Fruit of the Golden Vine Read Online Free PDF Page A

at her own pale reflection. It was singularly unfair that both her sisters had elegant cheekbones, pointed chins and refined noses, and that she alone had been stuck with a round, childish face. Her nose, far from being graceful, was round and snubbed, and her mouth seemed perpetually sullen. At least there two small blessings: her olive skin had lately rid itself of pimples, and she’d inherited Mother’s thick black curls, unlike poor Felise, who was stuck with Father’s wispy blond hair—
    “Adelina! Vanity is a sin!”
    “I’m sorry, Mother.” Adelina put the mirror in Mother’s waiting hands. If only she were bold enough to point out the hypocrisy.
    Mother inspected her face. “I’m growing thinner by the year. I’ll have to eat more.”
    Ogre that her mother was, likely she’d round up the village children for the purpose. “Yes, Mother.”
    “Well, don’t just stand there, sit down again.” Mother tapped the stool. “Tell me about their arrival. Where were you? What was the expression on his face? What did he say when he saw Irena?”
    Adelina sat on the splinter and yelped.
    “Yowp? Is that what he said?”
    “No! It’s this stupid splintery stool!” Adelina fidgeted. “There are so many stools in this house, Mother. Why do you have to keep this one at your bedside?”
    “Because it’s comfortable, girl!” Mother gave an exasperated huff. “Now don’t make me repeat myself. Tell me what happened.”
    Adelina fought the urge to invent an absurd story. Mother always found out, and the consequences weren’t worth the brief entertainment. “Well, don’t scold me for this now, but we crept up to the balcony to watch them come in…”

Chapter Three
    After an interminable hour by Mother’s side, Adelina dashed down the staircase and hurried along the slender corridor to the dining room. Twilight pressed against the hallway windows, and the humming of cicadas was audible even from indoors. Evening already! Why did Mother have to spend so much time talking?
    Irena was in the dining room, overseeing the setting of the table. The twins were making sport of their task, as usual, competing to set places the fastest. Irena looked up from her indulgent supervision of the servant boys and smiled. “Ada! You wonderful sister. I had the most glorious afternoon.”
    “And you know very well what kind of afternoon I had.” Adelina walked around the edge of the long, ornate dining table, taking care not to knock her head on the lighted candelabras jutting from the walls. She bumped into one of the boys and growled at him. “Go help your mother in the kitchen, you little nuisances. I’ll finish up here.”
    “Yes, Ada,” said the boys in near-harmony, before dashing from the room, still racing and giggling.
    Irena sighed as she shook her head. “You shouldn’t let those scoundrels talk to you so informally. Of course, you’re equally a scallywag yourself.”
    “Unabashedly so. Did Father give you any orders with the placements?”
    “No. Just the usual.”
    Adelina nodded. Father always seated the men of the household at one end and the women at the other, believing that there existed such things as feminine and masculine conversation, and that the two could never meet without some great catastrophe. “May I ask you a favor?”
    “You don’t have to.” Irena’s eyes twinkled. “I put you next to her. And you’ve the corner seat so you don’t have to endure the neighboring company of anyone else.”
    Adelina blushed. “You can tell?”
    “That you’re taken with her? Oh, yes, completely. You look like a puppy adoring its master.” Irena frowned at a crooked fork before prodding it into a new position. “I’m not surprised. She seems very tomboyish, but she’s also very mature. I didn’t realize women like that even existed.”
    “It gives me a little hope for the world.” Adelina refolded a maroon linen napkin and placed it beside an ornamented china plate. “So what tales did