Read Online When the Rogue Returns by Sabrina Jeffries - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sabrina Jeffries
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“And I closed it right back up. Honestly, sir, how do you read such nonsense? It makes my head hurt.”
“Yet that monstrous new hat of yours does not?” he countered.
It was Amalie’s turn to be shocked. “Monstrous! But big hats are all the rage!” When he burst out laughing, she blinked, then shot him a sly look. “Oh, I see what you’re about. You’re torturing me again. Well, it won’t work. I like my monstrous hat.” She turned to Isa. “So may I pack it, Mama?”
“Of course, dear. If you can do it without crushing it.”Remembering the hatpins, Isa opened her reticule to draw them out. “And I brought you extra adornment for it.”
She’d never before made jewelry for Amalie, worried that the child might still be too young to take care of it. But her daughter was growing up, and she deserved something special as she went off to school. “What do you think of these hatpins?” Isa said, holding them out.
Amalie’s eyes went wide as she took them, handling them with great reverence. “Oh, Mama. ” She glanced up. “Did you make them yourself?”
Isa nodded. “Rupert isn’t the only one who has noticed your affection for fleurs-de-lis.”
“You see?” Amalie said saucily to Rupert. “ Mama knows they’re not spiders.” With a look of awe, she ran her fingers over the ruby-and-diamond-crusted emblems.
“The silver is real, but the gems aren’t. If you show that you can take good care of these two, I’ll give you a pair to wear for important occasions that are made of gold with real gems.”
“Mama!” she squealed, and hugged Isa tightly. “How fabulous!” Fabulous was Amalie’s latest favorite word. “But these are perfect, too. I adore them. I’m going to try them with my hat right this minute!” She skipped back toward the cottage. “Maura and Danielle will be green with envy when they see my fabulous hatpins!”
As she disappeared inside, Rupert shook his head. “Does that girl ever walk anywhere?”
“Afraid not. Whirling dervishes have nothing on my daughter.”
Isa still couldn’t figure out how she and Victor had created such a boisterous creature. Or such a pretty one. Amalie had Jacoba’s blond curls and Victor’s height, but her eyes were an unearthly green.
And Isa had no idea where Amalie’s sense of fashion came from. Isa had always been good with jewelry, but it had taken her ten years to figure out how to dress well—to pick the right gowns, find the right colors, combine the jewelry and clothing in interesting ways. Amalie had sprung from the womb knowing the right thing to wear. Perhaps Victor had a modiste in his family tree.
A sigh escaped her. What was she to do about him and Amalie? Of course, she had no intention of letting them meet until she was sure of his purpose in coming here. And then? Amalie believed that her father was a dead soldier. It would devastate her to learn that he was a live scoundrel.
They entered the cottage, and Betsy, her maid-of-all-work and sometime nanny to Amalie, asked if they needed anything.
“His lordship is just here to get a book,” Isa explained.
“I looked for it when he asked about it earlier,” Betsy said, “but I couldna find it.”
“I know where it is,” Isa said. “Were you able to finish altering my gown?”
“It’s waiting for you on your bed, madam,” Betsy said cheerily. She shot Rupert a knowing glance. “I’ll just go get everything ready for you to try it on.”
“Thank you,” Isa said, suppressing a sigh.
Betsy had lofty dreams of Isa becoming a baroness. For that matter, so did Mr. Gordon. Neither of them could see that Rupert regarded her more as a teacher than as a lover. He liked to talk about science with her because she didn’t scold him for it like his mother, or call him a dabbler like the local scholars who thought him too young to know anything. She wasn’t sure Rupert even realized she was a woman. Victor had nothing to be jealous of, if he was indeed
“Yet that monstrous new hat of yours does not?” he countered.
It was Amalie’s turn to be shocked. “Monstrous! But big hats are all the rage!” When he burst out laughing, she blinked, then shot him a sly look. “Oh, I see what you’re about. You’re torturing me again. Well, it won’t work. I like my monstrous hat.” She turned to Isa. “So may I pack it, Mama?”
“Of course, dear. If you can do it without crushing it.”Remembering the hatpins, Isa opened her reticule to draw them out. “And I brought you extra adornment for it.”
She’d never before made jewelry for Amalie, worried that the child might still be too young to take care of it. But her daughter was growing up, and she deserved something special as she went off to school. “What do you think of these hatpins?” Isa said, holding them out.
Amalie’s eyes went wide as she took them, handling them with great reverence. “Oh, Mama. ” She glanced up. “Did you make them yourself?”
Isa nodded. “Rupert isn’t the only one who has noticed your affection for fleurs-de-lis.”
“You see?” Amalie said saucily to Rupert. “ Mama knows they’re not spiders.” With a look of awe, she ran her fingers over the ruby-and-diamond-crusted emblems.
“The silver is real, but the gems aren’t. If you show that you can take good care of these two, I’ll give you a pair to wear for important occasions that are made of gold with real gems.”
“Mama!” she squealed, and hugged Isa tightly. “How fabulous!” Fabulous was Amalie’s latest favorite word. “But these are perfect, too. I adore them. I’m going to try them with my hat right this minute!” She skipped back toward the cottage. “Maura and Danielle will be green with envy when they see my fabulous hatpins!”
As she disappeared inside, Rupert shook his head. “Does that girl ever walk anywhere?”
“Afraid not. Whirling dervishes have nothing on my daughter.”
Isa still couldn’t figure out how she and Victor had created such a boisterous creature. Or such a pretty one. Amalie had Jacoba’s blond curls and Victor’s height, but her eyes were an unearthly green.
And Isa had no idea where Amalie’s sense of fashion came from. Isa had always been good with jewelry, but it had taken her ten years to figure out how to dress well—to pick the right gowns, find the right colors, combine the jewelry and clothing in interesting ways. Amalie had sprung from the womb knowing the right thing to wear. Perhaps Victor had a modiste in his family tree.
A sigh escaped her. What was she to do about him and Amalie? Of course, she had no intention of letting them meet until she was sure of his purpose in coming here. And then? Amalie believed that her father was a dead soldier. It would devastate her to learn that he was a live scoundrel.
They entered the cottage, and Betsy, her maid-of-all-work and sometime nanny to Amalie, asked if they needed anything.
“His lordship is just here to get a book,” Isa explained.
“I looked for it when he asked about it earlier,” Betsy said, “but I couldna find it.”
“I know where it is,” Isa said. “Were you able to finish altering my gown?”
“It’s waiting for you on your bed, madam,” Betsy said cheerily. She shot Rupert a knowing glance. “I’ll just go get everything ready for you to try it on.”
“Thank you,” Isa said, suppressing a sigh.
Betsy had lofty dreams of Isa becoming a baroness. For that matter, so did Mr. Gordon. Neither of them could see that Rupert regarded her more as a teacher than as a lover. He liked to talk about science with her because she didn’t scold him for it like his mother, or call him a dabbler like the local scholars who thought him too young to know anything. She wasn’t sure Rupert even realized she was a woman. Victor had nothing to be jealous of, if he was indeed
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