Sharon Sobel Read Online Free PDF

would not want to do anything that would cause difficulties for you or for Lady Camille.”
    “Lady Camille is the ward of my husband,” said Mrs. Brooks. “And the point of this adventure is to remove the difficulties from my darling’s life, is it not? My dearest hope is that you will be able to ease her way into society.”
    “I see,” said Claire quietly, though somehow the waters had become someone muddier since she spoke up a few minutes before.
    “I knew you would, Lady Claire, once you had my assurance that I would visit the girls here with a good book in hand. It is just as everyone says: You see everything that goes on in society and are kind to everyone. Your reputation is as bright as my nephew’s is dark.”
    Claire heard Marissa tittering beside her. “I will do what I can, Mrs. Brooks, but one cannot expect miracles.”
    “You forget I am a vicar’s wife, Lady Claire. I expect them everywhere, even at Brookside Cottage.”

Chapter 2
    Brookside Cottage was not nearly so modest as its name. Claire saw the chimneys well above the trees as her carriage approached the property, passing through acres and acres of well-groomed farmland. A large conservatory graced one side of the cottage, clearly a more recent addition to the main structure, which looked to be of the reign of Elizabeth.
    And yet, Mrs. Brooks already informed her that elsewhere on the estate were the ruins of the great house, long abandoned these many years. Wentworth and Lady Camille came to the Cottage as children, where their aunt and uncle joined them, to see to their care until Wentworth was of an age to oversee his own property. Though he owned other estates, and there was always the possibility of restoring the great house, both expressed a preference to remain as they were. As to the great house, Mrs. Brooks believed they never ventured there at all, allowing the drive to become overgrown with weeds, and the woodlands to spread into what was once the ballroom and library. She made it seem as if their present dwelling was a deprivation, though Claire immediately thought it perfectly lovely.
    The servants assembled at the base of the marble steps, well attired and with the ease of deportment that suggested that there was nothing more compelling to occupy their time than to welcome a stranger to the household. To the left stood a young man and his horse, surely not a servant, but equally deferential. But all this Claire noted only tangentially, for her attention was all for the lady who stood at the top of the steps, appearing to gaze directly at her.
    As Claire slowly ascended, they continued to face each other, and Claire had the feeling Lady Camille was able to see as well as any person. She paused, not entirely sure how to greet a person whose limitations had already been carefully explained to her.
    “Welcome to Brookside Cottage, Lady Claire,” Camille spoke softly, with just a trace of her native Yorkshire.
    “I am delighted to be here, Lady Camille. Your family name seems most apt in this bucolic setting,” said Claire.
    The younger woman laughed. “It has been noted by many of our acquaintances. Even though my family has lived on the land for many generations, the name comes from our proximity to the running water that skirts our gardens.”
    Claire listened for the music of the nearby brook, and now that her attention had been directed to it, heard it quite clearly.
    “I look forward to exploring the landscape and perhaps do some sketching. I hope you will be my guide and direct me to all the fairest prospects.”
    She heard the collective gasp behind her, and immediately regretted her words. How insensitive to call attention to precisely that which the lady could not do! “That is, I meant to suggest . . .”
    “Of course, I will show you everything, Lady Claire, for I am delighted to have you as my guest.” Camille spoke without the slightest trace of awkwardness, for perhaps she was well practiced covering the