affair, as so many did because of the way things were at the moment. It wasnât as lavish a wedding as it might have been, but there were flowers in the church, and all their friends dressed in their best finery; a happy occasion. Except that her father wasnât there to give the bride away.
Emily smothered a sigh. There was no point in wishing for the moon. Her father had gone and there was no way she could bring him back. She glanced to the side, thinking how smart Daniel looked in his uniform. At least he was home, and beginning to feel better if she was any judge. She noticed that he was sitting with Clay and his wife. She had thought Alice might be with him.
Alice had been at the house all morning, helping to prepare the food, but sheâd said she was coming to church, and would leave when the ceremony was over to get back to the house and help out at the reception. If Daniel was going out with her â why wasnât she sitting with the family?
Daniel could smell Margaretâs perfume. It was distinctive and expensive, and powerful. He knew she was sitting just behind him, and the sense of her was playing havoc with his libido. He was annoyed with himself, but images of her naked body kept coming into his mind. He had woken from an erotic dream the previous night, only to realize that the woman he had dreamed of was his fatherâs widow. Now, when his sister was being married, all he could think of was how enticing he found Margaretâs perfume.
Damn her! He was suspicious of her, especially since Henry had told him how much she was asking for her share of the land and the house. Apparently, she couldnât bear to live there now that Robert was dead, and she wanted them to buy the house from her, but she wasnât going to let them off cheap.
Henry was against the idea. âPut the damned place on the market,â heâd said when they met that morning just before the wedding. âThatâs what I told Clay we should do. I wouldnât give in to her blackmail â but she seems to have him eating out of her hand  . . .â
Daniel glanced at his second eldest brother. Clay was the nearest to him in age, being just two years older. He had married young, probably because his wife Dorothy had already been carrying their first child. They now had three, one for each year of their marriage. Dot had been a very pretty girl before they married, but she had put on weight and she always looked harassed and a bit untidy these days, as though life was all too much for her.
Was Clay faithful to her? Daniel knew that his brother had had quite a reputation when he was younger, and he doubted that a few words said in church would prevent Clay from straying. He wondered if Henry was right  . . . if Clay had been caught in Margaretâs pretty claws  . . .
It wouldnât surprise him if his brother fancied her. Daniel could understand that only too well. He was doing his best to shut out the images of her naked body and the smile in her eyes, which had seemed to invite, but Clay was different. Given the chance, had it been offered to him, what would his brother have made of it? He wouldnât have gone rushing from the room like a green youth, that was for certain. Daniel was pretty sure that Margaret would be unwise to play with Clay the way she had with him.
Clay glanced at him sideways, an odd expression in his eyes. Suddenly, Daniel knew that he too was aware of Margaretâs perfume, and that everything Henry had told him was true. Clay was caught â but what was he hoping for? Surely he couldnât be thinking of leaving his wife and children. What then? Did he just want to get Margaret into bed â or was she already sleeping with him?
Something was going on, he felt it instinctively. Maybe he would have a word with Clay later  . . .
Alice thought Frances looked beautiful, and her dress was a dream â the kind of
Emily smothered a sigh. There was no point in wishing for the moon. Her father had gone and there was no way she could bring him back. She glanced to the side, thinking how smart Daniel looked in his uniform. At least he was home, and beginning to feel better if she was any judge. She noticed that he was sitting with Clay and his wife. She had thought Alice might be with him.
Alice had been at the house all morning, helping to prepare the food, but sheâd said she was coming to church, and would leave when the ceremony was over to get back to the house and help out at the reception. If Daniel was going out with her â why wasnât she sitting with the family?
Daniel could smell Margaretâs perfume. It was distinctive and expensive, and powerful. He knew she was sitting just behind him, and the sense of her was playing havoc with his libido. He was annoyed with himself, but images of her naked body kept coming into his mind. He had woken from an erotic dream the previous night, only to realize that the woman he had dreamed of was his fatherâs widow. Now, when his sister was being married, all he could think of was how enticing he found Margaretâs perfume.
Damn her! He was suspicious of her, especially since Henry had told him how much she was asking for her share of the land and the house. Apparently, she couldnât bear to live there now that Robert was dead, and she wanted them to buy the house from her, but she wasnât going to let them off cheap.
Henry was against the idea. âPut the damned place on the market,â heâd said when they met that morning just before the wedding. âThatâs what I told Clay we should do. I wouldnât give in to her blackmail â but she seems to have him eating out of her hand  . . .â
Daniel glanced at his second eldest brother. Clay was the nearest to him in age, being just two years older. He had married young, probably because his wife Dorothy had already been carrying their first child. They now had three, one for each year of their marriage. Dot had been a very pretty girl before they married, but she had put on weight and she always looked harassed and a bit untidy these days, as though life was all too much for her.
Was Clay faithful to her? Daniel knew that his brother had had quite a reputation when he was younger, and he doubted that a few words said in church would prevent Clay from straying. He wondered if Henry was right  . . . if Clay had been caught in Margaretâs pretty claws  . . .
It wouldnât surprise him if his brother fancied her. Daniel could understand that only too well. He was doing his best to shut out the images of her naked body and the smile in her eyes, which had seemed to invite, but Clay was different. Given the chance, had it been offered to him, what would his brother have made of it? He wouldnât have gone rushing from the room like a green youth, that was for certain. Daniel was pretty sure that Margaret would be unwise to play with Clay the way she had with him.
Clay glanced at him sideways, an odd expression in his eyes. Suddenly, Daniel knew that he too was aware of Margaretâs perfume, and that everything Henry had told him was true. Clay was caught â but what was he hoping for? Surely he couldnât be thinking of leaving his wife and children. What then? Did he just want to get Margaret into bed â or was she already sleeping with him?
Something was going on, he felt it instinctively. Maybe he would have a word with Clay later  . . .
Alice thought Frances looked beautiful, and her dress was a dream â the kind of
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