Read Online The Romancing of Evangeline Ipswich by Marcia Lynn McClure - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Marcia Lynn McClure
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mind.”
“Bossy little thing, isn’t she?” Hutch whispered, winking conspiratorially at Evangeline.
“I heard that, Hutchner,” Jennie giggled from the bedroom.
“I’ll get the photographs and be right in, Jen,” Evangeline assured her friend—though her gaze and smile lingered on Hutch.
Hutch nodded to Evangeline and headed into Jennie’s bedroom.
“How are you faring this morning, sweetie?” she heard him ask his sister.
“Well enough,” Jennie answered with a sigh. “Though I’m getting pretty tired of being in bed all the time. It’ll be so nice to be up and around again once the baby comes.”
Evangeline hurried to the spare room where she’d been staying. Quickly she retrieved the small stack of cherished photographs of her family that she’d brought with her from home. Jennie had reveled in delight in studying them for several hours the day Evangeline had shown them to her. She hoped Hutch would enjoy them too.
When she arrived in Jennie’s room, it was to see Jennie happily sitting up in the middle of the bed, with Hutch sitting on the bed next to her on her right.
Patting the empty space on the bed to her left, Jennie said, “Oh, goody! Come sit down, Evie!” She looked to her brother and said, “You’re going to love seeing how the Ipswich family has changed since we last saw them, Hutch. And Judge Ipswich’s wife looks like some beauty out of a storybook!”
Happily, Evangeline sat down next to Jennie.
“Show them to him just the way you first showed them to me, Evie. You know, in order of when they were taken,” Jennie excitedly instructed.
Evangeline giggled, pleased by Jennie’s enthusiasm about the photographs. She was sure Hutch was simply humoring his sister—that he probably could not have cared less about seeing photographs of the Ipswich family. Still, it was making Jennie happy to share them, so she would.
“All right,” Evangeline began. She took a large, mounted photograph from the bottom of the pile. “This is the family photograph we had taken two years before we left Boston,” she explained. She passed the panel card to Jennie. “It’s the first photograph we had taken after Mother passed away.”
“This is how I remember you all looking, Evie,” Jennie said. “I’ve thought of you this way ever since we parted.” She smiled as she handed the panel card to Hutch. “But you’re even more beautiful now—all grown up and a proper lady!”
“A proper lady, hmm?” Evangeline laughed. “I think not.”
“You Ipswich girls always were the talk of the town, you know,” Hutch said as he studied the photograph. “At least, among the boys and young men.”
“I’ve already planned on you for supper tonight, Hutch,” Evangeline playfully told him. “No need to butter me up.”
Hutch chuckled and continued to study the photograph. Evangeline smiled, pleased that his interest in it was sincere.
“And next?” Jennie prodded impatiently.
“And next…well, this one is of Father and Kizzy on their wedding day,” Evangeline said, taking a cabinet card from the pile. She gazed at it a moment, admiring how dashingly handsome her father was, at how Kizzy’s beauty seemed so ethereal. “The handsome groom and his beautiful bride,” she said, handing the mounted photograph to Jennie.
Jennie held the photograph of Lawson Ipswich and his stunning young bride with both hands, smiling and sighing with approval.
“Oh, your father is as handsome as ever, Evie!” she said.
“I remember the day Mama told you that you wouldn’t be able to marry Mr. Ipswich when you grew up,” Hutch teased as his sister handed him the cabinet card photograph. “I think that about broke your little heart.”
Evangeline watched Hutch closely as he studied her father’s wedding photograph. She watched his eyebrows arch in admiration.
“My, my, my,” he said. “Your father looks to be as intimidating a man as ever he was.” He whistled approval and said,
“Bossy little thing, isn’t she?” Hutch whispered, winking conspiratorially at Evangeline.
“I heard that, Hutchner,” Jennie giggled from the bedroom.
“I’ll get the photographs and be right in, Jen,” Evangeline assured her friend—though her gaze and smile lingered on Hutch.
Hutch nodded to Evangeline and headed into Jennie’s bedroom.
“How are you faring this morning, sweetie?” she heard him ask his sister.
“Well enough,” Jennie answered with a sigh. “Though I’m getting pretty tired of being in bed all the time. It’ll be so nice to be up and around again once the baby comes.”
Evangeline hurried to the spare room where she’d been staying. Quickly she retrieved the small stack of cherished photographs of her family that she’d brought with her from home. Jennie had reveled in delight in studying them for several hours the day Evangeline had shown them to her. She hoped Hutch would enjoy them too.
When she arrived in Jennie’s room, it was to see Jennie happily sitting up in the middle of the bed, with Hutch sitting on the bed next to her on her right.
Patting the empty space on the bed to her left, Jennie said, “Oh, goody! Come sit down, Evie!” She looked to her brother and said, “You’re going to love seeing how the Ipswich family has changed since we last saw them, Hutch. And Judge Ipswich’s wife looks like some beauty out of a storybook!”
Happily, Evangeline sat down next to Jennie.
“Show them to him just the way you first showed them to me, Evie. You know, in order of when they were taken,” Jennie excitedly instructed.
Evangeline giggled, pleased by Jennie’s enthusiasm about the photographs. She was sure Hutch was simply humoring his sister—that he probably could not have cared less about seeing photographs of the Ipswich family. Still, it was making Jennie happy to share them, so she would.
“All right,” Evangeline began. She took a large, mounted photograph from the bottom of the pile. “This is the family photograph we had taken two years before we left Boston,” she explained. She passed the panel card to Jennie. “It’s the first photograph we had taken after Mother passed away.”
“This is how I remember you all looking, Evie,” Jennie said. “I’ve thought of you this way ever since we parted.” She smiled as she handed the panel card to Hutch. “But you’re even more beautiful now—all grown up and a proper lady!”
“A proper lady, hmm?” Evangeline laughed. “I think not.”
“You Ipswich girls always were the talk of the town, you know,” Hutch said as he studied the photograph. “At least, among the boys and young men.”
“I’ve already planned on you for supper tonight, Hutch,” Evangeline playfully told him. “No need to butter me up.”
Hutch chuckled and continued to study the photograph. Evangeline smiled, pleased that his interest in it was sincere.
“And next?” Jennie prodded impatiently.
“And next…well, this one is of Father and Kizzy on their wedding day,” Evangeline said, taking a cabinet card from the pile. She gazed at it a moment, admiring how dashingly handsome her father was, at how Kizzy’s beauty seemed so ethereal. “The handsome groom and his beautiful bride,” she said, handing the mounted photograph to Jennie.
Jennie held the photograph of Lawson Ipswich and his stunning young bride with both hands, smiling and sighing with approval.
“Oh, your father is as handsome as ever, Evie!” she said.
“I remember the day Mama told you that you wouldn’t be able to marry Mr. Ipswich when you grew up,” Hutch teased as his sister handed him the cabinet card photograph. “I think that about broke your little heart.”
Evangeline watched Hutch closely as he studied her father’s wedding photograph. She watched his eyebrows arch in admiration.
“My, my, my,” he said. “Your father looks to be as intimidating a man as ever he was.” He whistled approval and said,
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