Fever Quest: A Clean Historical Mystery set in England and India (The Isabella Rockwell Trilogy Book 2) by Hannah Parry Page B
Authors: Hannah Parry
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arms out in front of her.
Isabella looked down at her own. Already brown they were
deepening to mahogany, much to the despair of Mrs Rodriguez, who thought pale
skin to be the height of fashion.
“So could Captain Lucas have taken this road too?” Eloise’s
face was pink with excitement.
Isabella nodded, smiling. “Yes.”
Livia nudged her. “Let’s hope we don’t bump into the
Jefferies.”
Isabella raised her eyes to heaven.
“Yes, I couldn’t agree more,” though she winced inside as
she said it.
“I thought Midge was your friend.” Rose glanced at her
sideways.
“He is. I’m just enjoying the break from him, that’s all.”
The carriages drew over the brow of a small hill dotted
with sand-coloured grass and deer. Below them was a hamlet, where they were to
stop for dinner.
The carriage drew to a halt. Livia’s face became animated
and she dug her elbow into Eloise’s side as two figures came out of the
guesthouse.
“It’s Captain Lucas.”
Eloise went white. “No. Where?”
“There, with another soldier. Oh my. They’re coming over
here.”
Captain Lucas’s kind and open face lit up when he saw
Eloise in the carriage.
“I say, Miss Eloise, how wonderful to see you.” He doffed
his helmet to the other girls. “I thought we were so far behind everyone, we’d
meet no one. I will speak to your mother and see if we might escort you
further.”
Isabella glanced at Eloise, who looked as if she had
momentarily lost the power of speech.
“I’m sure that will be lovely” Isabella answered for her.
“Excellent.” Captain Lucas helped the girls from their
carriage and then strode back to the guesthouse.
“What did you do that for?” Eloise looked horrified.
Livia sat up. “Don’t be ridiculous. Don’t you want to be
able to see him?”
Eloise slumped. “Yes, but not all the time, especially not
first thing in the morning.”
Livia laughed. “Cheer up, you goose. At least you’ll have
someone to kill mosquitoes for you.”
Eloise gave a pale smile.
“Or Isabella could make you another special potion.” Rose’s spiteful whisper came to Isabella on the thick evening air.
Two evenings later the carriages drew to a halt in
the dust at the centre of a prosperous town and they were shown into a pleasant
hotel. When Isabella came down from her room for dinner, everyone was already
seated at a long table; the only empty chair was between Mrs Rodriguez and
Colonel Denier, who’d met them at Masulipatam.
Livia stood up.
“Isabella? Come and sit here.”
“Oh no, Livia. It’s all right. I can sit here.”
“No, no!” Livia’s tone was urgent. “There’s chair here.
Rose can move up.”
Isabella wondered if she was the only one who saw the
anger on Rose’s face. Every time Livia was kind to Isabella or included her in
something, Rose’s face became a thundercloud. She ate her dinner in silence,
but the lamb tasted dry and the rice was too sticky. She’d eaten more than
Livia, however, who was pushing her food around her plate to make it look as if
she’d eaten something.
“At least have some fruit,” Isabella said, cutting a fig
and pushing it towards Livia. “You’ll get sick.”
Before pudding, Eloise got out the little bottle of
crimson liquid Isabella had made for her. In the light of the candles it was as
dark as blood. The room’s attention was on a lady playing the piano in front of
the fireplace and Eloise kicked Isabella under the table and gestured to
Captain Lucas’s glass.
“Go on then,” Isabella hissed.
Biting her lip, Eloise unstoppered the bottle and poured
half of it into Captain Lucas’s glass with a movement that disturbed the air as
little as the fluttering of a moth. But it was enough to catch Rose’s attention
and her eyes narrowed.
“Did I put in enough?” Eloise looked a bit overwhelmed.
Isabella smiled. “More than enough, I should think.”
Eloise’s face fell. “Have I given him too much?”
Isabella shook her
Isabella looked down at her own. Already brown they were
deepening to mahogany, much to the despair of Mrs Rodriguez, who thought pale
skin to be the height of fashion.
“So could Captain Lucas have taken this road too?” Eloise’s
face was pink with excitement.
Isabella nodded, smiling. “Yes.”
Livia nudged her. “Let’s hope we don’t bump into the
Jefferies.”
Isabella raised her eyes to heaven.
“Yes, I couldn’t agree more,” though she winced inside as
she said it.
“I thought Midge was your friend.” Rose glanced at her
sideways.
“He is. I’m just enjoying the break from him, that’s all.”
The carriages drew over the brow of a small hill dotted
with sand-coloured grass and deer. Below them was a hamlet, where they were to
stop for dinner.
The carriage drew to a halt. Livia’s face became animated
and she dug her elbow into Eloise’s side as two figures came out of the
guesthouse.
“It’s Captain Lucas.”
Eloise went white. “No. Where?”
“There, with another soldier. Oh my. They’re coming over
here.”
Captain Lucas’s kind and open face lit up when he saw
Eloise in the carriage.
“I say, Miss Eloise, how wonderful to see you.” He doffed
his helmet to the other girls. “I thought we were so far behind everyone, we’d
meet no one. I will speak to your mother and see if we might escort you
further.”
Isabella glanced at Eloise, who looked as if she had
momentarily lost the power of speech.
“I’m sure that will be lovely” Isabella answered for her.
“Excellent.” Captain Lucas helped the girls from their
carriage and then strode back to the guesthouse.
“What did you do that for?” Eloise looked horrified.
Livia sat up. “Don’t be ridiculous. Don’t you want to be
able to see him?”
Eloise slumped. “Yes, but not all the time, especially not
first thing in the morning.”
Livia laughed. “Cheer up, you goose. At least you’ll have
someone to kill mosquitoes for you.”
Eloise gave a pale smile.
“Or Isabella could make you another special potion.” Rose’s spiteful whisper came to Isabella on the thick evening air.
Two evenings later the carriages drew to a halt in
the dust at the centre of a prosperous town and they were shown into a pleasant
hotel. When Isabella came down from her room for dinner, everyone was already
seated at a long table; the only empty chair was between Mrs Rodriguez and
Colonel Denier, who’d met them at Masulipatam.
Livia stood up.
“Isabella? Come and sit here.”
“Oh no, Livia. It’s all right. I can sit here.”
“No, no!” Livia’s tone was urgent. “There’s chair here.
Rose can move up.”
Isabella wondered if she was the only one who saw the
anger on Rose’s face. Every time Livia was kind to Isabella or included her in
something, Rose’s face became a thundercloud. She ate her dinner in silence,
but the lamb tasted dry and the rice was too sticky. She’d eaten more than
Livia, however, who was pushing her food around her plate to make it look as if
she’d eaten something.
“At least have some fruit,” Isabella said, cutting a fig
and pushing it towards Livia. “You’ll get sick.”
Before pudding, Eloise got out the little bottle of
crimson liquid Isabella had made for her. In the light of the candles it was as
dark as blood. The room’s attention was on a lady playing the piano in front of
the fireplace and Eloise kicked Isabella under the table and gestured to
Captain Lucas’s glass.
“Go on then,” Isabella hissed.
Biting her lip, Eloise unstoppered the bottle and poured
half of it into Captain Lucas’s glass with a movement that disturbed the air as
little as the fluttering of a moth. But it was enough to catch Rose’s attention
and her eyes narrowed.
“Did I put in enough?” Eloise looked a bit overwhelmed.
Isabella smiled. “More than enough, I should think.”
Eloise’s face fell. “Have I given him too much?”
Isabella shook her
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