nieces, Leclerc?”
Lizzie and Anna exchanged worried glances.
“I have not invited any relations,” Eleanor cried. “Send them away! Send them away this instant!”
Lizzie gasped in abject disbelief. She would not even see them? But moments later, she heard her aunt’s heels clicking on the floors as she approached, and Eleanor appeared through one of the arched entryways in the foyer, her expression filled with anger and disbelief. Lizzie’s heart sank, but she quickly rearranged her own expression, hoping to make it a pleasant one. Then she realized that a tall, darkly blond gentleman was with her.
Eleanor entered the foyer with the tawny-haired gentleman. “What is this display?” she demanded.
Lizzie stepped bravely forward and curtsied, aware that she was trembling. “Good day, Aunt Eleanor. We have come to town for a spring tour and Mama asked us to call on you. We hope you are well?”
“Well? A spring tour? What nonsense is this?” Eleanor snapped, now flushed with her anger but still clearly taken aback. She was a very small, slender woman with iron-gray curls and brilliant blue eyes. She wore an exquisite black velvet dress with an equally exquisite diamond necklace. Eleanor had never come out ofmourning for her husband, Lord de Barry, although he had died a decade ago.
Before Lizzie could respond, the gentleman stepped forward, taking Eleanor’s arm firmly in his own. He was in his twenties, a very handsome man with a twinkle in his eyes, and Lizzie would have thought him a rogue, except he wore the plainest of clothes—a dark blue jacket and tan trousers. “My dear Eleanor,” he said, sounding very amused, “is this any way to greet relatives who dare to call upon you?”
Eleanor gave him a rude glance. “I have not asked for your opinion, Rory, although, I know you shall give it.”
Rory grinned and dimpled as he did so. “Perhaps the ladies have traveled some distance?” He glanced at the sisters, his gaze lingering on Anna, who looked ready to collapse or weep. Then he looked carefully at Lizzie, his gaze oddly sharp, even searching. But his tone remained light. “I know there is a generous spirit within you, auntie,” he added in chiding reprimand.
Lizzie had not a clue as to who this relation was.
But Eleanor sighed. “Yes, they have indeed traveled some distance. My nieces hail from Limerick. ” She said the word as if it were offensive. Then she glared at them. “Come fortune-hunting, have you? I have not summoned you!”
Lizzie said firmly, “We are very well, thank you kindly, Aunt Eleanor, although as you can see, Anna is somewhat taxed from our journey.”
Eleanor harrumphed.
Rory glanced at Lizzie briefly and then at Anna again, his eyes impossible to read, before turning back to his aunt. Mildly, he murmured, “And will you not introduce me to such fair beauty?”
Eleanor snorted, then glared at Anna. “Fair beauty?Well, she used to be a beauty, but one would not know it today. Rory, these are the Fitzgerald sisters, Elizabeth and Annabelle, my brother Gerald’s girls.” She turned to Lizzie and her sister. “This scoundrel is my nephew, his dear departed mother was Lord de Barry’s sister.”
Rory swept them a laughing bow. “Rory McBane, at your service,” he said with extreme gallantry.
“Pay him no real mind, as he is an incorrigible rake,” Eleanor snapped. But Lizzie had already decided that, in spite of his modest manner of dress, he was indeed a ladies’ man.
Anna suddenly made a small sound and reached for Lizzie’s hand. At that moment, she began to collapse, her knees clearly giving way. Rory McBane leapt forward, and as Anna crumpled to the floor in a swoon, he lifted her into his arms. No longer smiling, he said tersely, “Come, Eleanor, your niece is ill.” And he strode with his burden quite familiarly through the house.
Lizzie rushed after him in real fear, Eleanor on their heels. “She has a weak constitution,” Lizzie claimed
Lizzie and Anna exchanged worried glances.
“I have not invited any relations,” Eleanor cried. “Send them away! Send them away this instant!”
Lizzie gasped in abject disbelief. She would not even see them? But moments later, she heard her aunt’s heels clicking on the floors as she approached, and Eleanor appeared through one of the arched entryways in the foyer, her expression filled with anger and disbelief. Lizzie’s heart sank, but she quickly rearranged her own expression, hoping to make it a pleasant one. Then she realized that a tall, darkly blond gentleman was with her.
Eleanor entered the foyer with the tawny-haired gentleman. “What is this display?” she demanded.
Lizzie stepped bravely forward and curtsied, aware that she was trembling. “Good day, Aunt Eleanor. We have come to town for a spring tour and Mama asked us to call on you. We hope you are well?”
“Well? A spring tour? What nonsense is this?” Eleanor snapped, now flushed with her anger but still clearly taken aback. She was a very small, slender woman with iron-gray curls and brilliant blue eyes. She wore an exquisite black velvet dress with an equally exquisite diamond necklace. Eleanor had never come out ofmourning for her husband, Lord de Barry, although he had died a decade ago.
Before Lizzie could respond, the gentleman stepped forward, taking Eleanor’s arm firmly in his own. He was in his twenties, a very handsome man with a twinkle in his eyes, and Lizzie would have thought him a rogue, except he wore the plainest of clothes—a dark blue jacket and tan trousers. “My dear Eleanor,” he said, sounding very amused, “is this any way to greet relatives who dare to call upon you?”
Eleanor gave him a rude glance. “I have not asked for your opinion, Rory, although, I know you shall give it.”
Rory grinned and dimpled as he did so. “Perhaps the ladies have traveled some distance?” He glanced at the sisters, his gaze lingering on Anna, who looked ready to collapse or weep. Then he looked carefully at Lizzie, his gaze oddly sharp, even searching. But his tone remained light. “I know there is a generous spirit within you, auntie,” he added in chiding reprimand.
Lizzie had not a clue as to who this relation was.
But Eleanor sighed. “Yes, they have indeed traveled some distance. My nieces hail from Limerick. ” She said the word as if it were offensive. Then she glared at them. “Come fortune-hunting, have you? I have not summoned you!”
Lizzie said firmly, “We are very well, thank you kindly, Aunt Eleanor, although as you can see, Anna is somewhat taxed from our journey.”
Eleanor harrumphed.
Rory glanced at Lizzie briefly and then at Anna again, his eyes impossible to read, before turning back to his aunt. Mildly, he murmured, “And will you not introduce me to such fair beauty?”
Eleanor snorted, then glared at Anna. “Fair beauty?Well, she used to be a beauty, but one would not know it today. Rory, these are the Fitzgerald sisters, Elizabeth and Annabelle, my brother Gerald’s girls.” She turned to Lizzie and her sister. “This scoundrel is my nephew, his dear departed mother was Lord de Barry’s sister.”
Rory swept them a laughing bow. “Rory McBane, at your service,” he said with extreme gallantry.
“Pay him no real mind, as he is an incorrigible rake,” Eleanor snapped. But Lizzie had already decided that, in spite of his modest manner of dress, he was indeed a ladies’ man.
Anna suddenly made a small sound and reached for Lizzie’s hand. At that moment, she began to collapse, her knees clearly giving way. Rory McBane leapt forward, and as Anna crumpled to the floor in a swoon, he lifted her into his arms. No longer smiling, he said tersely, “Come, Eleanor, your niece is ill.” And he strode with his burden quite familiarly through the house.
Lizzie rushed after him in real fear, Eleanor on their heels. “She has a weak constitution,” Lizzie claimed
Similar Books
