empty?” Richina questioned.
“Who knows?” Richie answered. “And, frankly, who cares? Can I interest you in a game of tennis?”
“That sounds smashing,” she agreed and followed him out, her many bracelets making a loud racket as she goes.
For a moment there was silence in the empty room, but then a small voice sounded. “Hello? Where is everybody?” Doodles emerged from the wall, still dressed in her oversized clothing. She blew away a feather from her hat,which had flopped over her woebegone face as she searched the place, wondering where everyone had gone. Finally she heard a pathetic moan from under the table and spied Snobby’s shoes peaking out.
Grabbing hold of her sister’s feet, Doodles pulled Snobby out from beneath the table. Snobby came to consciousness once more. “I must have fainted,” she declared. “Imagine that Richie Sterling not wanting to marry me.”
“Or me,” Doodles added.
Snobby stood, took Doodles by the hand, and led her to the massive front door, pulling it wide open. “Come along, Doodles,” she said bravely. “We’ll find some fabulously wealthy men to marry us and buy us fancy things. After all… we’re Worthless.”
Chapter Twelve
N ORA. FIND ME A DAY DRESS WITH A NICE wide skirt, will you? Something that won’t drag on the dirt,” Maggie instructed. These Indian summer days were still beautiful and it would be nice to get out on the grounds for a walk. It might be just the thing to help her shake this feeling of being a caged bird.
“How about this, Miss?” Nora suggested, presenting her with a tea-length dress of a simple blue broadcloth with a white collar.
“Perfect,” Maggie pronounced, “and I’ll need my most comfortable boots. The black ones with the low heels and the hook sides are probably best.”
Within minutes Maggie was dressed and Nora hadassisted her in weaving her hair into a French braid fastened with a bow at the back of her neck, letting the rest of her dark curls fall free. “Enjoy your stroll,” Nora bid her as Maggie disappeared into the hall.
On the way downstairs Maggie ducked into the dining room, relieved that no one had risen for breakfast yet, although the buffet and the table settings had been laid out. This enabled her to escape with a raisin scone wrapped in a linen napkin without getting bogged down in conversation. As she made her way out a back entrance not far from the stable, the cool snap in the air struck her with new energy. This solo walk was just the thing to clear her head and today was picture-perfect.
As Maggie crossed the rolling green lawn, noticing that the first reds and oranges of the coming fall were already settling in on the trees of the woods ahead of her, she noticed two figures on a path cutting diagonally across the lawn to her right. It took only another second for her to see that it was Therese pushing the baby’s carriage. And Michael was strolling alongside them! They saw her but pretended they hadn’t. Maggie was certain that they’d deliberately turned their heads away.
Maggie felt as if she’d been stabbed straight through her heart. Without a moment’s thought, she headed purposefully toward them. How long had this flirtation between Therese and Michael been going on? And was that Therese insane? Why would she bring James outside on a chilly morning like this? She needed to get that baby inside.
“ Bonjour , Miss Maggie,” Therese greeted her when Maggie came near. “How are you this—”
“What are you thinking?” Maggie demanded, growing red-faced with fury. “Look at the flimsy covering you have over the baby. He’s sure to catch a chill.”
A blush rose on Therese’s cheeks, as well. “I think he is well covered,” she defended herself.
“The little guy looks happy enough to me,” Michael put in.
“Don’t you dare,” Maggie muttered, shooting him a withering glare. “You have no opinion about this.”
Michael looked as if he were
“Who knows?” Richie answered. “And, frankly, who cares? Can I interest you in a game of tennis?”
“That sounds smashing,” she agreed and followed him out, her many bracelets making a loud racket as she goes.
For a moment there was silence in the empty room, but then a small voice sounded. “Hello? Where is everybody?” Doodles emerged from the wall, still dressed in her oversized clothing. She blew away a feather from her hat,which had flopped over her woebegone face as she searched the place, wondering where everyone had gone. Finally she heard a pathetic moan from under the table and spied Snobby’s shoes peaking out.
Grabbing hold of her sister’s feet, Doodles pulled Snobby out from beneath the table. Snobby came to consciousness once more. “I must have fainted,” she declared. “Imagine that Richie Sterling not wanting to marry me.”
“Or me,” Doodles added.
Snobby stood, took Doodles by the hand, and led her to the massive front door, pulling it wide open. “Come along, Doodles,” she said bravely. “We’ll find some fabulously wealthy men to marry us and buy us fancy things. After all… we’re Worthless.”
Chapter Twelve
N ORA. FIND ME A DAY DRESS WITH A NICE wide skirt, will you? Something that won’t drag on the dirt,” Maggie instructed. These Indian summer days were still beautiful and it would be nice to get out on the grounds for a walk. It might be just the thing to help her shake this feeling of being a caged bird.
“How about this, Miss?” Nora suggested, presenting her with a tea-length dress of a simple blue broadcloth with a white collar.
“Perfect,” Maggie pronounced, “and I’ll need my most comfortable boots. The black ones with the low heels and the hook sides are probably best.”
Within minutes Maggie was dressed and Nora hadassisted her in weaving her hair into a French braid fastened with a bow at the back of her neck, letting the rest of her dark curls fall free. “Enjoy your stroll,” Nora bid her as Maggie disappeared into the hall.
On the way downstairs Maggie ducked into the dining room, relieved that no one had risen for breakfast yet, although the buffet and the table settings had been laid out. This enabled her to escape with a raisin scone wrapped in a linen napkin without getting bogged down in conversation. As she made her way out a back entrance not far from the stable, the cool snap in the air struck her with new energy. This solo walk was just the thing to clear her head and today was picture-perfect.
As Maggie crossed the rolling green lawn, noticing that the first reds and oranges of the coming fall were already settling in on the trees of the woods ahead of her, she noticed two figures on a path cutting diagonally across the lawn to her right. It took only another second for her to see that it was Therese pushing the baby’s carriage. And Michael was strolling alongside them! They saw her but pretended they hadn’t. Maggie was certain that they’d deliberately turned their heads away.
Maggie felt as if she’d been stabbed straight through her heart. Without a moment’s thought, she headed purposefully toward them. How long had this flirtation between Therese and Michael been going on? And was that Therese insane? Why would she bring James outside on a chilly morning like this? She needed to get that baby inside.
“ Bonjour , Miss Maggie,” Therese greeted her when Maggie came near. “How are you this—”
“What are you thinking?” Maggie demanded, growing red-faced with fury. “Look at the flimsy covering you have over the baby. He’s sure to catch a chill.”
A blush rose on Therese’s cheeks, as well. “I think he is well covered,” she defended herself.
“The little guy looks happy enough to me,” Michael put in.
“Don’t you dare,” Maggie muttered, shooting him a withering glare. “You have no opinion about this.”
Michael looked as if he were
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