Gayle Buck Read Online Free PDF

Then certainly my brother’s return will set all straight again,” Lady Caroline said. Her composure was again intact, as though the brief exercising of her temper had exorcised the worst of its heat.
    “Oh, assuredly it will. You will have to give over precedence to the new countess at tea and elsewhere. You will no longer be mistress of this grand house. That will hardly suit you, will it, my dear niece?” Mrs. Burlington said, her narrowed eyes glittering once more with unmistakable malice.
    Lady Caroline looked up quickly, renewed anger kindling in her eyes. The insult was not one to be lightly borne. A devastating retort trembled upon her lips, but at that instant the drawing-room door opened and she was forced to confine herself to an astringently delivered reproof. “My sister-in-law will naturally take precedence over us both. I am surprised that you did not realize it before now, Amaris.”
    While Mrs. Burlington sucked in air. Lady Caroline turned to the butler with almost palpable relief. “Yes, Simpson? Oh, it is the post. Thank you!” She sent a swift smile up at the butler as she took from the silver salver that he proffered to her several missives and a letter opener. The butler bowed and left the ladies alone once more.
    Lady Caroline sifted quickly through the stack. There were several official-looking letters addressed to her and to her brother, which she set aside for later perusal in the study, and a number of personal letters as well. She extracted a few of the letters to hand to Mrs. Burlington. “Your mail, ma’am. I know that you will not mind if I open my own correspondence.” She did not wait for an answer, but slit open the seal on one letter immediately and spread the sheets.
    “No, indeed,” Mrs. Burlington said with heavy sarcasm. She took up the letter opener in her turn and broke the seals of her correspondence. She was immediately riveted by the direction upon one, and with unusual eagerness unfolded the sheets. After a few moments’ reading, a small satisfied half-smile appeared on her lips. “Well, well. How vastly interesting, to be sure,” she murmured softly.
    At the sound of a chuckle from her niece’s direction, Mrs. Burlington raised her eyes from her own correspondence. Her sharp glance took in Lady Caroline’s softened expression. It was easy to guess that the source of Lady Caroline’s amusement was the letter that she read so attentively. Mrs. Burlington caught a glimpse of the sprawling hand of the address on the back of the letter, and even across the distance that separated her from her niece, the scrawl was unmistakable. With deliberate spite she said, “I see that you have received another letter from Lord Trilby. How amusing that his lordship should still recall your existence these many years.”
    Lady Caroline raised her eyes. The warmth that had been kindled in her eyes by the contents of the letter cooled upon meeting her aunt’s gaze. All of the amusement of the moment before vanished from her expression, but a trace of it remained in her voice. “Yes, isn’t it? Lord Trilby and I have remained the best of friends. I suppose much of that has to do with our families having been neighbors for upwards of two generations.”
    She started to fold away the missive, and gathered up the rest of her correspondence, intending to finish reading all the letters later in privacy so that she would be able to fully enjoy them without her aunt’s unpleasant interruptions.
    “If you will excuse me, Amaris, I shall take the rest of these with me to the study. It is past time that I returned to my duties.” She rose from her chair, letters in hand, and started toward the door.
    “A pity that Lord Trilby was never brought properly up to scratch. It would have made an admirable match.” Mrs. Burlington paused fractionally, her sharp eyes on her niece’s retreating back. “Do you not think that you have outworn your hopes in that direction, my dear niece?”
    Lady