children."
Callum drew back from her and stared as if seeing her there for the first time. With a startled look in his
93
dark eyes, he backed away, then turned and hurried from the abbey, leaving her standing in the aisle alone.
Jenny smiled politely at the reverend and bowed her head while passing him on her way outside.
As she exited through the arched doorway, Jenny raised her gloved fingers to her lips and relived Ca ll u m 's kiss in her mind.
What had just happened? Though she couldn't put a name to it, something had changed in the depths of her soul, warmed within her, and she knew for certain that things would never be the same between them again.
As she reached the square, fingers of soft light cut through the cloud cover and etched a pathway upon the cobbles. She had just stepped onto the slick, wet pavers when movement to her right caught her notice.
There, leaning against the corner of a building, was the tiny man. Somehow, his clothes had remained dry, and he was leisurely eating a crumbling bit of Sally Lund bread.
Jenny stopped walking. Why, he was grinning at her. "Good afternoon," she called out tentatively.
But the little man said nothing. Instead, he raised his hat from his oddly shaped head and tipped it to her. Then, he leaned on his outer leg, and with a slight limp, disappeared around the corner.
Jenny followed, eager for a little adventure, after all. As she rounded the corner, however, she was completely dumbfounded. She looked down the empty street in both directions. The little man was nowhere to be seen.
******************
94
"And just where have you been?" her mother snapped the very moment Jenny opened the service door and entered the kitchen.
Jenny shrugged off her wet wrap, hoping her mother wouldn't notice it belonged to her, and slipped it on a hook beside the fire to dry. She daren't tell her mother where she was ... or that she had been with Callu m . That bit of information would not sit well with her at all. " I ... had errands to run, and was caught in the rain. Had to wait it out."
"Well, change into your black and whites and get yourself above stairs. The ladies wish to have a chat with you, right now."
"With me? Did they say why?"
Her mother folded her arms tightly across her chest. "And why would they confide in me? Just hurry yourself along if you want to keep your position, gel. The ladies have been waitin' three-quarters of an hour already."
******************
A mixture of apprehension and dread filled Jenny's belly as she scratched on the drawing-room door a few minutes later and waited for admittance.
"Come in, gel, and take a seat," came Lady Letitia's voice. "We've been waiting for you all morn and have a matter of great concern to speak about with you."
Jenny did as she was bade, and sat nervously across from the two Featherton ladies.
Lady Viola leaned forward. "Child, are you playing our game because you enjoy mingling with the ton? Or because you feel some affection for the viscount?"
95
Jenny ' s eyes wedged to the right. There was a right answer, the perfect reply to appease them enough that they'd allow the game to continue ... if only she could find it.
"No, gel, I shan't have you ponder the question and tell us what you believe we would like to hear." Lady Letitia leaned close as well. "Look to your heart."
Against her better judgment, Jenny raised her gaze then and spoke without thinking of the consequences. "I do love playing the lady. For me, 'tis a dream come true."
Lady Viola slumped back against the settee with a forlorn sigh.
Rising, Jenny moved before the fire in the hearth and stared pensively into its licking flames and opened her heart. "But today, wel l . . . something changed inside of me.
Lady Letitia rose and laid her hand on Jenny's shoulder. "What do you mean, gel? What happened today?"
Jenny turned around, and reluctantly recounted her brief, yet emotional encounter with Callu m in the abbey.
By the time she
Callum drew back from her and stared as if seeing her there for the first time. With a startled look in his
93
dark eyes, he backed away, then turned and hurried from the abbey, leaving her standing in the aisle alone.
Jenny smiled politely at the reverend and bowed her head while passing him on her way outside.
As she exited through the arched doorway, Jenny raised her gloved fingers to her lips and relived Ca ll u m 's kiss in her mind.
What had just happened? Though she couldn't put a name to it, something had changed in the depths of her soul, warmed within her, and she knew for certain that things would never be the same between them again.
As she reached the square, fingers of soft light cut through the cloud cover and etched a pathway upon the cobbles. She had just stepped onto the slick, wet pavers when movement to her right caught her notice.
There, leaning against the corner of a building, was the tiny man. Somehow, his clothes had remained dry, and he was leisurely eating a crumbling bit of Sally Lund bread.
Jenny stopped walking. Why, he was grinning at her. "Good afternoon," she called out tentatively.
But the little man said nothing. Instead, he raised his hat from his oddly shaped head and tipped it to her. Then, he leaned on his outer leg, and with a slight limp, disappeared around the corner.
Jenny followed, eager for a little adventure, after all. As she rounded the corner, however, she was completely dumbfounded. She looked down the empty street in both directions. The little man was nowhere to be seen.
******************
94
"And just where have you been?" her mother snapped the very moment Jenny opened the service door and entered the kitchen.
Jenny shrugged off her wet wrap, hoping her mother wouldn't notice it belonged to her, and slipped it on a hook beside the fire to dry. She daren't tell her mother where she was ... or that she had been with Callu m . That bit of information would not sit well with her at all. " I ... had errands to run, and was caught in the rain. Had to wait it out."
"Well, change into your black and whites and get yourself above stairs. The ladies wish to have a chat with you, right now."
"With me? Did they say why?"
Her mother folded her arms tightly across her chest. "And why would they confide in me? Just hurry yourself along if you want to keep your position, gel. The ladies have been waitin' three-quarters of an hour already."
******************
A mixture of apprehension and dread filled Jenny's belly as she scratched on the drawing-room door a few minutes later and waited for admittance.
"Come in, gel, and take a seat," came Lady Letitia's voice. "We've been waiting for you all morn and have a matter of great concern to speak about with you."
Jenny did as she was bade, and sat nervously across from the two Featherton ladies.
Lady Viola leaned forward. "Child, are you playing our game because you enjoy mingling with the ton? Or because you feel some affection for the viscount?"
95
Jenny ' s eyes wedged to the right. There was a right answer, the perfect reply to appease them enough that they'd allow the game to continue ... if only she could find it.
"No, gel, I shan't have you ponder the question and tell us what you believe we would like to hear." Lady Letitia leaned close as well. "Look to your heart."
Against her better judgment, Jenny raised her gaze then and spoke without thinking of the consequences. "I do love playing the lady. For me, 'tis a dream come true."
Lady Viola slumped back against the settee with a forlorn sigh.
Rising, Jenny moved before the fire in the hearth and stared pensively into its licking flames and opened her heart. "But today, wel l . . . something changed inside of me.
Lady Letitia rose and laid her hand on Jenny's shoulder. "What do you mean, gel? What happened today?"
Jenny turned around, and reluctantly recounted her brief, yet emotional encounter with Callu m in the abbey.
By the time she
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