Storm On The Horizon, a paranormal Regency romance novella (Vallen) by Meredith Bond Page B
Authors: Meredith Bond
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dance with anyone and everyone who asks me, but you, my sweet sister, will be the gorgeous one tonight.”
Trina sighed, but nodded her acceptance of Tatiana’s conditions. She took another look at herself in the mirror, the slight smile growing on her face. “I am quite pretty, aren’t I?” Without her smile slipping even the smallest bit, she added, “Although, we won’t know if the men who ask me to dance aren’t merely interested in my money, once Grandmama lets it be known just how much Papa is giving me for my marriage portion.”
“We’ll jump that hurdle when we get to it,” Tatiana said, not admitting to her certainty that it would be precisely for her money that Trina would be sought after. If only she could have convinced their grandmother to keep that little tidbit of information to herself. But, no, Lady Ashurst wouldn’t hear of it. It was frustrating beyond belief.
Before those grim thoughts could get much further, there was a knock at the door. Even as it opened, Tatiana knew it was their grandmother, simply from the waft of strong perfume which always preceded the older lady wherever she went.
“Girls? Are you ready to go?” she asked.
“Yes, Grandmama,” Tatiana said, dutifully, turning toward her.
Her grandmother came further into the room. “Tatiana, what have you done to yourself? And Trina, my, my, don’t you look beautiful?”
Trina giggled. “It’s all Tatiana’s doing, Grandmama. She changed both of us ever so subtly. Now, I am pretty… and she is less so.”
“I see.” Lady Ashurst turned toward her youngest grandchild. “And why have you done this, Tatiana?”
“So that Trina gets all the attention and can find the husband she is looking for,” Tatiana said. “Honestly, Grandmama, I don’t need to worry about finding a husband, but Trina…”
“Does,” her sister finished for her.
Their grandmother smiled a little sadly and inclined her head as much as her very tall hairstyle would allow. “You are a very good sister, Tatiana. I believe, however, that you are not accounting for the avarice of the male population. ”
“Are you certain I cannot talk you out of disclosing that information, ma’am?” Tatiana asked.
Her grandmother shook her head. “It is already out there, my dear. There is no calling it back.”
“But how will we know if a gentleman is truly interested in Trina, or just her money?”
Lady Ashurst shrugged. “You won’t.”
“But…”
“Now, let us be off before we are too much later than we already are.”
T hat one,” Lord Durrington nodded his head in the direction of a pretty girl with bobbing golden ringlets. “She looks Vallen.”
Even as they watched, the girl tripped over the hem of her dress and was only saved from flying to the floor by her mother, who jerked her up with a fierce tug on her arm.
“Maybe not,” Kit replied.
“No, maybe not,” his father agreed, resignation filling his voice. “How about the redhead? Redheads are mostly Vallen, aren’t they?”
“I don’t know.” Kit’s eyes sought out the girl to whom his father was referring. He found her and winced. She was indeed a redhead—vibrantly so, with brilliant orange hair and a laugh so loud it carried clear across the ballroom.
“She could definitely be Vallen,” Lord Durrington said. “Why don’t you…”
“No. Too loud,” Kit objected before his father could even complete his sentence.
“Well, you’ve got to go after some of them, Kit. You can’t just reject every single one out of hand.” His father’s voice was beginning to get testy.
Kit sighed. He’d have to do something to appease him soon or else he’d never hear the end of it. They’d come here expressly to find a wife for him among the new debutants. Last year’s batch had been extremely disappointing; his father was becoming impatient. He wanted Kit to marry, and to marry well. Pressure from Kit’s grandfather wasn’t helping things any either. The old
Trina sighed, but nodded her acceptance of Tatiana’s conditions. She took another look at herself in the mirror, the slight smile growing on her face. “I am quite pretty, aren’t I?” Without her smile slipping even the smallest bit, she added, “Although, we won’t know if the men who ask me to dance aren’t merely interested in my money, once Grandmama lets it be known just how much Papa is giving me for my marriage portion.”
“We’ll jump that hurdle when we get to it,” Tatiana said, not admitting to her certainty that it would be precisely for her money that Trina would be sought after. If only she could have convinced their grandmother to keep that little tidbit of information to herself. But, no, Lady Ashurst wouldn’t hear of it. It was frustrating beyond belief.
Before those grim thoughts could get much further, there was a knock at the door. Even as it opened, Tatiana knew it was their grandmother, simply from the waft of strong perfume which always preceded the older lady wherever she went.
“Girls? Are you ready to go?” she asked.
“Yes, Grandmama,” Tatiana said, dutifully, turning toward her.
Her grandmother came further into the room. “Tatiana, what have you done to yourself? And Trina, my, my, don’t you look beautiful?”
Trina giggled. “It’s all Tatiana’s doing, Grandmama. She changed both of us ever so subtly. Now, I am pretty… and she is less so.”
“I see.” Lady Ashurst turned toward her youngest grandchild. “And why have you done this, Tatiana?”
“So that Trina gets all the attention and can find the husband she is looking for,” Tatiana said. “Honestly, Grandmama, I don’t need to worry about finding a husband, but Trina…”
“Does,” her sister finished for her.
Their grandmother smiled a little sadly and inclined her head as much as her very tall hairstyle would allow. “You are a very good sister, Tatiana. I believe, however, that you are not accounting for the avarice of the male population. ”
“Are you certain I cannot talk you out of disclosing that information, ma’am?” Tatiana asked.
Her grandmother shook her head. “It is already out there, my dear. There is no calling it back.”
“But how will we know if a gentleman is truly interested in Trina, or just her money?”
Lady Ashurst shrugged. “You won’t.”
“But…”
“Now, let us be off before we are too much later than we already are.”
T hat one,” Lord Durrington nodded his head in the direction of a pretty girl with bobbing golden ringlets. “She looks Vallen.”
Even as they watched, the girl tripped over the hem of her dress and was only saved from flying to the floor by her mother, who jerked her up with a fierce tug on her arm.
“Maybe not,” Kit replied.
“No, maybe not,” his father agreed, resignation filling his voice. “How about the redhead? Redheads are mostly Vallen, aren’t they?”
“I don’t know.” Kit’s eyes sought out the girl to whom his father was referring. He found her and winced. She was indeed a redhead—vibrantly so, with brilliant orange hair and a laugh so loud it carried clear across the ballroom.
“She could definitely be Vallen,” Lord Durrington said. “Why don’t you…”
“No. Too loud,” Kit objected before his father could even complete his sentence.
“Well, you’ve got to go after some of them, Kit. You can’t just reject every single one out of hand.” His father’s voice was beginning to get testy.
Kit sighed. He’d have to do something to appease him soon or else he’d never hear the end of it. They’d come here expressly to find a wife for him among the new debutants. Last year’s batch had been extremely disappointing; his father was becoming impatient. He wanted Kit to marry, and to marry well. Pressure from Kit’s grandfather wasn’t helping things any either. The old
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