Read Online The Star-Crossed Bride by Kelly McClymer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kelly McClymer
Tags: Fiction
Ads: Link
Granbury that she was no longer an unwilling bride. Though, as she went unhappily down the stairs, Emily secretly wondered if he might actually prefer her unwilling. He seemed to enjoy a challenge more than anyone else she had ever met. And unwittingly, she had set him one.
Dinner itself was difficult. She sat through the courses, touching very little, making polite conversation about the wedding trip she and Francis were scheduled to take to Italy. She found herself miserably wondering if Italy would sound more appealing if she were to go there with Valentine.
Granbury, for his part, smiled at her as if he had not held her chin in his hand and threatened her this very morning. "You will like the country, I am certain, Emily. I have always found it an interesting place to visit — especially Rome, which is, after all, the cradle of civilization?
"I thought that was Greece, my lord," Emily murmured in reply.
"Emily, I have no doubt Lord Granbury's education was much more thorough than yours," her mother scolded her. "Apologize for questioning him at once."
Emily could not bring herself to utter an apology for her statement. Instead she said blandly, "What does it matter? I very much want to see Rome, whether or not it is the cradle of civilization, Mother." But not with Lord Granbury, she thought. So that she would not be required to keep the conversation alive, she asked politely about his experiences there in the past.
He answered with enthusiasm, reminding her uncomfortably of her governess, who had enjoyed the lessons she taught much more than her students. Although the woman had known enough to teach Emily that Greece was the cradle of civilization. Tactfully she kept that fact to herself. But for the most part it was her mother who kept the conversation going with her own observations of Italy, her land and her people. Apparently her mother found the place dirty and foreign — her worst epithet, meaning not managed at all the way the countess would have done. There was a new footman, too, who stood much too close when he served her.
Toward the end of dinner, when her mother and Granbury were engaged in a lively discussion of whether Italians or Germans were the more barbaric race, the footman came unbidden to her side and offered her a second helping. As she still had most of her first portion on her plate, she waved him away. In flagrant indifference to her signal, he did not retreat. Instead, a tiny white square fluttered in the corner of her eye and dropped onto her lap.
Puzzled, she gazed down. It was a tightly folded note. Was it from Valentine? How had the footman gotten it? With a quick glance at her mother to ensure she had Granbury's complete attention, Emily unfolded the note and read — I will come to you tonight. Eat more, you must keep up your strength."
Surprised, she glanced up and nearly fainted. Valentine stood next to her, barely recognizable as himself dressed as he was in the livery of a footman.
CHAPTER SIX
Valentine found that he had been holding his breath as he watched Emily's face. It was the last test to determine whether his disguise would hold.
Her eyes had widened in surprise as she read the note. Then she looked up to meet his gaze. He had known she would be somewhat shocked, but her face had gone white. For a moment he had been certain that she was about to stand and reveal him by her inadvertent reaction to him. But, after an instant, she looked back down at the note in her hand, crumpled it up into a tiny ball, and dropped it into a puddle of lemon sauce on her plate. More amazingly, from his perspective standing there on the edge of being exposed, she did it all cleverly under cover of delicately wiping her mouth with her napkin. A quick flick of her fork ensured the paper now looked like no more than a lump of pastry. It was an awesome act of self-control.
He began to understand, at last, what life had been like for her with the countess as mother. She could be impulsive,
Dinner itself was difficult. She sat through the courses, touching very little, making polite conversation about the wedding trip she and Francis were scheduled to take to Italy. She found herself miserably wondering if Italy would sound more appealing if she were to go there with Valentine.
Granbury, for his part, smiled at her as if he had not held her chin in his hand and threatened her this very morning. "You will like the country, I am certain, Emily. I have always found it an interesting place to visit — especially Rome, which is, after all, the cradle of civilization?
"I thought that was Greece, my lord," Emily murmured in reply.
"Emily, I have no doubt Lord Granbury's education was much more thorough than yours," her mother scolded her. "Apologize for questioning him at once."
Emily could not bring herself to utter an apology for her statement. Instead she said blandly, "What does it matter? I very much want to see Rome, whether or not it is the cradle of civilization, Mother." But not with Lord Granbury, she thought. So that she would not be required to keep the conversation alive, she asked politely about his experiences there in the past.
He answered with enthusiasm, reminding her uncomfortably of her governess, who had enjoyed the lessons she taught much more than her students. Although the woman had known enough to teach Emily that Greece was the cradle of civilization. Tactfully she kept that fact to herself. But for the most part it was her mother who kept the conversation going with her own observations of Italy, her land and her people. Apparently her mother found the place dirty and foreign — her worst epithet, meaning not managed at all the way the countess would have done. There was a new footman, too, who stood much too close when he served her.
Toward the end of dinner, when her mother and Granbury were engaged in a lively discussion of whether Italians or Germans were the more barbaric race, the footman came unbidden to her side and offered her a second helping. As she still had most of her first portion on her plate, she waved him away. In flagrant indifference to her signal, he did not retreat. Instead, a tiny white square fluttered in the corner of her eye and dropped onto her lap.
Puzzled, she gazed down. It was a tightly folded note. Was it from Valentine? How had the footman gotten it? With a quick glance at her mother to ensure she had Granbury's complete attention, Emily unfolded the note and read — I will come to you tonight. Eat more, you must keep up your strength."
Surprised, she glanced up and nearly fainted. Valentine stood next to her, barely recognizable as himself dressed as he was in the livery of a footman.
CHAPTER SIX
Valentine found that he had been holding his breath as he watched Emily's face. It was the last test to determine whether his disguise would hold.
Her eyes had widened in surprise as she read the note. Then she looked up to meet his gaze. He had known she would be somewhat shocked, but her face had gone white. For a moment he had been certain that she was about to stand and reveal him by her inadvertent reaction to him. But, after an instant, she looked back down at the note in her hand, crumpled it up into a tiny ball, and dropped it into a puddle of lemon sauce on her plate. More amazingly, from his perspective standing there on the edge of being exposed, she did it all cleverly under cover of delicately wiping her mouth with her napkin. A quick flick of her fork ensured the paper now looked like no more than a lump of pastry. It was an awesome act of self-control.
He began to understand, at last, what life had been like for her with the countess as mother. She could be impulsive,
Similar Books
