mother’s embrace. She breathed in the familiar scent of Gloria Beckett’s perfume and felt tears sting her eyes.
“Thank the good Lord you’re safe,” Gloria exclaimed as she took a step back and swiped at her own face with a lacehandkerchief. “I didn’t know what to think when I received that telegram from Mr. Wilder. Jail, Arabella?”
“It was completely unintentional.”
“Of course it was, darling,” Gloria said before she pulled her close for another hug. “You can tell me all about it once we get home. I have a feeling you’ll only be able to do justice to the story over a bracing cup of tea.” Gloria released her, stepped back, and looked over Arabella’s shoulder. “Where is that charming scamp I sent after you?”
Her mother really did have her heart set on matchmaking, so much so that she was seemingly willing to cut their tender reunion short.
“I lost that ‘charming scamp’ in the crowd, but he’s certain to turn up soon. Bad pennies always do. But before he gets here, Mother, you and I need to come to an understanding. Mr. Theodore Wilder is not for me. You need to stop, immediately, with whatever scheming you’ve got rattling around that diabolical mind of yours.”
Gloria blinked innocent eyes back at her. “I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about, dear. Of course you and Mr. Wilder would never suit. The mere idea is preposterous.” She reached out and rubbed Arabella’s arm. “I do believe you must be suffering a great deal of fatigue from your stint in jail.”
“At least I can still make the claim, as can Hamilton, of never being incarcerated.”
Arabella turned and found herself swept off her feet, her brother Zayne crushing her in a bone-jarring hug.
“Zayne, you’re squeezing me too hard,” she mumbled.
Zayne set her on her feet and released his hold on her, brushing a lock of burnished brown hair out of his eyes and shaking his head. “You, my independent yet exasperating sister, have worried everyone endlessly. Would it have killed you to have sent us word regarding where you were headingor when you expected to return to town? We were stunned to receive that telegram from Theodore telling us you’d been arrested.”
“But . . . didn’t he explain that he’d gotten me released?”
“Would we be waiting for you here if he hadn’t?” He switched his attention to something behind her and grinned. “Ah, there’s the gentleman of the hour. Now we’ll finally be able to get all of our questions answered to satisfaction.”
Arabella wrinkled her nose, even as her gaze settled on Theodore, who was striding toward them. She couldn’t help but notice how the crowd simply disappeared around him, making it possible for him to walk at a rapid clip without interruption.
She tore her attention away from him. “Just so you know, Zayne, I’m perfectly capable of explaining my adventure to satisfaction. There’s no reason to badger Mr. Wilder, and . . .” Her voice trailed off as Zayne, apparently unaware she’d been speaking, moved forward and then laughed as he and Theodore shook hands and even hugged, as if Theodore were the returning hero no one had seen for ages.
She certainly hadn’t been greeted quite so enthusiastically. Admittedly, her mother had clearly been thrilled to see her, but . . . she had the sneaking suspicion Gloria was just as thrilled to see Theodore, especially given the fact her mother was currently bustling over to the gentleman, her face wreathed in a wide smile.
Arabella trudged after everyone, coming to a stop beside Zayne just as her mother let out a tinkling laugh when Theodore picked up her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles.
“My dear, dear boy,” Gloria exclaimed as Theodore released her hand. “Douglas and I can’t thank you enough for returning our sweet Arabella to us.” She reached up and patted him on the cheek. “We were hoping of course you’dget her back in time for the wedding, but
“Thank the good Lord you’re safe,” Gloria exclaimed as she took a step back and swiped at her own face with a lacehandkerchief. “I didn’t know what to think when I received that telegram from Mr. Wilder. Jail, Arabella?”
“It was completely unintentional.”
“Of course it was, darling,” Gloria said before she pulled her close for another hug. “You can tell me all about it once we get home. I have a feeling you’ll only be able to do justice to the story over a bracing cup of tea.” Gloria released her, stepped back, and looked over Arabella’s shoulder. “Where is that charming scamp I sent after you?”
Her mother really did have her heart set on matchmaking, so much so that she was seemingly willing to cut their tender reunion short.
“I lost that ‘charming scamp’ in the crowd, but he’s certain to turn up soon. Bad pennies always do. But before he gets here, Mother, you and I need to come to an understanding. Mr. Theodore Wilder is not for me. You need to stop, immediately, with whatever scheming you’ve got rattling around that diabolical mind of yours.”
Gloria blinked innocent eyes back at her. “I’m sure I have no idea what you’re talking about, dear. Of course you and Mr. Wilder would never suit. The mere idea is preposterous.” She reached out and rubbed Arabella’s arm. “I do believe you must be suffering a great deal of fatigue from your stint in jail.”
“At least I can still make the claim, as can Hamilton, of never being incarcerated.”
Arabella turned and found herself swept off her feet, her brother Zayne crushing her in a bone-jarring hug.
“Zayne, you’re squeezing me too hard,” she mumbled.
Zayne set her on her feet and released his hold on her, brushing a lock of burnished brown hair out of his eyes and shaking his head. “You, my independent yet exasperating sister, have worried everyone endlessly. Would it have killed you to have sent us word regarding where you were headingor when you expected to return to town? We were stunned to receive that telegram from Theodore telling us you’d been arrested.”
“But . . . didn’t he explain that he’d gotten me released?”
“Would we be waiting for you here if he hadn’t?” He switched his attention to something behind her and grinned. “Ah, there’s the gentleman of the hour. Now we’ll finally be able to get all of our questions answered to satisfaction.”
Arabella wrinkled her nose, even as her gaze settled on Theodore, who was striding toward them. She couldn’t help but notice how the crowd simply disappeared around him, making it possible for him to walk at a rapid clip without interruption.
She tore her attention away from him. “Just so you know, Zayne, I’m perfectly capable of explaining my adventure to satisfaction. There’s no reason to badger Mr. Wilder, and . . .” Her voice trailed off as Zayne, apparently unaware she’d been speaking, moved forward and then laughed as he and Theodore shook hands and even hugged, as if Theodore were the returning hero no one had seen for ages.
She certainly hadn’t been greeted quite so enthusiastically. Admittedly, her mother had clearly been thrilled to see her, but . . . she had the sneaking suspicion Gloria was just as thrilled to see Theodore, especially given the fact her mother was currently bustling over to the gentleman, her face wreathed in a wide smile.
Arabella trudged after everyone, coming to a stop beside Zayne just as her mother let out a tinkling laugh when Theodore picked up her hand and placed a kiss on her knuckles.
“My dear, dear boy,” Gloria exclaimed as Theodore released her hand. “Douglas and I can’t thank you enough for returning our sweet Arabella to us.” She reached up and patted him on the cheek. “We were hoping of course you’dget her back in time for the wedding, but
Similar Books
