Before The Scandal Read Online Free PDF Page A

brushing out her aunt’s hair, Alyse left the bedchamber and hurried down to the foyer. “Saunders,” she said to the tall, spindly butler, “Mrs. Donnelly would like to take the barouche into town at ten o’clock.”
    The butler nodded. “I shall inform Winston.” He pursed his lips. “I believe there to be a very limited quantity of early summer strawberries available in the breakfast room.”
    Strawberries . She adored strawberries. “Thank you, Saunders,” she murmured, “but for heaven’s sake don’t risk Richard overhearing you.”
    “I’m surprised to still be here as it is, Miss Alyse. And I haven’t forgotten how you always liked strawberries.”
    With a quick, fond smile Alyse put a hand on his arm. “Thank you,” she whispered again. “I—”
    “Alyse!” Aunt Ernesta’s strident bellow could peel paint from the walls.
    Unwilling to risk Saunders being blamed for her absence, Alyse rushed into the breakfast room to hide three strawberries beneath the toast and then returned upstairs. “Yes, Aunt?” she asked, skidding back to the doorway of Mrs. Donnelly’s bedchamber.
    “You’re dawdling again. Find my gold earbobs.”
    “Yes, Aunt.”
    As she finished dressing, Aunt Ernesta turned from the dressing mirror. “I have decided that I shall ask Mrs. Potter and Lady Dysher over for luncheon tomorrow,” she said. “Send out the invitations, and select a half dozen passages from Milton. You shall read them to us for discussion.”
    “Milton?” Alyse repeated, inwardly cringing. “That seems a bit…heavy for luncheon. Are you certain you wouldn’t prefer Shakespeare or Chaucer?”
    “Shakespeare is far too risqué, and I wouldn’t be caught dead reading Chaucer, you silly girl. It’s to be Milton.” Mrs. Donnelly waved her back out the door. “And formulate some questions to guide the discussion.”
    “Yes, Aunt.” Scowling now that no one could see her, Alyse went into the library for Paradise Lost and then headed for the stairs and the breakfast room.
    “Ah, good morning, Alyse,” her cousin said from his seat at the head of the breakfast table. The carcasses of what looked like the remainders of all the strawberries save her hidden three lay piled to one side of his plate.
    She sent out a silent thanks to Saunders. “Good morning,” she returned, accepting a plate from Donald the footman and heading for the toast.
    “How is my mother this morning?”
    “Well, I believe. She wishes to drive into town.” Her strawberries were still where she’d hidden them. Swiftly she bit into the plumpest of them and placed the other two on her plate. Strawberries tasted like summer. More significantly, they tasted like the summers of her youth, warm and moist and overflowing with sweet flavor.
    “Come sit beside me,” Richard prompted, before she could take her usual seat halfway down the length of the breakfast table.
    Suspicious, she did as he asked. “Thank you.”
    “Of course. Tell me, Cousin, why do you think it is that Elizabeth Bromley never mentioned her other brother to me?”
    Alyse shrugged. “He’s been away for quite some time. I don’t suppose she thought to discuss him any more than you thought to ask whether there might be another sibling about.”
    Richard nodded.” Well, he’s about now, isn’t he? Why do you think that is?”
    Alyse edged her plate away from him. “You know as much as I do, Richard.”
    “Yes, well, give me your opinion, anyway. He seemed to know you quite well.” Her cousin finished off his sliced ham, then reached over and plucked one of the strawberries from her plate.
    She didn’t say anything about the theft. He would only remind her how lucky she was to have relatives who were willing to provide for her, and then he would take the other berry. He would probably do so anyway. Before he could, she plopped it into her own mouth. So there . “In my opinion,” she said after she’d chewed and swallowed, “he may have come home