of them—her sister and Abercorn. I hate him!
Louisa, needing to dispel her chaotic thoughts, went upstairs to the nursery.
“Lulu!” Rachel greeted her with outstretched arms.
Louisa picked her up and hugged her tightly. Her baby sister’s innocence tugged at her heartstrings. Her eyes flooded with tears and she rubbed them away with impatient fingers. “Who’s the sweetest, prettiest girl in all the world?”
Rachel touched Louisa’s wet cheekbone with a tiny finger. They both turned as the door opened and their mother arrived.
“I’ve arranged that dinner be put back to seven to accommodate the hunters.”
“I think I’ll eat with Rachel tonight,” Louisa announced. “I’ll enjoy bathing her and putting her to bed. I don’t spend nearly enough time with her.”
“Thank you, darling. I’ll have a tray sent up for you. It will give me more time to entertain our guests. Just make sure you don’t undermine Nanny’s rules.”
“Wave bye-bye to Mama. Now, what shall we do?”
“Dobbin!”
Louisa carried her over to her rocking horse and set her down on its back. Rachel swayed back and forth, rocking faster and faster, chortling with glee. When the maid arrived with the food, Rachel refused to get off the horse.
“Let’s have a tea party,” Louisa suggested. “We can invite your dolls and your bunny rabbit.”
“And Cracknut!” Rachel climbed off the horse and ran to her dollhouse, which was a replica of a castle. She pulled out a stuffed animal that resembled a dormouse.
“That’s her favorite doll,” Nanny said.
Louisa stared at the tattered animal that had been patched over and over with new material. “This used to be mine.”
“Mine!” Rachel asserted possessively.
“Yes, darling, Cracknut belongs to you. Sit her down at the table and I’ll bring your other guests.” Louisa sat the dolls and the rabbit in miniature chairs and her little sister did the same with the dormouse. Rachel took her own small chair and Louisa sat down on the floor. The child refused to wear a bib until her big sister agreed to wear one.
Louisa’s stomach balked at the thought of food, but to encourage Rachel she pretended to enjoy the soup and a small portion of cheese soufflé. When Rachel took the carrots from her plate and gave them to her rabbit, it brought a smile to Louisa’s lips. “Bunny rabbit can only eat imaginary carrots. You have to eat the real ones.”
Rachel turned up her nose.
“Carrots are magic. Little girls who eat carrots can see in the dark.” I shouldn’t tell her lies. She’s so sweet and innocent; she’ll believe anything I say. Louisa’s thoughts began to stray to the scene she had witnessed earlier. Innocence is precious. Life’s sordid reality will intrude all too soon —e specially if Bessy spreads her ugly suspicions about baby Rachel. She vowed to spend more time with her little sister and do everything she could to shield her from gossip.
After Rachel ate a raspberry tart and drank her milk, Louisa read her a story. Then she bathed her in a tin tub before the fire and put on her nightdress. She picked her up and held the child in her arms, pressed against her heart. She sang a lullaby and rocked Rachel until she drifted off to sleep. As she laid her in her bed and covered her up, she whispered, “Sweet dreams, darling. If I ever have a little girl, I want her to be exactly like you.” Again Abercorn intruded into her thoughts, but she quickly banished him.
Louisa returned to her own bedchamber and stood gazing out into the darkness with unseeing eyes. She vowed that she would not think ill of Georgy. I mustn’t let her know what I saw. But she knew that a few more of her illusions had been shattered. Perhaps there is no such thing as love . . . mayhap it is a fanciful illusion. From what I’ve seen, lust is the compelling force that rules men’s lives.
Suddenly she heard a man’s deep voice from the adjoining bedchamber. She hadn’t heard
Louisa, needing to dispel her chaotic thoughts, went upstairs to the nursery.
“Lulu!” Rachel greeted her with outstretched arms.
Louisa picked her up and hugged her tightly. Her baby sister’s innocence tugged at her heartstrings. Her eyes flooded with tears and she rubbed them away with impatient fingers. “Who’s the sweetest, prettiest girl in all the world?”
Rachel touched Louisa’s wet cheekbone with a tiny finger. They both turned as the door opened and their mother arrived.
“I’ve arranged that dinner be put back to seven to accommodate the hunters.”
“I think I’ll eat with Rachel tonight,” Louisa announced. “I’ll enjoy bathing her and putting her to bed. I don’t spend nearly enough time with her.”
“Thank you, darling. I’ll have a tray sent up for you. It will give me more time to entertain our guests. Just make sure you don’t undermine Nanny’s rules.”
“Wave bye-bye to Mama. Now, what shall we do?”
“Dobbin!”
Louisa carried her over to her rocking horse and set her down on its back. Rachel swayed back and forth, rocking faster and faster, chortling with glee. When the maid arrived with the food, Rachel refused to get off the horse.
“Let’s have a tea party,” Louisa suggested. “We can invite your dolls and your bunny rabbit.”
“And Cracknut!” Rachel climbed off the horse and ran to her dollhouse, which was a replica of a castle. She pulled out a stuffed animal that resembled a dormouse.
“That’s her favorite doll,” Nanny said.
Louisa stared at the tattered animal that had been patched over and over with new material. “This used to be mine.”
“Mine!” Rachel asserted possessively.
“Yes, darling, Cracknut belongs to you. Sit her down at the table and I’ll bring your other guests.” Louisa sat the dolls and the rabbit in miniature chairs and her little sister did the same with the dormouse. Rachel took her own small chair and Louisa sat down on the floor. The child refused to wear a bib until her big sister agreed to wear one.
Louisa’s stomach balked at the thought of food, but to encourage Rachel she pretended to enjoy the soup and a small portion of cheese soufflé. When Rachel took the carrots from her plate and gave them to her rabbit, it brought a smile to Louisa’s lips. “Bunny rabbit can only eat imaginary carrots. You have to eat the real ones.”
Rachel turned up her nose.
“Carrots are magic. Little girls who eat carrots can see in the dark.” I shouldn’t tell her lies. She’s so sweet and innocent; she’ll believe anything I say. Louisa’s thoughts began to stray to the scene she had witnessed earlier. Innocence is precious. Life’s sordid reality will intrude all too soon —e specially if Bessy spreads her ugly suspicions about baby Rachel. She vowed to spend more time with her little sister and do everything she could to shield her from gossip.
After Rachel ate a raspberry tart and drank her milk, Louisa read her a story. Then she bathed her in a tin tub before the fire and put on her nightdress. She picked her up and held the child in her arms, pressed against her heart. She sang a lullaby and rocked Rachel until she drifted off to sleep. As she laid her in her bed and covered her up, she whispered, “Sweet dreams, darling. If I ever have a little girl, I want her to be exactly like you.” Again Abercorn intruded into her thoughts, but she quickly banished him.
Louisa returned to her own bedchamber and stood gazing out into the darkness with unseeing eyes. She vowed that she would not think ill of Georgy. I mustn’t let her know what I saw. But she knew that a few more of her illusions had been shattered. Perhaps there is no such thing as love . . . mayhap it is a fanciful illusion. From what I’ve seen, lust is the compelling force that rules men’s lives.
Suddenly she heard a man’s deep voice from the adjoining bedchamber. She hadn’t heard
Similar Books
