gifts...his love?’ Bessie snapped as she stood up from her chair. ‘Are you so jealous that you would begrudge me a little happiness?’
‘No, of course not! I want you to be happy but all I’m asking is that you be aware of what is happening around you.’
‘You speak in riddles,’ Bessie said with a wave of her hand as if she was dismissing her.
‘Do you know anything about him? Is he trustworthy?’ Lisette glanced at Sally for support, only to have her shrug. Finding no help there, Lisette tried once to warn Bessie. ‘I just want you to be careful. Just until you know that you can trust him.’
‘Pah, the man is a lord and a gentleman. I have nothing to fear. Now, if you will all excuse me, I intend to rest before tonight’s performance.’ Bessie pushed through the circle of girls. She paused in the doorway. ‘Lisette, I never thought you would be so petty and cruel. It does not become you. But then I suppose as I am blessed with so much, it is only natural that you should be twisted with such jealousy.’
‘Bessie, I did not mean —’ Lisette said, but as she looked to the door she saw that Bessie had already left. She turned and saw that Sally was giving her an odd look. ‘I did mean... I mean to say, I’m not jealous. I just want her to be careful.’
‘Of what? Why would you care if Bessie found herself in a sea of hot water? I know I would not care... Not one fig. Bessie is proud and arrogant and deserves to be taught a lesson.’
‘I know that she can be difficult, but I would not like to see any harm befall her,’ Lisette said.
The group of girls all quickly began to lose interest and drifted away. All, that is, except for Fanny Bidwell. She lingered and watched until the others had left. Only when she was confident that they were alone did she touch Lisette’s arm to get her attention.
‘Oh, I wouldn’t worry ‘bout her. I caught a glimpse of her new man and he’s a dandy... A real toff, alright,’ Fanny said. ‘That Bessie has really fallen on her feet.’
Evander leaned against the sun-warmed stone wall. He closed his eyes, lifted his face to the sky and listened to the silence of the surrounding wood. A peace settled over him. It was the same every time he came to Temperly. The scent of the pines and distant flowers were on the soft breeze and Evander was content.
He opened his eyes and saw a robin flit in the twisted branches of the nearest woodbine. Its quick and delicate movements reminded him of Lisette. She had managed to wander into his thoughts more than once since he had left London. He had spoken to Alistair about her with bravado but the truth was that he knew that Lisette was not like any girl he had met before. She was graceful and hauntingly beautiful; he had expected her to be willing and compliant and was surprised when she was not. Evander had expected her to bend to his will and accept his offer to accompany her home. Yet she had not and he found himself somehow relieved.
There was the noise of approaching footsteps and Evander watched as the disturbed robin flew away.
‘Ah, there you are Evander,’ Alistair said as he rounded the corner of the tower. ‘The wall on the stables needs repair and the... What are you doing?’
‘Listening to the woods.’
Alistair paused and gave him an odd look. ‘Hmm, well shall we explore the tower and see if there is any more restoration work waiting for us?’
Evander pushed himself off the ground. ‘Yes, of course. The caretaker said he believed the last storm may have damaged a section of the roof.’
They walked together around to the entrance. The square-shaped tower sat sturdily on a small rise. It had been built by the brothers’ ancestors, sometime in the murky, medieval past. The oversized door creaked as Evander pushed it open. A heavy wooden staircase sat on the far right. The dimness of the large room was pierced by the light coming in the multitude of narrow windows.
The tower consisted of four
‘No, of course not! I want you to be happy but all I’m asking is that you be aware of what is happening around you.’
‘You speak in riddles,’ Bessie said with a wave of her hand as if she was dismissing her.
‘Do you know anything about him? Is he trustworthy?’ Lisette glanced at Sally for support, only to have her shrug. Finding no help there, Lisette tried once to warn Bessie. ‘I just want you to be careful. Just until you know that you can trust him.’
‘Pah, the man is a lord and a gentleman. I have nothing to fear. Now, if you will all excuse me, I intend to rest before tonight’s performance.’ Bessie pushed through the circle of girls. She paused in the doorway. ‘Lisette, I never thought you would be so petty and cruel. It does not become you. But then I suppose as I am blessed with so much, it is only natural that you should be twisted with such jealousy.’
‘Bessie, I did not mean —’ Lisette said, but as she looked to the door she saw that Bessie had already left. She turned and saw that Sally was giving her an odd look. ‘I did mean... I mean to say, I’m not jealous. I just want her to be careful.’
‘Of what? Why would you care if Bessie found herself in a sea of hot water? I know I would not care... Not one fig. Bessie is proud and arrogant and deserves to be taught a lesson.’
‘I know that she can be difficult, but I would not like to see any harm befall her,’ Lisette said.
The group of girls all quickly began to lose interest and drifted away. All, that is, except for Fanny Bidwell. She lingered and watched until the others had left. Only when she was confident that they were alone did she touch Lisette’s arm to get her attention.
‘Oh, I wouldn’t worry ‘bout her. I caught a glimpse of her new man and he’s a dandy... A real toff, alright,’ Fanny said. ‘That Bessie has really fallen on her feet.’
Evander leaned against the sun-warmed stone wall. He closed his eyes, lifted his face to the sky and listened to the silence of the surrounding wood. A peace settled over him. It was the same every time he came to Temperly. The scent of the pines and distant flowers were on the soft breeze and Evander was content.
He opened his eyes and saw a robin flit in the twisted branches of the nearest woodbine. Its quick and delicate movements reminded him of Lisette. She had managed to wander into his thoughts more than once since he had left London. He had spoken to Alistair about her with bravado but the truth was that he knew that Lisette was not like any girl he had met before. She was graceful and hauntingly beautiful; he had expected her to be willing and compliant and was surprised when she was not. Evander had expected her to bend to his will and accept his offer to accompany her home. Yet she had not and he found himself somehow relieved.
There was the noise of approaching footsteps and Evander watched as the disturbed robin flew away.
‘Ah, there you are Evander,’ Alistair said as he rounded the corner of the tower. ‘The wall on the stables needs repair and the... What are you doing?’
‘Listening to the woods.’
Alistair paused and gave him an odd look. ‘Hmm, well shall we explore the tower and see if there is any more restoration work waiting for us?’
Evander pushed himself off the ground. ‘Yes, of course. The caretaker said he believed the last storm may have damaged a section of the roof.’
They walked together around to the entrance. The square-shaped tower sat sturdily on a small rise. It had been built by the brothers’ ancestors, sometime in the murky, medieval past. The oversized door creaked as Evander pushed it open. A heavy wooden staircase sat on the far right. The dimness of the large room was pierced by the light coming in the multitude of narrow windows.
The tower consisted of four
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