they have never been particularly close, but nothing brings a family together quite like a new baby.” She was exceedingly grateful for it, too. Mama might have decided to join them in Bath otherwise, and Charity really, really needed to get away from her parents for a while.
At the end of August, when the festival was over, she and Grandmama would head north to visit the Burtons and their new baby; then Mama would join them on their journey back to Durham. In the next two months, however, Charity planned to enjoy her little getaway to the fullest.
She popped the rest of the biscuit in her mouth and sat back against the cushions. With the small exception of the dreadful baron next door, this was proving to be the most lovely holiday she could remember. Could not the man find it in himself to be more polite to her guests? Granted, he wasn’t nearly as disagreeable as he could have been, but he certainly could have been nicer.
Of course, she could have tactfully refrained from bringing up the wall-knocking incident. She grimaced. She really didn’t like that he seemed to bring out the worst in her.
“Indeed,” Grandmama said, shuffling her letters together and setting them on the table. “Now, my dear, tell me all about your rehearsals. From what little I heard, you ladies are coming together nicely.”
Charity’s favorite topic. She smiled resolutely and firmly pushed away all thoughts of the baron. “Everything is going splendidly. With the changes we’ve made to the sonata, I think it is the perfect complement to our instruments.”
“It is too bad you hadn’t time to compose something original, though I am quite certain you’ll have brought some great improvement to Mr. Mozart’s work. I think the three of you shall take the festival by storm.”
Her smile was so sweet and encouraging, Charity stood and gave her a doting kiss on the cheek. She was the only one who supported Charity’s efforts at writing music. When Grandmama had bad days during her illness, Charity would sit beside her bed, quietly composing songs. On the good days, she insisted on coming to the music room in order to hear the fruits of Charity’s labor. On those days, Grandmama would rest on the settee beside the pianoforte, her eyes closed and her toes wagging in time with the music. Charity smiled at the memory.
Truthfully, the illness had brought them so much closer. When Charity was younger, Grandmama had been tight-lipped and strict, offering little more than distant nods or formal greetings. Charity would never have wished her long suffering or illness on her, but she was grateful for the changes it had wrought.
“Thank you, Grandmama. We shall certainly do our best. And even if everyone hates it, at least I will have made two very lovely friends because of it.” Odd that Charity could have been in the same circles with Sophie for two Seasons, and was only now just realizing what a delight she was.
“That’s wonderful, my dear. Although,” she said, her slender silver eyebrow arching, “it does look as though Miss Wembley and Miss Bradford are not the only friends you are making in this city.”
Charity bent to pour herself some tea. The steam curling from the tip of the delicate pink-and-gold teapot was thin, but still present. “Yes, I have high hopes of a much more successful summer than my spring was. I enjoyed meeting some of the
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