Read Online The Christmas Knot by Barbara Monajem - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Monajem
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John envisages.”
Edwina stood, smoothed her skirts, and headed toward the house. “I daresay you will find someone suitable,” she said briskly.
Richard followed. “I daresay.”
After a silence, Edwina said, “John wants to experience a full life, poor boy. That explains why he is so desperate to learn as much as he can as quickly as possible.”
“Yes, for it was his ambition to be a great scholar. It still is, I suppose, so he is studying himself to death instead of playing like any ordinary child.” Richard tugged at his gloves, straightening them unnecessarily. “He does not wish anyone to pity him and prefers that we not discuss it.”
Edwina bit her lip. “What an appalling problem, but there must be some way of solving it.”
“There is only one way: we must break the curse.”
“There is no curse,” Edwina said through gritted teeth.
“Perhaps not, but as long as John believes in it, there may as well be,” Richard said. “Therefore, I must find a way to break it that he will believe as well. Whether the Grange is really haunted is neither here nor there, but I must save my son. Hence my intention to bargain with the ghost.”
Edwina turned, a slight frown creasing her brow. “Even assuming the ghost does exist—which I refuse to admit—why would she agree to your bargain? The necklace means a great deal to her. Why would she trust you with it when there is no Lady Ballister to give it to?”
“Because she knows how much I care about my son?” He laughed humorlessly. “I suppose not, seeing as one must assume she knew the effect her curse would have on future generations.” He paused. “No, it will have to be because I have a reputation as an honest and reliable man. I cared about my wife, I do my best with my children, and I have never valued riches over human beings.” There it was, that sarcastic note entering his voice again. It served no useful purpose, so he must subdue it. “I may not be as pure in heart as Lizzie romantically assumes, but I don’t want the necklace for its monetary value.”
“Because you don’t need the money,” Edwina said, hurrying through a gap in the holly hedge, flinging the words over her shoulder. “What if you were in debt? Would you be as sure of your motives then?”
“I’m not in debt,” Richard said testily, “so that’s irrelevant.” And never had been, although he certainly knew what a debtor’s prison was like. What a piece of ill luck that had been. Ill-timed as well… Rather too much of a coincidence, now that he came to think of it…
“So is what the ghost wants or doesn’t, because she’s not real,” Edwina said. “You can only find the necklace by searching for it.”
“Which I am doing,” he said, changing direction. “Let’s go in by the front door.”
“And what if you don’t find it? What will you do then?”
“I’ll buy one and pretend to find that instead.”
~ * ~
So much for honest and reliable. “That’s a horrid deception!”
“If there is a ghost, and if she really does guard the necklace, I shall find it,” Richard said. “If she doesn’t exist, the necklace may still be here someplace, in which case I shall find it. If it isn’t here, there’s no harm in a charade.”
“I suppose not,” she admitted, “but I don’t like the idea of deceiving John.”
His worry lines deepened. “Nor do I, but I’ll do whatever I must to save him.”
“I understand that, but if the ghost knows you would trick your son…” She huffed. “Oh, how absurd. Now I’m talking as if I believe she exists.”
He smiled, and her heart turned over. Why must he make long-forgotten love well up inside her, when she had finally found sufficient reason not to despise him and was content with that?
“If you were the ghost, would you give me the necklace?” he asked.
“To save John? Yes, of course.” She dammed up the fountain of useless love. “For any other reason, definitely not.”
His
Edwina stood, smoothed her skirts, and headed toward the house. “I daresay you will find someone suitable,” she said briskly.
Richard followed. “I daresay.”
After a silence, Edwina said, “John wants to experience a full life, poor boy. That explains why he is so desperate to learn as much as he can as quickly as possible.”
“Yes, for it was his ambition to be a great scholar. It still is, I suppose, so he is studying himself to death instead of playing like any ordinary child.” Richard tugged at his gloves, straightening them unnecessarily. “He does not wish anyone to pity him and prefers that we not discuss it.”
Edwina bit her lip. “What an appalling problem, but there must be some way of solving it.”
“There is only one way: we must break the curse.”
“There is no curse,” Edwina said through gritted teeth.
“Perhaps not, but as long as John believes in it, there may as well be,” Richard said. “Therefore, I must find a way to break it that he will believe as well. Whether the Grange is really haunted is neither here nor there, but I must save my son. Hence my intention to bargain with the ghost.”
Edwina turned, a slight frown creasing her brow. “Even assuming the ghost does exist—which I refuse to admit—why would she agree to your bargain? The necklace means a great deal to her. Why would she trust you with it when there is no Lady Ballister to give it to?”
“Because she knows how much I care about my son?” He laughed humorlessly. “I suppose not, seeing as one must assume she knew the effect her curse would have on future generations.” He paused. “No, it will have to be because I have a reputation as an honest and reliable man. I cared about my wife, I do my best with my children, and I have never valued riches over human beings.” There it was, that sarcastic note entering his voice again. It served no useful purpose, so he must subdue it. “I may not be as pure in heart as Lizzie romantically assumes, but I don’t want the necklace for its monetary value.”
“Because you don’t need the money,” Edwina said, hurrying through a gap in the holly hedge, flinging the words over her shoulder. “What if you were in debt? Would you be as sure of your motives then?”
“I’m not in debt,” Richard said testily, “so that’s irrelevant.” And never had been, although he certainly knew what a debtor’s prison was like. What a piece of ill luck that had been. Ill-timed as well… Rather too much of a coincidence, now that he came to think of it…
“So is what the ghost wants or doesn’t, because she’s not real,” Edwina said. “You can only find the necklace by searching for it.”
“Which I am doing,” he said, changing direction. “Let’s go in by the front door.”
“And what if you don’t find it? What will you do then?”
“I’ll buy one and pretend to find that instead.”
~ * ~
So much for honest and reliable. “That’s a horrid deception!”
“If there is a ghost, and if she really does guard the necklace, I shall find it,” Richard said. “If she doesn’t exist, the necklace may still be here someplace, in which case I shall find it. If it isn’t here, there’s no harm in a charade.”
“I suppose not,” she admitted, “but I don’t like the idea of deceiving John.”
His worry lines deepened. “Nor do I, but I’ll do whatever I must to save him.”
“I understand that, but if the ghost knows you would trick your son…” She huffed. “Oh, how absurd. Now I’m talking as if I believe she exists.”
He smiled, and her heart turned over. Why must he make long-forgotten love well up inside her, when she had finally found sufficient reason not to despise him and was content with that?
“If you were the ghost, would you give me the necklace?” he asked.
“To save John? Yes, of course.” She dammed up the fountain of useless love. “For any other reason, definitely not.”
His
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