Read Online The Star-Crossed Bride by Kelly McClymer - Free Book Online
Authors: Kelly McClymer
Tags: Fiction
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served pretending that she herself was dying.
She stopped, considering and then discarding the idea. It was fraught with problems, as her cousin the duke had discovered several years ago when he tried the ploy on his new wife. For one, both Lord Granbury and her mother would take her from doctor to doctor. For another, she did not think herself capable of languishing for any convincing length of time. She smiled, remembering how the duke's wife had confided to her that he had seemed a bit too healthy to her, but she couldn't imagine him lying about such a matter. Neither her mother nor Granbury were as trusting as Miranda, for certain. And though she wished she had the duke's commanding way about her, Emily was positive that she did not. One must have to be born to oversee a dukedom to ever achieve the required level of self-confidence and assurance. She looked around the room, as if she might discover that Valentine had been there all along and she had somehow overlooked him in one of the corners. But finally even her ever-hopeful mind had accepted that he was not to be found here.
Had he been discovered by the maids who had tidied the room? She could not believe those two giddy girls would not have made some fuss at the discovery. She tried to think back. Had she heard anything unusual at all over the sound of Granbury and her mother conversing about polite nothings? A shriek would have been loud, surely loud enough to have disrupted her time downstairs with Francis?
She tossed away the napkin full of sandwiches that she had sneaked upstairs with her. Had he simply gotten too hungry to wait and gone for something to eat? Or had he come to his senses and abandoned her? For a moment she felt helpless with despair. The key had turned loudly in the lock as soon as she was safely in her room. She had no doubt that she was locked in as securely as ever. And though the maids had tidied the room they had not replaced her sheets‚ no doubt upon her mother's instructions.
The key ring. Had the chamber maids found it when they tidied? She struggled to remember what had happened to the ring of keys in the confusion of the morning. Valentine had held them, meaning to return them to their place. No doubt he had still held them when he dove under the bed. The question was, would he have left them for her, or taken them with him? It didn't help that she wasn't sure whether he had gone willingly, or whether he had been discovered and taken by force. Perhaps if she found the keys, she could sneak downstairs and find out for herself, instead of waiting for the gossip to reach her ears — if it ever did.
With a new sense of hope, she searched under her pillows, under the bed, under the mattress. Unfortunately, the set of keys was nowhere to be found. Perhaps that was a sign that Valentine had not been discovered by the servants and had made good his escape. Otherwise he would have left the keys safely here . . . if he had been discovered here. He could always have been seen as he made his way down to the kitchen ...
Not knowing what had happened to him was unbearable. She buried her face in the pillow that had cushioned Valentine's head just a few hours before. His scent was still there; she had not imagined last night. She had not. She began to sigh once more and stopped herself. This was no time to play the languishing maiden. Where was he? Had he gone for good, or was he planning to sneak back in to see her? Half of her hoped that he did, while the more sensible half hoped that he had gotten safely away and was waiting for word from the duke.
Blast the man for not leaving her a note! But even as she had the thought, she knew he never would have left something behind to lead her mother to suspect Emily's own complicity in Valentine's infiltration of the household. So what was she to do now?
Her mother had told her to nap, so that her night's escapade did not put unwanted lines upon her face .... As if a few lines would discourage
She stopped, considering and then discarding the idea. It was fraught with problems, as her cousin the duke had discovered several years ago when he tried the ploy on his new wife. For one, both Lord Granbury and her mother would take her from doctor to doctor. For another, she did not think herself capable of languishing for any convincing length of time. She smiled, remembering how the duke's wife had confided to her that he had seemed a bit too healthy to her, but she couldn't imagine him lying about such a matter. Neither her mother nor Granbury were as trusting as Miranda, for certain. And though she wished she had the duke's commanding way about her, Emily was positive that she did not. One must have to be born to oversee a dukedom to ever achieve the required level of self-confidence and assurance. She looked around the room, as if she might discover that Valentine had been there all along and she had somehow overlooked him in one of the corners. But finally even her ever-hopeful mind had accepted that he was not to be found here.
Had he been discovered by the maids who had tidied the room? She could not believe those two giddy girls would not have made some fuss at the discovery. She tried to think back. Had she heard anything unusual at all over the sound of Granbury and her mother conversing about polite nothings? A shriek would have been loud, surely loud enough to have disrupted her time downstairs with Francis?
She tossed away the napkin full of sandwiches that she had sneaked upstairs with her. Had he simply gotten too hungry to wait and gone for something to eat? Or had he come to his senses and abandoned her? For a moment she felt helpless with despair. The key had turned loudly in the lock as soon as she was safely in her room. She had no doubt that she was locked in as securely as ever. And though the maids had tidied the room they had not replaced her sheets‚ no doubt upon her mother's instructions.
The key ring. Had the chamber maids found it when they tidied? She struggled to remember what had happened to the ring of keys in the confusion of the morning. Valentine had held them, meaning to return them to their place. No doubt he had still held them when he dove under the bed. The question was, would he have left them for her, or taken them with him? It didn't help that she wasn't sure whether he had gone willingly, or whether he had been discovered and taken by force. Perhaps if she found the keys, she could sneak downstairs and find out for herself, instead of waiting for the gossip to reach her ears — if it ever did.
With a new sense of hope, she searched under her pillows, under the bed, under the mattress. Unfortunately, the set of keys was nowhere to be found. Perhaps that was a sign that Valentine had not been discovered by the servants and had made good his escape. Otherwise he would have left the keys safely here . . . if he had been discovered here. He could always have been seen as he made his way down to the kitchen ...
Not knowing what had happened to him was unbearable. She buried her face in the pillow that had cushioned Valentine's head just a few hours before. His scent was still there; she had not imagined last night. She had not. She began to sigh once more and stopped herself. This was no time to play the languishing maiden. Where was he? Had he gone for good, or was he planning to sneak back in to see her? Half of her hoped that he did, while the more sensible half hoped that he had gotten safely away and was waiting for word from the duke.
Blast the man for not leaving her a note! But even as she had the thought, she knew he never would have left something behind to lead her mother to suspect Emily's own complicity in Valentine's infiltration of the household. So what was she to do now?
Her mother had told her to nap, so that her night's escapade did not put unwanted lines upon her face .... As if a few lines would discourage
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