High Hearts Read Online Free PDF

Increase, because Mrs. Hart had given up her ghost to consumption a scant year ago.
    At last, the orchestra struck up the wedding march. Di-Peachy sat in the back with Sin-Sin, tears streaming down her high cheekbones. Sin-Sin held her hand and patted it. From the other end of the long hall, Geneva walked with her father. As she entered the ballroom, the crowd whispered their approval. Henley gravely looked forward, fighting back his own tears. Geneva entered the room like a christianing, full of hope. Nash turned his face from facing the altar to behold his bride. He was well pleased. The entire room could feel the spark, the heat between Geneva and Nash. No, she wasn’t the prettiest bride in Albemarle County butshe was radiant, and the man she chose truly loved her. As she stood by his side, she glanced over at him. His face was slowly turning bright red underneath his sandy, straight hair.
    The Very Reverend spread his hands, his vestments catching the candlelight. “Dearly Beloved,” he began. Very Reverend Manlius gave a fantastic performance. In spite of his histrionics, he was a good pastor, otherwise Christ Episcopal Church would have clamped down on his theatrics a long time ago.
    Nash said, “I do,” in a voice that would roll back the tide. Soft laughter rippled through the room because his voice betrayed so much eagerness. The Very Reverend allowed a smile of understanding to flow over the audience. Geneva spoke her words clearly and firmly. Di-Peachy sobbed. Lutie sobbed. Sin-Sin sobbed. Henley cried quietly. Increase Nash held a handkerchief to his eyes. But when the ceremony was finished and the groom had kissed his bride with tremendous enthusiasm, the families leapt to their feet with the rest of the congregation and applauded. As the couple walked down the aisle, the room thundered, it shuddered, it shook.
    After a feast worthy of Henry VIII, the guests returned to the ballroom, where colored streamers with small flowers knotted at the ends had been added to the garlands. Di-Peachy, who played her harp through the dinner, stood against a wall while the orchestra played. Her slave status should have kept the men away publicly, but Di-Peachy was a goddess in human flesh. One by one, the men paid her their compliments. She smiled and returned their admiration with polite restraint. Reddy Neutral Taylor, the owner of a hardware store and crooked as a dog’s hind leg, was persistent in his attentions. Sin-Sin very pointedly told him that one Miss Caroline Metzger needed a dancing partner right now. Reddy took the hint.
    “Girl, give these men a rest. Let’s see if we can make Ernie June drop a tray of champagne. She ought to be put out with the heifers. Her head’s too big to be in the house.”
    Ernie June was exalted this Friday because each guest loudly proclaimed the excellence of the food. Sin-Sin detested Ernie’s prominence at this occasion, and Ernie knew she had Sin-Sin dead to shit this time.
    As the bride was exhausting herself dancing with every man in the room, Lutie was likewise twirling about. Finally,she had to release herself from the grasp of her brother, T. Pritchard, and repair to the punch bowl. Poofy was also there catching her breath.
    “You’re as light on your feet as a fairy.” Poofy knocked back the punch.
    “Where’d the time go, Poofy? I feel like it was only yesterday that I danced at your wedding.”
    Just then Jennifer Fitzgerald tacked over. Jennifer reveled in insulting people. It gave a glory to her life since she so fabulously succeeded. She was married to Sean “Big Fitz” Fitzgerald, an important horseman in the county, so she couldn’t be ignored.
    “Why, Lutie, this wedding rivals anything I’ve ever seen.”
    “Thank you, Jennifer,” Lutie replied, thinking to herself that Jennifer had probably seen the wedding of Hades and Persephone.
    “And, Portia, I can’t tell you how good it is to see you. By the way, Lutie, how old are you?” That was just