The Spring Bride Read Online Free PDF

from that horrid auction. I couldn’t leave her there.”
    â€œAnd then there was that cat and ’er kittens you brought in—fleas an’ all. Without knowing how Lady Beatrice would react. You coulda got us all kicked out.”
    â€œThe building was going to be demolished, they would have been killed. And we got rid of the fl—”
    â€œAnd we both know what you do wiv pennies—”
    â€œThat’s diff—”
    â€œFace it, you’re as softhearted as they come, Janey girl. And knowin’ you, you’ll find the most impossible, unsuitable bloke in the
ton
and fall for ’im like a ton o’ bricks.”
    â€œI won’t. I absolutely will not do anything so foolish!” She felt oddly panicky at the thought.
    â€œPooh, you won’t have no choice in it, just like Abby and Damaris didn’t. And if anyone’s made for love, you are. You can say what you like, Janey, love’ll find you anyway. Now go to sleep. We got a lot of work to get through in the morning. Your turn to blow out the candle.”
    Jane slipped out of bed and blew it out. She climbed back into bed.
You’ll find the most impossible, unsuitable bloke in the
ton
and fall for ’im like a ton o’ bricks.
    She wouldn’t. She absolutely wouldn’t.
    *   *   *
    â€œJ ane! Jane, wake up!” A hand was shaking her shoulder, hard.
    â€œWha—” Jane sat up abruptly, staring around her wildly. Her heart was pounding.
    â€œYou was dreamin’ again.” Daisy was sitting on Jane’s bed. “’Nother nightmare.”
    Jane blinked, and her dazed thoughts slowly came into focus. She glanced at the window. The curtains stirred slightly, letting in a few slivers of gray predawn light.
    â€œYou all right now?” Daisy asked.
    Jane nodded. “Thanks, Daisy.” It was the same dream as always.
    Daisy didn’t move. “You been dreamin’ a lot lately. Cryin’ and callin’ out.”
    â€œSorry. I don’t mean to wake you.” She hesitated, then, “What do I say?”
    â€œCan’t make out the words, just a lot of muttering, thrashing around and yelling—but that ain’t the point. I keep tellin’ you, it’s the night air. Everybody knows night air is bad for you, but you will insist on sleepin’ with the window open.”
    â€œI don’t like it shut,” Jane said.
    Daisy slipped off the bed and stumped over to the window. “Yeah, well, too bad, because I’m shuttin’ it now. It’s bloody freezin’ outside and we got at least another hour before it gets lightenough to start sewing, so I’m gunna get some sleep.” She pulled back the curtains and sniffed appreciatively. “Mmm, must be an east wind. Smell that? You can always smell the bread from the bakery when there’s an east wind. Best smell in the world, that is.”
    Jane repressed a shudder.
    â€œMmm, lovely it is. Makes me hungry.” Daisy took another deep sniff, then closed the window and pulled the curtains closed. “Funny that,” she said as she climbed back into her bed.
    â€œWhat is?”
    â€œYou often seem to have bad dreams when there’s an east wind. Night.” She laughed. “Or whatever you say when you’re goin’ back to sleep in the mornin’.”
    â€œNight. And thanks, Daisy.” Jane snuggled back down in the warm bedclothes. She wouldn’t get any more sleep, she knew. She never did after she’d had the dream.
    Daisy never asked what Jane’s nightmares were about. She took it for granted that everyone had terrible memories from before. “It’s normal, innit?” she’d said once. “But we’re the survivors, and bad dreams is what we pay for bein’ survivors.” It was a comforting philosophy. Dreams were frightening while you were having them, but they couldn’t hurt