Read Online The Girl with the Red Ribbon by Linda Finlay - Free Book Online

Sab,’ Rowan teased, smiling, her mood lifting at his characteristic banter. ‘Aunt Sal did bring us some cold beef and a loaf of her freshly baked bread, though,’ she added, carefully emphasizing the words ‘Aunt Sal’. Fanny, however, chose to ignore her, busying herself slicing the meat then passing a piled platter to Edward.
    ‘There you are, my dear. I do hope you find the beef cooked to your liking.’
    ‘It looks perfect, Fanny dear. If you carry on feeding me like this, I shall have to loosen my belt before much longer,’ he said, giving her a grin.
    Rowan stared at him in amazement, the knife piercing a hole in the bread she was buttering. Sensing her tension, Sab quickly intervened.
    ‘It’s been a really busy day, Uncle. First I had to …’ he began.
    ‘Don’t
worry Edward with trivialities, please, Sab,’ Fanny interrupted. ‘Let him enjoy his meal. He’s had a busy day, too, and needs to relax.’ She was looking at Sab so pointedly he turned as red as the flames licking the grate. Miserably he stared down at his empty plate. Rowan passed him meat and bread, but barely got a nod in response.
    Only the logs crackling in the grate and the clatter of cutlery against their platters broke the silence as they ate. As soon as they’d finished, though, Fanny turned to Edward.
    ‘A little bird tells me you’re partial to something sweet, my dear,’ she said, smiling across at him. Getting to her feet, she returned moments later and with a flourish placed the pudding on the table before him. As her father’s eyes lit up, Rowan could hardly contain her anger. Surely her stepmother wasn’t going to pass this off as her own as well?
    ‘Oh, Fanny, my dear, apple pudding, my absolute favourite,’ Edward exclaimed, only to watch in astonishment as she carefully cut away the sponge and spooned out some of the fruit.
    ‘See, Edward, my dear, already I’ve learned how you do things here in Devonshire,’ she gushed, triumphantly placing the dish of apple before him.
    Edward’s face fell as he looked from the apple to the soft, feathery sponge left behind on the plate. Rowan saw him swallow and then smile bravely as he picked up his spoon. ‘Well done, Fanny, my dear,’ he uttered faintly.
    Sab looked across at Rowan and raised his eyebrows, and she didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
    ‘Don’t
worry, I’ll rescue the pudding later,’ he whispered, grinning.
    Sure enough, as soon as they’d finished eating, he jumped to his feet, gathered their empty dishes and took them, along with the sponge, to the scullery. As he went out of the door, Magic shot past him, sniffing the air hopefully. Then she spied Fanny and skidded to a halt. Arching her back, she began hissing and spitting at her.
    Fanny’s eyes narrowed and she raised her hand, but before she could do anything, Sab returned. Glaring at Fanny, he snatched up the cat and took her outside, and Rowan could hear him crooning as he gave her a dish of milk.
    ‘And what have you been up to today, my dear?’ Edward asked in the intervening silence.
    Recovering her composure, Fanny smiled and turned to Rowan.
    ‘First thing this morning, Rowan and I had a lovely woman-to-woman chat, didn’t we, my dear?’ she said, her voice rising in that sickly sweet way Rowan had come to recognize.
    First thing? It had been halfway through the day before the woman had even surfaced. She opened her mouth to say as much but saw her father beaming at them in delight and held her tongue.
    ‘I explained that now I’m here, she needn’t worry about the running of the farmhouse, for, of course, that will be my responsibility,’ Fanny continued. Leaning across, she patted Rowan’s hand and gave her one of those nauseating smiles which never reached her eyes. Quickly, Rowan snatched her hand away.
    ‘Good,
good,’ her father said, blissfully unaware of the undercurrent going on around him.
    ‘Now,’ Fanny went on, reaching for her writing paper, ‘although