Read Online Wicked Little Secrets by Susanna Ives - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Susanna Ives
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know and was about to leave, without busting out the windows, mind you. But you stormed in, acting like some overgrown Ajax.”
“Ajax?” he echoed incredulously. “This is what I get for saving your life? Oh, and that six children act was quite convincing. I should warn this John fellow that he has his hands full with you, cracked lady.”
“You can just go to… to…” She tried hard to repress the expletive, but it burst forth. “ Hell! I told you not to follow me, anyway.” She turned with a frustrated cry and stomped off.
Garth, left shivering by Dashiell’s leg, looked up at him with frightened bulbous eyes and whimpered. “Wait!” Dashiell called. “You forgot your dog. He’s scared.” In fact, Dashiell was scared too. What has Vivienne gotten into?
She spun around so fast that her cloak and gown formed an ellipse about her body. She stalked back and scooped up Garth, squeezing him to her bodice. Tears were spilling out of her eyes, running down her cheeks.
The pain in his chest hurt more than any blow Sidney could give. “Good God. What did I say?” he whispered, hearing the deep quiver in his own voice. “I-I didn’t mean to call you cracked. I’m the cracked one. Everyone knows that. Please say that you will forgive me?”
“It’s not that,” she choked. Unable to wipe her tears, she ran her face over Garth’s wrinkled head. “My father is in terrible financial straits. His workshop burned down, and the insurance company claimed he started the fire intentionally. They called him a criminal so they wouldn’t have to pay. So he had to borrow funds, but by the time the workshop was rebuilt, he’d lost his customers. Now these vile men are threatening him, but he can’t pay his debts, certainly not at the interest the money lender is charging. We could lose everything.”
“Oh, Vivienne, why didn’t you say something?” He’d had no idea that Vivienne’s family was going through such hard times. That she had been suffering so while he was off playing around the globe. “Let me lend you some money. Let me do something. Anything.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s all better now. I’m marrying John. His father is the manager at South Birmingham Railroad and he can give Papa enough work to begin paying down his debt.” She tried to smile but failed. Garth licked a stray tear that was rolling off her chin. “It’s just been hard watching Papa get hurt. Please don’t tell anyone. It’s just… I didn’t have anyone to talk to.”
“Of course.” Dashiell took Garth from her arms and set him on the ground. Then he wrapped her in his embrace. “Don’t worry,” he said, wishing that damn bonnet wasn’t there so he could kiss her soft hair. “We’ll figure this out together. I promise.”
Vivienne closed her eyes and felt the muscles of his chest contract beneath her cheek, hard and powerful, making a protective wall around her. She didn’t feel secure and safe in John’s arms, where she was constantly trying to make him like her, trying to be what he wanted. But with Dashiell, a man reviled by her family and all of polite society, she drifted in easy, drowsy peace. She snuggled closer, wishing she never had to go back. Just she and he, together, her head resting on his heart, the feel of his thigh gently rubbing against her as their bodies swayed together. She wished the tender quivers in her heart could continue, unabated, for the remainder of her life.
What are you thinking?
She leapt away and stared at him. His chest rose with fast, shallow breaths like hers. His eyes were dark with fear and another scary emotion that she couldn’t name but tingled down to her bones. How did what was meant to be a kind embrace turn so dangerous?
“You called me your wife at the brothel.” Her voice was tense and brittle. “In olden days, we would be as good as married for that statement,” she said, trying hard to make it sound as if marrying him was as absurd as her
“Ajax?” he echoed incredulously. “This is what I get for saving your life? Oh, and that six children act was quite convincing. I should warn this John fellow that he has his hands full with you, cracked lady.”
“You can just go to… to…” She tried hard to repress the expletive, but it burst forth. “ Hell! I told you not to follow me, anyway.” She turned with a frustrated cry and stomped off.
Garth, left shivering by Dashiell’s leg, looked up at him with frightened bulbous eyes and whimpered. “Wait!” Dashiell called. “You forgot your dog. He’s scared.” In fact, Dashiell was scared too. What has Vivienne gotten into?
She spun around so fast that her cloak and gown formed an ellipse about her body. She stalked back and scooped up Garth, squeezing him to her bodice. Tears were spilling out of her eyes, running down her cheeks.
The pain in his chest hurt more than any blow Sidney could give. “Good God. What did I say?” he whispered, hearing the deep quiver in his own voice. “I-I didn’t mean to call you cracked. I’m the cracked one. Everyone knows that. Please say that you will forgive me?”
“It’s not that,” she choked. Unable to wipe her tears, she ran her face over Garth’s wrinkled head. “My father is in terrible financial straits. His workshop burned down, and the insurance company claimed he started the fire intentionally. They called him a criminal so they wouldn’t have to pay. So he had to borrow funds, but by the time the workshop was rebuilt, he’d lost his customers. Now these vile men are threatening him, but he can’t pay his debts, certainly not at the interest the money lender is charging. We could lose everything.”
“Oh, Vivienne, why didn’t you say something?” He’d had no idea that Vivienne’s family was going through such hard times. That she had been suffering so while he was off playing around the globe. “Let me lend you some money. Let me do something. Anything.”
She shook her head. “No, it’s all better now. I’m marrying John. His father is the manager at South Birmingham Railroad and he can give Papa enough work to begin paying down his debt.” She tried to smile but failed. Garth licked a stray tear that was rolling off her chin. “It’s just been hard watching Papa get hurt. Please don’t tell anyone. It’s just… I didn’t have anyone to talk to.”
“Of course.” Dashiell took Garth from her arms and set him on the ground. Then he wrapped her in his embrace. “Don’t worry,” he said, wishing that damn bonnet wasn’t there so he could kiss her soft hair. “We’ll figure this out together. I promise.”
Vivienne closed her eyes and felt the muscles of his chest contract beneath her cheek, hard and powerful, making a protective wall around her. She didn’t feel secure and safe in John’s arms, where she was constantly trying to make him like her, trying to be what he wanted. But with Dashiell, a man reviled by her family and all of polite society, she drifted in easy, drowsy peace. She snuggled closer, wishing she never had to go back. Just she and he, together, her head resting on his heart, the feel of his thigh gently rubbing against her as their bodies swayed together. She wished the tender quivers in her heart could continue, unabated, for the remainder of her life.
What are you thinking?
She leapt away and stared at him. His chest rose with fast, shallow breaths like hers. His eyes were dark with fear and another scary emotion that she couldn’t name but tingled down to her bones. How did what was meant to be a kind embrace turn so dangerous?
“You called me your wife at the brothel.” Her voice was tense and brittle. “In olden days, we would be as good as married for that statement,” she said, trying hard to make it sound as if marrying him was as absurd as her
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