Read Online The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Saundra Mitchell
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Flight Mistress that summer in Annapolis."
"You were eight, and they were coddling you." Sarah's nose crinkled when she smiled at me, lazily waving the newly feathered shaft before her face as if it were a fan. "Our Zora, she's a terrible sport."
"She just wants to do well," Mattie said, equivocating as she watched the latest shot fly.
"Another!" Zora said, and cursed when this one went wider still. When she realized I had nothing to hand her, she stalked over and emptied the quiver. She posed and drew back once more, cursing when this shot flew true and straight—and missed the target entirely.
"Fetch it," Sarah sang, laughing again when Zora pushed the bow into my hands. "This is but a taste of the glories of playing sports with Zora Stewart. Once she hit a lawn tennis ball so far off course, we never found it. Now we have to use a bed knob if we want a whole set."
"I fear for the replacement birdies in your badminton kit," I said.
Failing to grasp the sarcasm, Mattie said, "Oh, we use a bit of cotton stuffed in leather."
Since Zora hadn'tyet returned, I decided to try the bow. It refused a gentle tug, insisting on brute force to stretch it. A twinge cut my shoulder, and I gasped in shock at the weight of the string. I was so determined that I spun with the exertion, turning as if the bow were my rudder.
Sarah ducked. "Keep it pointed away, please!"
"Beg your pardon," I said with a wince. Steering myself back, I aimed at the straw-stuffed target and promptly dropped the arrow. A boon, I thought, for Zora popped up like a clockwork monkey from behind it, waving her retrieved prize.
"Look what I found," she crowed, and when Nathaniel strolled up after her, I laughed.
Sarah gaped. "Did You flush him out like a woodcock?"
Nathaniel bowed to Sarah, his pursed lips twisting in a smile. "More like a turkey, I hazard. Miss Holbrook, a pleasure to see you again."
"And you," she said, a hitch there at the end, which Nathaniel kindly filled with his name.
His charm fit him as easily as his coat. Vulcan red with black velvet accents, silver buttons, and a white carnation pinned to the lapel—she should have called him a cardinal, and I intended to, if he ever noticed me. Mattie blushed a matching shade of scarlet when he took her hand.
Finally, at last, he bowed to me. "The always enchanting Miss van den Broek."
"Mr. Witherspoon." My voice came out unexpectedly soft.
Leaning against the tree, Nathaniel burned through me with a look. "I can fit the arrow points, Miss Holbrook, if you like. Don't let me disturb your party."
Zora brushed against my shoulder, murmuring as I raised the bow again. "He came out of nowhere, Amelia. I was entirely alone, and then...
ffft,
I was not."
He's very tike that
, I started to say, then remembered that I was pretending at competence. Struggling against the bow, I ordered it to stay true and still in my hand. Though I felt a tremor come through my arm when I pulled back the string, I ignored it and held my breath. But, perhaps, I forgot the most essential part of archery—my aim.
When Zora whooped, I opened my eyes. My little arrow had barely struck the target, a hand span from the rings.
"Very good, Amelia," Mattie said.
Handing the bow to Zora, I ran to retrieve my arrow. I stopped beneath the tree's empty bower, very near Nathaniel, it so happened. A coincidence, entirely.
"That was terrible," Nathaniel said, a honey murmur for my ears alone.
Playing at pride, I brushed my cheek with the arrow's feathers and replied, "How sad that you're driven to mock my incredible prowess."
"Head down," he said.
Zora's shot bounced off the board and went careening into the distance again. From her vantage, Sarah covered her eyes and said, "I think it's gone in the trees."
"Forgive my impertinence, ladies," Nathaniel said, looking around at us. "But have you considered a sport at which you might actually excel?"
"Hold Your tongue, sir." Sarah held out her hand, waiting for him to take it
"You were eight, and they were coddling you." Sarah's nose crinkled when she smiled at me, lazily waving the newly feathered shaft before her face as if it were a fan. "Our Zora, she's a terrible sport."
"She just wants to do well," Mattie said, equivocating as she watched the latest shot fly.
"Another!" Zora said, and cursed when this one went wider still. When she realized I had nothing to hand her, she stalked over and emptied the quiver. She posed and drew back once more, cursing when this shot flew true and straight—and missed the target entirely.
"Fetch it," Sarah sang, laughing again when Zora pushed the bow into my hands. "This is but a taste of the glories of playing sports with Zora Stewart. Once she hit a lawn tennis ball so far off course, we never found it. Now we have to use a bed knob if we want a whole set."
"I fear for the replacement birdies in your badminton kit," I said.
Failing to grasp the sarcasm, Mattie said, "Oh, we use a bit of cotton stuffed in leather."
Since Zora hadn'tyet returned, I decided to try the bow. It refused a gentle tug, insisting on brute force to stretch it. A twinge cut my shoulder, and I gasped in shock at the weight of the string. I was so determined that I spun with the exertion, turning as if the bow were my rudder.
Sarah ducked. "Keep it pointed away, please!"
"Beg your pardon," I said with a wince. Steering myself back, I aimed at the straw-stuffed target and promptly dropped the arrow. A boon, I thought, for Zora popped up like a clockwork monkey from behind it, waving her retrieved prize.
"Look what I found," she crowed, and when Nathaniel strolled up after her, I laughed.
Sarah gaped. "Did You flush him out like a woodcock?"
Nathaniel bowed to Sarah, his pursed lips twisting in a smile. "More like a turkey, I hazard. Miss Holbrook, a pleasure to see you again."
"And you," she said, a hitch there at the end, which Nathaniel kindly filled with his name.
His charm fit him as easily as his coat. Vulcan red with black velvet accents, silver buttons, and a white carnation pinned to the lapel—she should have called him a cardinal, and I intended to, if he ever noticed me. Mattie blushed a matching shade of scarlet when he took her hand.
Finally, at last, he bowed to me. "The always enchanting Miss van den Broek."
"Mr. Witherspoon." My voice came out unexpectedly soft.
Leaning against the tree, Nathaniel burned through me with a look. "I can fit the arrow points, Miss Holbrook, if you like. Don't let me disturb your party."
Zora brushed against my shoulder, murmuring as I raised the bow again. "He came out of nowhere, Amelia. I was entirely alone, and then...
ffft,
I was not."
He's very tike that
, I started to say, then remembered that I was pretending at competence. Struggling against the bow, I ordered it to stay true and still in my hand. Though I felt a tremor come through my arm when I pulled back the string, I ignored it and held my breath. But, perhaps, I forgot the most essential part of archery—my aim.
When Zora whooped, I opened my eyes. My little arrow had barely struck the target, a hand span from the rings.
"Very good, Amelia," Mattie said.
Handing the bow to Zora, I ran to retrieve my arrow. I stopped beneath the tree's empty bower, very near Nathaniel, it so happened. A coincidence, entirely.
"That was terrible," Nathaniel said, a honey murmur for my ears alone.
Playing at pride, I brushed my cheek with the arrow's feathers and replied, "How sad that you're driven to mock my incredible prowess."
"Head down," he said.
Zora's shot bounced off the board and went careening into the distance again. From her vantage, Sarah covered her eyes and said, "I think it's gone in the trees."
"Forgive my impertinence, ladies," Nathaniel said, looking around at us. "But have you considered a sport at which you might actually excel?"
"Hold Your tongue, sir." Sarah held out her hand, waiting for him to take it
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