take care," Julianna
whispered, tears stinging her eyes. "And I will look forward to your
letters."
Jonathan stood at Julianna's side,
shaking his brother's hand. "Congratulations, again dear Michael. Will you
write letters, too?"
Michael's cherubic face lit up, his
dark eyes flashing with mischief. "I don't plan on having time to
write." He grabbed his wife's hand and kissed her knuckles. "But I'm
sure Julianna will be happy to share her news with you. Isn't that right, my
sweet sister?"
"Will you?" Jonathan
asked, turning to face her, his eyes too flashed with mischief. "Will you
share their happy news with me?"
"Certainly. You know you're
always welcome here. You have been since childhood. Why would that change
now?"
"Things have changed. Your
sister and my brother have wed. Whether or not you like it, you are bound to me
by friendship and family ties."
She narrowed her eyes and stared up
at him, the dull twinge of longing flared back to life. "Jonathan, why are
you making lists of our connections?"
"Abigail!" Grandmother
pounded the cane on the floor, her countenance demanding all chit chat cease
and desist. "Your carriage will wait but your ship will not. Now please,
give your grandmother a kiss."
In flurry of satin skirts and the
scent of roses, Abby rushed to her grandmother's side. It was an odd display of
affection. Abby sobbing on Grandmother's shoulder. Grandmother's expression
offering no sign of sorrow except the single tear that ran down her wrinkled
face.
"Go, child. God speed and much
happiness."
Michael offered Julianna and
Jonathan a final tight lipped smile as he waded into the fray of lace and
linen. "Come along, Abby," he said, sliding his hand around her small
waist. "Make the goodbye swift and sure. For we will see them all when
summer has reached the gardens."
She nodded, her blue eyes red with
tears. "Yes. I love you Julianna. Grandmother."
And hand in hand they left.
Julianna watched her precious sister embark on a new life, leaving her behind.
Behind and alone.
Her stomach roiled with the
realization. She was indeed the spinster sister of England's
most beautiful bride.
She pressed her fingers to her
temples. "Will you excuse me? I feel a headache coming on," she said,
fighting through her sob. "Good evening to you, Jonathan."
"Are you all right?" he
asked, tilting his head in concern. He reached for her, but she backed away.
Was that pity in his eyes? God, she could take anything but pity from Jonathan
Denbigh.
"I-I'm sure I will be."
She moved past him and facing her grandmother, she dipped her knee. "Good
night, Grandmother."
The matriarch reached out and
touched Julianna's cheek, her gnarled fingers warm and soft. "Good night,
child. I'll see supper is sent to your room."
Unable to fight the tears any
longer, Julianna rushed into the hall and up the spiral staircase to her room.
This morning the house had been
filled with joy and anticipation. But that was behind her now. Her stomach
throbbed with emptiness for she needed to speak to her sister and her sister
was gone.
Throwing herself on the bed, she filled
her pillow with her anguish.
***
"What just happened?"
Jonathan asked, looking to Lady Chesterfield and wondering why she didn't
follow Julianna. If he could, he would have followed her. He would have offered
her a hankie or pinched her arm until she squealed and forgot about her sorrow.
His stomach clenched at the memory of those
tears sliding down the young woman's cheeks. Damn it, he didn't like seeing
Julianna cry. Not one little bit. Seeing her irritated with him, he liked. Sad,
not at all.
"She realized her sister has
gone and she's alone," Lady Chesterfield replied moving deeper into the
room, her cane tap-tapping against the oaken floorboards.
"But she's not alone,"
Jonathan replied, curling his hands at his sides. One sister marries and suddenly
the other is lonely? Confusion mixed with frustration. He'd never understand
the fairer sex. Never. "She has a
whispered, tears stinging her eyes. "And I will look forward to your
letters."
Jonathan stood at Julianna's side,
shaking his brother's hand. "Congratulations, again dear Michael. Will you
write letters, too?"
Michael's cherubic face lit up, his
dark eyes flashing with mischief. "I don't plan on having time to
write." He grabbed his wife's hand and kissed her knuckles. "But I'm
sure Julianna will be happy to share her news with you. Isn't that right, my
sweet sister?"
"Will you?" Jonathan
asked, turning to face her, his eyes too flashed with mischief. "Will you
share their happy news with me?"
"Certainly. You know you're
always welcome here. You have been since childhood. Why would that change
now?"
"Things have changed. Your
sister and my brother have wed. Whether or not you like it, you are bound to me
by friendship and family ties."
She narrowed her eyes and stared up
at him, the dull twinge of longing flared back to life. "Jonathan, why are
you making lists of our connections?"
"Abigail!" Grandmother
pounded the cane on the floor, her countenance demanding all chit chat cease
and desist. "Your carriage will wait but your ship will not. Now please,
give your grandmother a kiss."
In flurry of satin skirts and the
scent of roses, Abby rushed to her grandmother's side. It was an odd display of
affection. Abby sobbing on Grandmother's shoulder. Grandmother's expression
offering no sign of sorrow except the single tear that ran down her wrinkled
face.
"Go, child. God speed and much
happiness."
Michael offered Julianna and
Jonathan a final tight lipped smile as he waded into the fray of lace and
linen. "Come along, Abby," he said, sliding his hand around her small
waist. "Make the goodbye swift and sure. For we will see them all when
summer has reached the gardens."
She nodded, her blue eyes red with
tears. "Yes. I love you Julianna. Grandmother."
And hand in hand they left.
Julianna watched her precious sister embark on a new life, leaving her behind.
Behind and alone.
Her stomach roiled with the
realization. She was indeed the spinster sister of England's
most beautiful bride.
She pressed her fingers to her
temples. "Will you excuse me? I feel a headache coming on," she said,
fighting through her sob. "Good evening to you, Jonathan."
"Are you all right?" he
asked, tilting his head in concern. He reached for her, but she backed away.
Was that pity in his eyes? God, she could take anything but pity from Jonathan
Denbigh.
"I-I'm sure I will be."
She moved past him and facing her grandmother, she dipped her knee. "Good
night, Grandmother."
The matriarch reached out and
touched Julianna's cheek, her gnarled fingers warm and soft. "Good night,
child. I'll see supper is sent to your room."
Unable to fight the tears any
longer, Julianna rushed into the hall and up the spiral staircase to her room.
This morning the house had been
filled with joy and anticipation. But that was behind her now. Her stomach
throbbed with emptiness for she needed to speak to her sister and her sister
was gone.
Throwing herself on the bed, she filled
her pillow with her anguish.
***
"What just happened?"
Jonathan asked, looking to Lady Chesterfield and wondering why she didn't
follow Julianna. If he could, he would have followed her. He would have offered
her a hankie or pinched her arm until she squealed and forgot about her sorrow.
His stomach clenched at the memory of those
tears sliding down the young woman's cheeks. Damn it, he didn't like seeing
Julianna cry. Not one little bit. Seeing her irritated with him, he liked. Sad,
not at all.
"She realized her sister has
gone and she's alone," Lady Chesterfield replied moving deeper into the
room, her cane tap-tapping against the oaken floorboards.
"But she's not alone,"
Jonathan replied, curling his hands at his sides. One sister marries and suddenly
the other is lonely? Confusion mixed with frustration. He'd never understand
the fairer sex. Never. "She has a
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