The Love Child Read Online Free PDF

were my real one. Not that I did not love Edwin. I did. Edwin was meek and never hurt anyone if he could help it. He was courteous to the servants. They were devoted to him naturally, but the women preferred Leigh, I knew.
    Leigh was now aware of Christabel, her face slightly flushed from the exercise and her dark curls only very slightly ruffled under her hard riding hat.
    I introduced them and he bowed gallantly. I was very much aware that Christabel was assessing him. I did not want to mention then
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    that she was the governess, I would tell him that privately. I felt she resented having to work for us and would like to be mistaken for a guest… if only for a short while.
    “We have been riding,” I said. “When did you get here? Is Edwin with you? I thought I heard his voice.”
    “We came together. Edwin!” he shouted. “Where are you? Priscilla is asking for you.”
    Edwin appeared on the stairs looking very handsome-more so than Leigh really, though less tall, less robust. My mother had always feared for his health.
    “Priscilla!” He came towards me. “How good it is to see you. Where is our mother?”
    He had turned to Christabel.
    “Mistress Connalt,” I told him. And then to Christabel: “My brother. Lord Eversleigh.”
    Edwin bowed. His manners were always perfect.
    I said: “They are at Court.”
    Edwin lifted his shoulders to register disappointment.
    “Perhaps they’ll be back before you go. Can you stay awhile?”
    “A week… perhaps longer.”
    “Three … four…” suggested Leigh.
    “I’m so glad. I’ll have your rooms made ready.”
    “Don’t worry,” put in Leigh, “Sally Nullens has already seen us and is running round in a flutter. She is so pleased to have her little darlings home.”
    “You know what nurses are, Mistress Connalt,” said Edwin,,, “when their charges return to the fold.” j.
    He had realized that Christabel was uneasy and aloof and was trying to put her at ease. I knew that she was glad her status had not been revealed, although it would have to emerge eventually.
    “I never had one so I can’t say,” she said.
    “So you escaped that bondage,” put in Leigh lightly.
    “We were too poor,” Christabel went on almost defiantly.
    I felt uncomfortable and that I had to explain. “Christabel has come here to teach me. She lived in a rectory in Sussex.”
    “How is Carl getting on at the rectory?” asked Edwin. “And where is he, by the way?”
    “Out in the summerhouse, most likely, playing his flageolet.”
    “Poor lad! He’ll be fro/en to death.”
    “At least we are spared the fearsome noises he can make,” said Leigh.
    “What were you proposing to do?” asked Edwin.
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    “We were going to wash and change and then it will be suppertime.”
    “We’ll get out of our uniforms,” said Leigh. He grinned from me to Christabel. “I know they make us look devastatingly handsome and you’ll suffer a shock at the transformation, Mistress Connalt. Priscilla is used to us, so I don’t have to prepare her.”
    I was glad he was trying to draw Christabel into the family circle. She reminded me of a child dipping her feet into water-wanting to plunge in and not daring to.
    I studied them in their felt hats with the glorious plumes falling over the sides, their elaborate coats, their knee breeches, their shining boots, their swords at their sides.
    “Quite handsome,” I said, “though not devastatingly so, and we know it is only the uniform that makes them so, don’t we, Christabel?”
    She smiled and looked beautiful then. I could see that between them they had managed to charm away her resentment.
    “Come on,” I said, “we must wash and change … all of us. The food will get cold and you know how they hate that.”
    “Orders!” said Leigh. “Odds fish, you’re worse than our cornmanding officer. A sign we’re home, eh, Edwin?”
    Edwin said gently: “It’s good to be here.”
    Christabel looked very pretty that evening. It might