Chapter One
As they alighted from the carriage on the outskirts of Plymouth, the younger sister’s freckled nose displayed such a sneer, it would have been impossible to mistake the distasteful expression for anything less than disgust. “Oh dear…” Cordelia whispered to herself as she stared at her aunt’s droll, dingy, and rather small cottage. She always imagined it would be a bit romantic to live on the cliffside, with waves crashing below her feet. Dank as it was, her aunt’s domicile failed to inspire fanciful thoughts. “We really have arrived at the ends of the earth, have we not?”
“Don’t fret, Cordelia.” Hester laid a hand against her younger sister’s shoulder as she spoke. “Perhaps it shall not be so terrible?”
“I would rather be in London,” Cordelia sighed as she solemnly stated the obvious. “Do not think I am ungrateful to our aunt for taking us in, but—”
“You do know why we were sent here, do you not?” Hester interrupted. In the corner of her eye, she watched the driver of their carriage climb down and fetch her valise. “Pray tell me you are not utterly oblivious to the reason for our banishment.”
Cordelia defiantly raised her chin. “I believe I know the reason, and I do not care to hear it!”
Her sister, failing to heed her request, said, “Papa is determined to discourage your interest in Lord Cavendish. You were far too flirtatious with him… and far too overt with your affections. You were not behaving as a lady should behave, particularly in the presence of a renowned rake such as he.”
“And I do not require a lecture from you as well, Hester!” Cordelia was tempted to stamp her foot with rage, but the ground was sodden, and she did not want mud splatters ruining her pretty pink gown. “Why, you are worse than Mama! I do not think I behaved so brazenly toward him, and I do not think Lord Cavendish is as terrible as everyone says!”
“You were alone with him, Cordelia,” her older sister reminded her. “You kissed him, and several of us saw it! You are lucky your reputation is not in tatters.”
“So this is my punishment?” Cordelia flicked her hand in the direction of the vine-ensconced cottage. “To be sent away to the middle of nowhere? I daresay the punishment does not fit the crime!”
“It isn’t so bad,” Hester protested. “I’m here, and I do not consider it a punishment. A change of scenery and brisk sea air cannot be so terrible.”
The carriage driver, having divested the equipage of Cordelia’s overstuffed portmanteau, climbed back into the seat, flicked the reins, and left the sisters standing alone in front of the cottage. Neither of them moved or spoke for several seconds.
“So…” It was Cordelia who broke the silence, “Where is Aunt Hyacinth? I thought she would be here to greet us.”
“Perhaps she does not know we arrived.”
“Or perhaps…” Cordelia’s eyebrow was raised, “perhaps she does not care to see us?”
A few seconds after she accused their aunt of apathy, the door flew open, and a short, stout, auburn-haired woman came bounding out of the cottage. “Oh!” The older woman excitedly waggled both of her hands as she rushed toward them. “Oh, my dears, you are finally here! Let me get a good look at you.” She pushed her crooked spectacles to the bridge of her nose as she observed the younger women in front of her. “My, you both look very lovely!”
“Are you… Aunt Hyacinth?” Cordelia presumed.
“Of course, dear! Who else would I be?” Hyacinth unabashedly chuckled at her niece’s question. “How long has it been?”
It was Hester who responded first. “Fifteen years.”
“Fifteen years!” the older woman squawked. “I am almost ashamed that we allowed so much time to pass. There is really no excuse for it! The last time I saw Cordelia, she must have been…”
Hyacinth’s pause was so interminable, Cordelia took it upon herself to finish her aunt’s thought.
As they alighted from the carriage on the outskirts of Plymouth, the younger sister’s freckled nose displayed such a sneer, it would have been impossible to mistake the distasteful expression for anything less than disgust. “Oh dear…” Cordelia whispered to herself as she stared at her aunt’s droll, dingy, and rather small cottage. She always imagined it would be a bit romantic to live on the cliffside, with waves crashing below her feet. Dank as it was, her aunt’s domicile failed to inspire fanciful thoughts. “We really have arrived at the ends of the earth, have we not?”
“Don’t fret, Cordelia.” Hester laid a hand against her younger sister’s shoulder as she spoke. “Perhaps it shall not be so terrible?”
“I would rather be in London,” Cordelia sighed as she solemnly stated the obvious. “Do not think I am ungrateful to our aunt for taking us in, but—”
“You do know why we were sent here, do you not?” Hester interrupted. In the corner of her eye, she watched the driver of their carriage climb down and fetch her valise. “Pray tell me you are not utterly oblivious to the reason for our banishment.”
Cordelia defiantly raised her chin. “I believe I know the reason, and I do not care to hear it!”
Her sister, failing to heed her request, said, “Papa is determined to discourage your interest in Lord Cavendish. You were far too flirtatious with him… and far too overt with your affections. You were not behaving as a lady should behave, particularly in the presence of a renowned rake such as he.”
“And I do not require a lecture from you as well, Hester!” Cordelia was tempted to stamp her foot with rage, but the ground was sodden, and she did not want mud splatters ruining her pretty pink gown. “Why, you are worse than Mama! I do not think I behaved so brazenly toward him, and I do not think Lord Cavendish is as terrible as everyone says!”
“You were alone with him, Cordelia,” her older sister reminded her. “You kissed him, and several of us saw it! You are lucky your reputation is not in tatters.”
“So this is my punishment?” Cordelia flicked her hand in the direction of the vine-ensconced cottage. “To be sent away to the middle of nowhere? I daresay the punishment does not fit the crime!”
“It isn’t so bad,” Hester protested. “I’m here, and I do not consider it a punishment. A change of scenery and brisk sea air cannot be so terrible.”
The carriage driver, having divested the equipage of Cordelia’s overstuffed portmanteau, climbed back into the seat, flicked the reins, and left the sisters standing alone in front of the cottage. Neither of them moved or spoke for several seconds.
“So…” It was Cordelia who broke the silence, “Where is Aunt Hyacinth? I thought she would be here to greet us.”
“Perhaps she does not know we arrived.”
“Or perhaps…” Cordelia’s eyebrow was raised, “perhaps she does not care to see us?”
A few seconds after she accused their aunt of apathy, the door flew open, and a short, stout, auburn-haired woman came bounding out of the cottage. “Oh!” The older woman excitedly waggled both of her hands as she rushed toward them. “Oh, my dears, you are finally here! Let me get a good look at you.” She pushed her crooked spectacles to the bridge of her nose as she observed the younger women in front of her. “My, you both look very lovely!”
“Are you… Aunt Hyacinth?” Cordelia presumed.
“Of course, dear! Who else would I be?” Hyacinth unabashedly chuckled at her niece’s question. “How long has it been?”
It was Hester who responded first. “Fifteen years.”
“Fifteen years!” the older woman squawked. “I am almost ashamed that we allowed so much time to pass. There is really no excuse for it! The last time I saw Cordelia, she must have been…”
Hyacinth’s pause was so interminable, Cordelia took it upon herself to finish her aunt’s thought.
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