matching her tone to
Kat’s carefree one and curving her lips up into a smile. “Just this
minute. I suppose you and Lord Devaux were talking, so you did not
see us come in.”
“We were just discussing the fact that I need
to send an announcement to the Times regarding your betrothal,”
Lord Devaux said smoothly.
Adriana looked at him, trying to hide her
shock and dismay. “I thought you were going to wait until I have
had a chance to consider Lord Vallentyn’s proposal.”
“There is nothing for you to consider,
Adriana. You will marry Vallentyn.” Lord Devaux took a few menacing
steps toward Adriana.
“But...”
“Adriana, what is that in your hand?” His
voice came out high with annoyance.
Belatedly, Adriana remembered the box of
paints she was still carrying.
“They are mine! Those are my paints.” Kat
said quickly, dropping her hand which was carrying the painting to
her side and a little behind her. “She was just carrying them
inside for me.”
“You do not paint, Katrina,” Lady Vallentyn
said, her voice gliding through the words.
“I... I wished to try it,” she said, trying
to cover her lies.
“And I had promised to give her a lesson.
That is what we’ve been doing in the garden,” Adriana added.
“Yes. Adriana is an excellent artist. And she
has been very kind and patient in teaching me how to paint.”
“Excellence is subjective. If you like
emotional hogwash, then yes, her painting is excellent. If you
prefer good solid representations of nature, then they are
disgustingly bold and often quite bizarre. I would suggest, Miss
Havelock, that you find a lady who knows how to paint properly if
you wish to learn the art.”
Lord Devaux paused for effect and narrowed
his gaze on Adriana. “I believe I made myself clear when I told you
that you were not to show your art to anyone. Now, if I learn you
have been doing anything other than just teaching Miss Havelock how
to paint, Adriana, I will be forced to search your room and have
all of your materials disposed of immediately. Is that clear?”
Adriana took a deep, shaky breath and nodded
her head.
Lord Devaux lowered his voice, “Any more
transgressions on my good will, and I will not hesitate to carry
out this threat.”
“Katrina, you will please attend me in the
solarium. We have matters to discuss,” Lady Vallentyn added, in as
threatening a tone as Lord Devaux’s.
Kat blanched noticeably. “Oh?”
Lady Vallentyn gave her a falsely sweet
smile. “I want to hear what you learned regarding our conversation
at dinner last night.”
“Oh, yes.” Kat’s eyes slid toward Adriana
nervously. “I, er, just need to put away my paints and I will be
there directly.” She took the paint box from Adriana’s hands, gave
her a very brief little smile, and then ran past Lady Vallentyn and
Lord Devaux and up the stairs.
There was definitely something odd going on
here, but Adriana just couldn’t figure out what it was. She just
prayed that her friend hadn’t just gotten herself into trouble on
her account.
Eleven
C ome on now, just a
bit more.” Morgan tried to coax the foal into swallowing more of
his potion. The poor animal was so weak it could barely lift its
head to swallow.
“Have you given him milk?”
Morgan twisted around from his seat on the
floor of the stall. His cousin, Kat, stood just at the door,
watching him.
Relaxing a bit, he turned back to the foal.
“He’s too weak to stand on his own to nurse.”
Kat came over and squatted down next to
Morgan and the animal. Looking deeply into the foal’s moist brown
eyes, she stroked his head and then said, “He’s hungry and he
yearns for his mother’s comfort.”
Morgan nodded sadly. “I’ll do what I can,” he
said, getting up and retrieving a small pail. He then stroked the
doe’s nuzzle and told her, “I need your milk for your foal.”
The doe moved herself to allow Morgan to milk
her. He squatted down next to her and set to work on
Kat’s carefree one and curving her lips up into a smile. “Just this
minute. I suppose you and Lord Devaux were talking, so you did not
see us come in.”
“We were just discussing the fact that I need
to send an announcement to the Times regarding your betrothal,”
Lord Devaux said smoothly.
Adriana looked at him, trying to hide her
shock and dismay. “I thought you were going to wait until I have
had a chance to consider Lord Vallentyn’s proposal.”
“There is nothing for you to consider,
Adriana. You will marry Vallentyn.” Lord Devaux took a few menacing
steps toward Adriana.
“But...”
“Adriana, what is that in your hand?” His
voice came out high with annoyance.
Belatedly, Adriana remembered the box of
paints she was still carrying.
“They are mine! Those are my paints.” Kat
said quickly, dropping her hand which was carrying the painting to
her side and a little behind her. “She was just carrying them
inside for me.”
“You do not paint, Katrina,” Lady Vallentyn
said, her voice gliding through the words.
“I... I wished to try it,” she said, trying
to cover her lies.
“And I had promised to give her a lesson.
That is what we’ve been doing in the garden,” Adriana added.
“Yes. Adriana is an excellent artist. And she
has been very kind and patient in teaching me how to paint.”
“Excellence is subjective. If you like
emotional hogwash, then yes, her painting is excellent. If you
prefer good solid representations of nature, then they are
disgustingly bold and often quite bizarre. I would suggest, Miss
Havelock, that you find a lady who knows how to paint properly if
you wish to learn the art.”
Lord Devaux paused for effect and narrowed
his gaze on Adriana. “I believe I made myself clear when I told you
that you were not to show your art to anyone. Now, if I learn you
have been doing anything other than just teaching Miss Havelock how
to paint, Adriana, I will be forced to search your room and have
all of your materials disposed of immediately. Is that clear?”
Adriana took a deep, shaky breath and nodded
her head.
Lord Devaux lowered his voice, “Any more
transgressions on my good will, and I will not hesitate to carry
out this threat.”
“Katrina, you will please attend me in the
solarium. We have matters to discuss,” Lady Vallentyn added, in as
threatening a tone as Lord Devaux’s.
Kat blanched noticeably. “Oh?”
Lady Vallentyn gave her a falsely sweet
smile. “I want to hear what you learned regarding our conversation
at dinner last night.”
“Oh, yes.” Kat’s eyes slid toward Adriana
nervously. “I, er, just need to put away my paints and I will be
there directly.” She took the paint box from Adriana’s hands, gave
her a very brief little smile, and then ran past Lady Vallentyn and
Lord Devaux and up the stairs.
There was definitely something odd going on
here, but Adriana just couldn’t figure out what it was. She just
prayed that her friend hadn’t just gotten herself into trouble on
her account.
Eleven
C ome on now, just a
bit more.” Morgan tried to coax the foal into swallowing more of
his potion. The poor animal was so weak it could barely lift its
head to swallow.
“Have you given him milk?”
Morgan twisted around from his seat on the
floor of the stall. His cousin, Kat, stood just at the door,
watching him.
Relaxing a bit, he turned back to the foal.
“He’s too weak to stand on his own to nurse.”
Kat came over and squatted down next to
Morgan and the animal. Looking deeply into the foal’s moist brown
eyes, she stroked his head and then said, “He’s hungry and he
yearns for his mother’s comfort.”
Morgan nodded sadly. “I’ll do what I can,” he
said, getting up and retrieving a small pail. He then stroked the
doe’s nuzzle and told her, “I need your milk for your foal.”
The doe moved herself to allow Morgan to milk
her. He squatted down next to her and set to work on
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