Love Bade Me Welcome Read Online Free PDF

throne chair, which had been used for some important historical signing or other. It was to be viewed only, not touched. And the footman took offense at the move till Norman doubled over, feigning a great pain and winking behind the fellow’s back. He was always full of high spirits, my Norman.
    When I came out of my little reverie, I noticed Homer’s eyes were upon me, examining me closely, while a frown played on his forehead. “I believe Davinia is exhausted from her hard trip. If you feel any wish to retire early, ma’am, do not stand on ceremony with us. You must know we consider you very much of the family, or we would not have allowed Aunt Millicent to come to the table for dinner. She has been so excited to meet you, it seemed too cruel to deprive her. She has become fey in her dotage, but she is harmless. In any case, she too is family, and there is no point in concealing our woes from you.”
    “I wanted to meet all Norman’s folks, not just the respectable ones,” I answered, making a jest of it. I arose, as I meant to heed his suggestion of retiring. Every bone in my body cried for rest.
    Sir Homer arose to accompany me to the staircase. “If you will forgive us Aunt Millie, then we’ll forgive you your traveling companion,” he said, in the same joshing spirit. “I feared when first you entered she was your maid. I trembled to think she would be forever more underfoot. Is your maid joining you later? You must feel free to use one of the house servants till she arrives.”
    “I don’t have a personal maid, Homer! Good gracious, you have magnificent notions of how Norman and I went on.”
    “But I thought...” He looked quite simply astonished.
    “Oh no, I manage to make my own hair look as ill-kempt as you see it. All the wrinkles in my gowns are my own doing as well, but I blame the travel for most of them.”
    “That was by no means a slur on your appearance. Compliments seem inappropriate at such a time, but you are every bit as beautiful as Norman told us. It seemed impossible a woman could be half angel and half charming gypsy—Norman’s description—but you manage to live up to it. It is the combination of the black hair and creamy skin, I think...” He stopped suddenly, aware that he was speaking out of line, his eyes traveling too minutely over the items mentioned.
    I heard a little gasp of surprise come from my lips, felt the hot flush that rose up from my neck, and searched about for a way out of the embarrassing moment. “If Norman described me so, then I cannot take offense, can I?” I asked, in a breathless tone.
    “I hope not. We are coming to learn the high esteem in which you hold Norman. Good evening, ma’am. I hope you sleep very well.”
    There was a tinge of irony in his first words that I was hard put to account for. Why should I not hold him in high esteem? He had been an unexceptionable husband. As I mounted the stairs, conscious that Homer stood below, watching my ascent, I thought about this. I soon concluded there had been some jealousy between the two brothers. It was only natural, with Norman the elder, the heir to Wyngate and the family fortune, that Homer should resent him. The fact of a stepmother being foisted on Norman could not have helped either, though he did not speak ill of either of them. But then he scarcely spoke of them at all. It was as though he wished to forget all about his past, which was strange, now that I had come and met his family, and seen his lovely home.
    I reached the top of the stairs and turned down the hall, my hand riding along the bannister of the upper landing, which looked down to the entrance hall below. Homer was looking up at me with a very pensive look on his face. I smiled, and he lifted his hand and waved, as though we were parting. But my last image was not of Homer. It was of that gracious foyer, with molded ceilings and a great chandelier whose pendants reflected dancing prisms on the walls.
    So handsome a house, it was