Heaven Bound (A Blakemore Family Book: Madame Lou Series Book 2) by SaraLynn Hoyt
Authors: SaraLynn Hoyt
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hold. Well, Adeline is quite enthusiastic and passionate when she talks about labor reform, so she was going on about fair hours and swinging that damn lantern...”
“Oh my, I can certainly guess what happened next.” The countess was leaning forward, waiting to hear the rest of the story.
“Indeed.” Jack grinned and looked over at Adeline, who was still hiding her face, but he could see that her shoulders where shaking; a sure sign that she was trying not to laugh out loud. “Adeline sent that lamp crashing into a pile of old pallets that were dry as kindling and they went up pretty fast, which was the perfect catalyst to set the whole place up in flames with her right in the middle. Needless to say, everyone went screaming from the site, leaving poor Addie trapped trying to put out the flames on her own. Why you didn’t run away, too, I’ll never know.”
“Jack, you know very well I could never have forgiven myself if I’d let Papa’s building burn down by my own hand without at least trying to put it out.” Adeline stuck out her tongue at Jack.
Jack started laughing and it was almost painful, like using a long dormant muscle, but it felt good at the same time. “Well, weren’t you lucky that Clara had insisted I follow you that night to make sure you didn’t get in to any trouble?”
“So what did you do?” The countess was looking for another bottle of champagne to open but appeared to be having no luck.
“I jumped through the flames and dragged Adeline out, then managed to get a nearby fire hydrant opened up. By the time the fire truck showed up, Adeline and I had managed to at least keep the flames from getting out of control.”
“Oh bravo!” Henrietta applauded.
“I’ll never forget when we arrived back at the Bradleys’ and walked in the front door, covered in soot and soaking wet. I was so mad at you Jack.”
“For saving your life and your father’s building?”
Jack watched Adeline smile as she recalled the day. “No, I was upset that you were mad at me for not acting like a lady. You never did understand why I got so involved to the extent I did—and still do.”
“You’re wrong, Addie.” Jack said quietly gazing at his friend with admiration and what he’d always thought must be brotherly affection. “I understand, but that doesn’t mean I don’t worry about you. You must admit that you tend to rush headlong into the unknown and you rarely have a plan in case things go awry.”
Adeline didn’t say anything to that. She just stared back at Jack as if she were captured in his gaze. He wondered what she was thinking just then and he wished they were alone so he could ask her. It was the first time he’d really seen her in this context. A strong, independent woman who knew what it was she stood for. Before, when Clara was alive, she’d just been that silly impetuous friend of Clara’s.
When had that changed? Jack wondered.
“Well, we are out of champagne.” Henrietta’s voice brought Jack back to the present. “Jackson, be a dear and go get us another nice cold bottle.”
“Of course.” Jack stood and bowed to the ladies. “I’ll be right back.”
Jack wandered the deck for a bit, thinking about what lay ahead for him in England. He would go to Berkshire and lay Clara’s remains to rest. Then what? Stay or leave? He still couldn’t decide. Going back without Clara didn’t feel right, but now he was starting to wonder what his real motives were. Did he really just want to start over? Or was he running away from his life with Clara? And did it even matter? Jack still had a lot to think about.
Sighing, Jack went in search of a waiter who found him a cold bottle of bubbly and he went back to the countess’s rooms. He found Adeline and Lady Huntingdon asleep on the sofa with half-empty cut crystal glasses of fine brandy nearby. He was loath to wake them as they looked so peaceful and happy. He leaned over and gently shook the countess’s shoulder. She
“Oh my, I can certainly guess what happened next.” The countess was leaning forward, waiting to hear the rest of the story.
“Indeed.” Jack grinned and looked over at Adeline, who was still hiding her face, but he could see that her shoulders where shaking; a sure sign that she was trying not to laugh out loud. “Adeline sent that lamp crashing into a pile of old pallets that were dry as kindling and they went up pretty fast, which was the perfect catalyst to set the whole place up in flames with her right in the middle. Needless to say, everyone went screaming from the site, leaving poor Addie trapped trying to put out the flames on her own. Why you didn’t run away, too, I’ll never know.”
“Jack, you know very well I could never have forgiven myself if I’d let Papa’s building burn down by my own hand without at least trying to put it out.” Adeline stuck out her tongue at Jack.
Jack started laughing and it was almost painful, like using a long dormant muscle, but it felt good at the same time. “Well, weren’t you lucky that Clara had insisted I follow you that night to make sure you didn’t get in to any trouble?”
“So what did you do?” The countess was looking for another bottle of champagne to open but appeared to be having no luck.
“I jumped through the flames and dragged Adeline out, then managed to get a nearby fire hydrant opened up. By the time the fire truck showed up, Adeline and I had managed to at least keep the flames from getting out of control.”
“Oh bravo!” Henrietta applauded.
“I’ll never forget when we arrived back at the Bradleys’ and walked in the front door, covered in soot and soaking wet. I was so mad at you Jack.”
“For saving your life and your father’s building?”
Jack watched Adeline smile as she recalled the day. “No, I was upset that you were mad at me for not acting like a lady. You never did understand why I got so involved to the extent I did—and still do.”
“You’re wrong, Addie.” Jack said quietly gazing at his friend with admiration and what he’d always thought must be brotherly affection. “I understand, but that doesn’t mean I don’t worry about you. You must admit that you tend to rush headlong into the unknown and you rarely have a plan in case things go awry.”
Adeline didn’t say anything to that. She just stared back at Jack as if she were captured in his gaze. He wondered what she was thinking just then and he wished they were alone so he could ask her. It was the first time he’d really seen her in this context. A strong, independent woman who knew what it was she stood for. Before, when Clara was alive, she’d just been that silly impetuous friend of Clara’s.
When had that changed? Jack wondered.
“Well, we are out of champagne.” Henrietta’s voice brought Jack back to the present. “Jackson, be a dear and go get us another nice cold bottle.”
“Of course.” Jack stood and bowed to the ladies. “I’ll be right back.”
Jack wandered the deck for a bit, thinking about what lay ahead for him in England. He would go to Berkshire and lay Clara’s remains to rest. Then what? Stay or leave? He still couldn’t decide. Going back without Clara didn’t feel right, but now he was starting to wonder what his real motives were. Did he really just want to start over? Or was he running away from his life with Clara? And did it even matter? Jack still had a lot to think about.
Sighing, Jack went in search of a waiter who found him a cold bottle of bubbly and he went back to the countess’s rooms. He found Adeline and Lady Huntingdon asleep on the sofa with half-empty cut crystal glasses of fine brandy nearby. He was loath to wake them as they looked so peaceful and happy. He leaned over and gently shook the countess’s shoulder. She
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