Read Online The Masquerade by Brenda Joyce - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Brenda Joyce
Ads: Link
know?”
Lizzie winced. “I do not know who he was, Mama.”
“Anna!” Mama said with anger. “You have dozens of suitors every time you leave the house! How could you? This was Lizzie’s chance. ”
Anna bit her lip. “I am so sorry,” she said. And now Anna looked at Lizzie. “Mama is right. I should have left and you should have stayed.”
“I decided that leaving the ball was best,” she said with a smile, touching Anna’s arm. “I really didn’t want to stay, and I am glad you stayed and enjoyed yourself.”
Mama threw her hands up into the air. “These monumental matters must be decided by me,” she declared. “Lizzie had a golden opportunity. How will we ever discover who your suitor was?”
Lizzie inhaled roughly. “Mama, he was hardly a suitor.”
“If he was so terribly smitten by you, then he was asuitor, oh, yes. I shall have to get to the bottom of this. Oh, I do hope he is a British soldier from a fine and wealthy family! I will call on Mrs. Holiday this afternoon and inquire after every detail, every single one! And believe me, I shall uncover this mysterious man’s identity.”
“Mama, this is not a good idea!” Lizzie cried.
“And why not, missy?” Mama demanded.
Lizzie could not think of a credible answer.
Mama was like a terrier with a bone. No matter how Lizzie might protest, she was off to see Mrs. Holiday, determined to uncover the identity of Lizzie’s so-called suitor.
Lizzie watched her driving off in the curricle with no small amount of dread. Georgie stood beside her. “What will I do if she realizes that it was Tyrell de Warenne with whom I was flirting?” Lizzie asked in a hushed tone.
Georgie was brisk. “Why don’t we cross that bridge when the time comes? Perhaps some of the other pirates present also wore black.” She touched Lizzie with a reassuring hand.
“I am doomed,” Lizzie whispered. Once Mama discovered the truth, she would be marched up to Adare, and not as Maid Marian. But Georgie interrupted her thoughts. “Lizzie, do you think Anna is behaving a bit oddly?”
Lizzie turned as Georgie went to sit back down. They were in the parlor and Georgie was mending Papa’s socks, as they really could not afford new ones, not when no one would ever see his old ones. Lizzie had hoped to try to read. Instead, with Mama’s sudden departure, all she could do was pace in uncharacteristic agitation. “Maybe she is tired from the ball. She never naps but she is resting now.”
“She did dance most of the night,” Georgie declared. “However, I think this family is in a fine kettle, indeed.”
Lizzie could not agree more. Although she was not prone to moping about, she returned to the window, as if standing there might bring Mama back.
“Try not to worry so,” Georgie said, taking up her needle and thread.
Lizzie did not reply, but she went to the sofa and tried to read her book.
Three hours later, flushed with delight, Mama bustled into the house, beaming. “Lizzie!” she cried, sailing to the middle of the foyer. “Georgina! Anna! Papa! Everyone, come quickly—I have news! I have the most miraculous news!”
Lizzie felt her heart sink. She prayed that Mama’s news had nothing to do with her. Papa stepped out of the library as she and Georgie left the kitchen. They had spent the last hour shelling peas, as they only had one house servant and Betty could not possibly manage by herself. Anna came downstairs, rather slowly.
“Are you all right?” Lizzie asked in a whisper as they gathered before Mama in the foyer.
“I am fine,” Anna said with a bright smile. “I was only tired earlier, Lizzie.”
“Everyone!” Mama clapped her hands. “I have discovered the identity of Lizzie’s pirate!” she exclaimed.
Lizzie cringed.
“Lizzie! It was his lordship himself. Dear, dear Lord, He has blessed us now—it was Tyrell de Warenne!”
Lizzie felt terribly faint. “No,” she whispered.
“Oh, yes!” Mama cried, clapping her
Lizzie winced. “I do not know who he was, Mama.”
“Anna!” Mama said with anger. “You have dozens of suitors every time you leave the house! How could you? This was Lizzie’s chance. ”
Anna bit her lip. “I am so sorry,” she said. And now Anna looked at Lizzie. “Mama is right. I should have left and you should have stayed.”
“I decided that leaving the ball was best,” she said with a smile, touching Anna’s arm. “I really didn’t want to stay, and I am glad you stayed and enjoyed yourself.”
Mama threw her hands up into the air. “These monumental matters must be decided by me,” she declared. “Lizzie had a golden opportunity. How will we ever discover who your suitor was?”
Lizzie inhaled roughly. “Mama, he was hardly a suitor.”
“If he was so terribly smitten by you, then he was asuitor, oh, yes. I shall have to get to the bottom of this. Oh, I do hope he is a British soldier from a fine and wealthy family! I will call on Mrs. Holiday this afternoon and inquire after every detail, every single one! And believe me, I shall uncover this mysterious man’s identity.”
“Mama, this is not a good idea!” Lizzie cried.
“And why not, missy?” Mama demanded.
Lizzie could not think of a credible answer.
Mama was like a terrier with a bone. No matter how Lizzie might protest, she was off to see Mrs. Holiday, determined to uncover the identity of Lizzie’s so-called suitor.
Lizzie watched her driving off in the curricle with no small amount of dread. Georgie stood beside her. “What will I do if she realizes that it was Tyrell de Warenne with whom I was flirting?” Lizzie asked in a hushed tone.
Georgie was brisk. “Why don’t we cross that bridge when the time comes? Perhaps some of the other pirates present also wore black.” She touched Lizzie with a reassuring hand.
“I am doomed,” Lizzie whispered. Once Mama discovered the truth, she would be marched up to Adare, and not as Maid Marian. But Georgie interrupted her thoughts. “Lizzie, do you think Anna is behaving a bit oddly?”
Lizzie turned as Georgie went to sit back down. They were in the parlor and Georgie was mending Papa’s socks, as they really could not afford new ones, not when no one would ever see his old ones. Lizzie had hoped to try to read. Instead, with Mama’s sudden departure, all she could do was pace in uncharacteristic agitation. “Maybe she is tired from the ball. She never naps but she is resting now.”
“She did dance most of the night,” Georgie declared. “However, I think this family is in a fine kettle, indeed.”
Lizzie could not agree more. Although she was not prone to moping about, she returned to the window, as if standing there might bring Mama back.
“Try not to worry so,” Georgie said, taking up her needle and thread.
Lizzie did not reply, but she went to the sofa and tried to read her book.
Three hours later, flushed with delight, Mama bustled into the house, beaming. “Lizzie!” she cried, sailing to the middle of the foyer. “Georgina! Anna! Papa! Everyone, come quickly—I have news! I have the most miraculous news!”
Lizzie felt her heart sink. She prayed that Mama’s news had nothing to do with her. Papa stepped out of the library as she and Georgie left the kitchen. They had spent the last hour shelling peas, as they only had one house servant and Betty could not possibly manage by herself. Anna came downstairs, rather slowly.
“Are you all right?” Lizzie asked in a whisper as they gathered before Mama in the foyer.
“I am fine,” Anna said with a bright smile. “I was only tired earlier, Lizzie.”
“Everyone!” Mama clapped her hands. “I have discovered the identity of Lizzie’s pirate!” she exclaimed.
Lizzie cringed.
“Lizzie! It was his lordship himself. Dear, dear Lord, He has blessed us now—it was Tyrell de Warenne!”
Lizzie felt terribly faint. “No,” she whispered.
“Oh, yes!” Mama cried, clapping her
Similar Books
