Surrender Read Online Free PDF Page B

pretty
blonde.
    Evelyn glanced at Annabelle, her other cousin, who remained
unwed. She wore gray silk, had brownish-blond hair, and while once fat, she was
now very slim and very pretty. Annabelle had always followed Lucille’s lead and
had been very submissive to her mother. Evelyn wondered if she had learned how
to think for herself. She certainly hoped so.
    Her aunt and cousins had seen her, as well. They all stared,
brows raised.
    Evelyn managed a slight smile; none of her female relations
smiled back.
    Evelyn turned to her uncle, who was approaching her. Robert
Faraday was a tall, portly man with a rather distinguished air. Her father’s
older brother, he had inherited the estate, while her father had taken his
annual pension and gone gaming in Europe’s infamous brothels and halls. In
appearance, Robert hadn’t changed.
    “I am terribly sorry for your loss, Evelyn,” Robert said
gravely. He took both of her hands in his and kissed her on the cheek,
surprising her. “I liked Henri, very much.”
    Evelyn knew he meant it. Robert had become friendly with her
husband when he had first come to stay at Faraday Hall. When Henri wasn’t
courting Evelyn, he and Robert had been hacking, hunting or taking brandy
together in the library. He had attended the wedding in Paris, and unlike Enid,
he had enjoyed himself extremely. But then, he had never shared his wife’s
antipathy toward Evelyn. If anything, he had been somewhat absent and
indifferent.
    “It is a damned shame,” her uncle continued. “I so liked the
fellow and he has been good to you. I remember when he first laid eyes on you.
His mouth dropped open and he turned as red as a beet.” Robert smiled. “By the
time supper was over, you were strolling in the garden with him.”
    Evelyn smiled sadly. “It is a beautiful memory. I will cherish
it forever.”
    “Of course you will.” He remained grave, his gaze direct. “You
will get through, Evelyn. You were a strong child and you have obviously become
a strong woman. And you are a very young woman, still, so in time, you will
recover from this tragedy. Let me know what I can do to help.”
    She thought about the tin mine. “I wouldn’t mind asking you for
some advice.”
    “Anytime,” he said firmly. He turned.
    Enid Faraday stepped forward, smiling. “I am so sorry about the
count, Evelyn.”
    Evelyn managed to smile in return. “Thank you. I am consoling
myself by remembering that he is at peace now. He suffered greatly in the
end.”
    “You know we wish to help you in any way that we can.” She
smiled, but her gaze was on Evelyn’s expensive black velvet gown and the pearls
she wore with them. Diamonds encrusted the clasp, which she wore on the side of
her neck. “You must only ask.”
    “I am sure I will be fine,” Evelyn said firmly. “But thank you
for coming today.”
    “How could I fail to attend the funeral? The count was the
catch of your lifetime,” Enid responded. “You know how happy I was for you.
Lucille? Annabelle? Come, give your cousin your condolences.”
    Evelyn was too tired to decipher the innuendo, if there was
one, or to dispute her version of the past. Now she hoped to end the
conversation as quickly as possible, as most of her guests were gone and she
wished to retire. Lucille presented herself. As she stiffly embraced her, Evelyn
saw that her eyes glittered with malice, as if the past decade hadn’t happened.
“Hello, Evelyn. I am so sorry for your loss.”
    Evelyn simply nodded. “Thank you for attending the funeral,
Lucille. I appreciate it.”
    “Of course I would come—we are family!” She smiled. “And this
is my husband, Lord Harold. I don’t believe you have met.”
    Evelyn somehow smiled at the plump young man who nodded at
her.
    “It is so tragic, really, to be reunited under such
circumstances,” Lucille cried, jostling in front of her husband, who stepped
backward to accommodate her. “It feels like yesterday that we were at that
magnificent