Moondrops (Love Letters) Read Online Free PDF Page B

her voice, Elise merely nodded her accord. It seemed much safer, and in that moment safe seemed very inviting.
    It had happened so quickly that she had no idea how she had become trapped overnight in London. What she did know was that she would never again wonder how a housefly tangled in a spider’s web felt. That, at least, was one thing she had learned during the afternoon.
    ****
    Arguments against staying in the house seemed fruitless so Elise did not even try to resist when Henry led her from the parlor, up a grand staircase and down a long, heavily carpeted hallway. Doors—far too many of them to count while she followed the butler and concentrated on memorizing their route—lined either side of the hallway. All were closed but she wondered how any one home could need so many upper chambers. Were they all bedrooms?
    The house in Essex was humble but adequate for three women’s needs. They had never wanted anything grander than their modest home, had never been curious about how “the upper crust” lived. Still, she wished her mother and Louise could see the grandeur surrounding her now. Wouldn’t they be shocked?
    Weariness swept fully over her once the door to the beautifully appointed guestroom closed behind her. There would be ample time to poke into the nooks and corners of the space but her first instinct was to drop her reticule beside the small overnight bag she had, thankfully, brought along. They landed with a low thud on the upholstered bench at the foot of the enormous four-poster bed that dominated the room.
    With haste, Elise shed her traveling dress, shoes and stockings, pulled the bed coverings aside and crawled beneath them. Her eyes closed instantly and just as quickly she was pulled into sleep, leaving intrigue, travel and thoughts of letter riddles behind her.
    The only portion of the day her subconscious brought to her dreams was the dreamy brown eyes of the man she had just met—but who had already captured more fascination than any other man had ever pulled from Elise.
    Her dreams were sweet but oh-too short.
    Shadows snaked across the room when her eyes opened. It felt like she had only just closed them but she must have slumbered longer than she meant to. A quick look toward the window confirmed her suspicions. Dusk had fallen, leaving daylight far behind.
    She sat up, stretching her arms above her head and letting her gaze wander across the room. The furnishings were ornate, with carved wood and overstuffed cushions. Done in a chintz pattern, the rooms made her feel like she sat in a garden rather than a bedroom. Pink cabbage roses wound amidst ferns on the wallpaper and the bed coverings she had been so hasty to flip aside were embroidered in a matching design.
    Nothing was run-of-the-mill. The closer she examined what surrounded her, the more Elise realized the fact. Even knick-knacks decorating the scattered side tables had flair. Some were decorated with feathers. Lampshades dripped glass beadwork. The rug’s naturalistic pattern was woven with such vivid shades of green it could have passed for a lawn.
    Clearly, Emmaline Byrd did not want for resources.
    A soft knock on the door gave Elise barely enough time to clutch the embroidered ecru bed sheet around her upper body before a white-capped head peeked around the slowly opening door.
    “May I come in, miss?”
    “Certainly.”
    The young woman entered and closed the door behind her. She crossed the room, stood beside the bed and bobbed a tiny curtsey. The uniform she wore was so starched her skirts swished as her knees bent.
    When she stood and faced her, Elise saw the maid couldn’t be more than fifteen or sixteen. She could not be as old as Louise was, but her carriage and expression was far more mature than the young sibling’s was. Certainly, this young woman never expected tea—or anything else, for that matter—to be furnished for her. One look at the work-reddened hands confirmed the thought.
    The maid gazed