family.”
She turned the full force of her illuminating smile on him. Could anyone look more radiant?
Raymond took a breath to fortify himself. “Mrs. M-moore, I have c-come to a-a-sk—”
A knock rang out on the front door. Millie peered out the window and her countenance fell. “Oh dear.”
It was Guy Elliott come to call. He swanned into the parlor with an arm full of flowers and a head full of ego. Raymond rose to his feet.
Oh, this would be interesting.
If Elliott had the poor taste to interrupt Raymond while he was asking for permission to court Millie, he would make him pay for every inch.
Elliott’s plastic smile froze the moment his gaze lit on Raymond. “I see you have ca-company.” He handed the flowers to the maid for vasing.
Raymond’s eyes narrowed. Mockery was not a gentleman’s way. A gentleman had far subtler games to play. “H-here. L-l-let m-me help you.”
Before Elliott could say another word, Raymond moved to the far side of the parlor and removed the vase of flowers off the farthest chair from the sofa. From there, the overfull table blocked the view of the sofa. As he set them on the floor, the blossoms received a subtle enchantment. As he returned to the sofa, every flower in his reach was likewise enchanted. Already a soft chorus filled the room if one knew to listen to it.
Elliott did not take the vacated chair. Instead, he held out his hand to Millie, almost commanding her to leave the sofa.
With a glance at Raymond, she took the hand and rose with reluctance. “I was not expecting you today,” she told Elliott.
Elliott’s eyes flickered toward Raymond. Raymond inspected his neatly-trimmed fingernails and hummed the daisy’s tune. The flowers chorus grew a little louder.
“Nonsense. How could I stay away?”
Elliott wouldn’t relinquish Millie’s reluctant hand. Nevertheless, she persisted until free. “It’s not like I haven’t seen you since yesterday.”
“And I hope to see you again tomorrow…” From the inside of his jacket he withdrew a small elongated velvet box. “…wearing this.” The box opened to show a silver chain bracelet, greasy with magic.
Mrs. Moore rose from her chair to admire the gift. “How…lovely. Is it Tiffany?”
A frown creased Elliott’s forehead. “Marcus.”
Millie retreated. “It’s too much. I can’t accept it.”
Mrs. Moore continued to stare at the simple silver bracelet. “You can’t turn down a gift like this.”
“I can’t accept a gift like this.” She turned to Raymond.
He rose. “I say, Elliott. L-laying it on t-t-t-oo thick?” His toe nudged the vase, increasing the flowers’ volume.
Elliott looked to the flowers and his frown deepened. He lifted the bracelet from its box and reached for Millie’s hand. “I insist.”
Mrs. Moore came around to the other side. “Take the gift, Mildred.” Her voice was tight and brittle.
Millie looked between her mother and Elliott. Her hand reached for Raymond’s. “Must I?”
“Yes,” her mother said between her teeth.
“I don’t want it.”
Raymond looked at the bracelet Elliott held up. Mrs. Moore lifted her finger and traced the links, beguiled by the magic infused in its silver.
But Millie wasn’t fooled, Raymond was certain. Yet another reason to love her.
She clung to his hand. This action did not go unnoticed by Elliott.
“I see.” He laid the bracelet back in its box and gave it to Mrs. Moore. “Perhaps this is a gift that would be appreciated later.”
Mrs. Moore received the box with eager hands. She ran her fingers over its velvet surface. “Mildred,” she said, her voice taking on an unnatural coldness. “Take this upstairs.” She forced it onto Millie.
Millie held it by two fingers as if its greasy effects would contaminate her further.
Raymond had to do something. He reached into his pocket. “B-before you g-g-o, M-m-miss Moore, I have a lit-t-tle something f-f-or you as we-we-ell.” On the back of a heart he pencilled a
She turned the full force of her illuminating smile on him. Could anyone look more radiant?
Raymond took a breath to fortify himself. “Mrs. M-moore, I have c-come to a-a-sk—”
A knock rang out on the front door. Millie peered out the window and her countenance fell. “Oh dear.”
It was Guy Elliott come to call. He swanned into the parlor with an arm full of flowers and a head full of ego. Raymond rose to his feet.
Oh, this would be interesting.
If Elliott had the poor taste to interrupt Raymond while he was asking for permission to court Millie, he would make him pay for every inch.
Elliott’s plastic smile froze the moment his gaze lit on Raymond. “I see you have ca-company.” He handed the flowers to the maid for vasing.
Raymond’s eyes narrowed. Mockery was not a gentleman’s way. A gentleman had far subtler games to play. “H-here. L-l-let m-me help you.”
Before Elliott could say another word, Raymond moved to the far side of the parlor and removed the vase of flowers off the farthest chair from the sofa. From there, the overfull table blocked the view of the sofa. As he set them on the floor, the blossoms received a subtle enchantment. As he returned to the sofa, every flower in his reach was likewise enchanted. Already a soft chorus filled the room if one knew to listen to it.
Elliott did not take the vacated chair. Instead, he held out his hand to Millie, almost commanding her to leave the sofa.
With a glance at Raymond, she took the hand and rose with reluctance. “I was not expecting you today,” she told Elliott.
Elliott’s eyes flickered toward Raymond. Raymond inspected his neatly-trimmed fingernails and hummed the daisy’s tune. The flowers chorus grew a little louder.
“Nonsense. How could I stay away?”
Elliott wouldn’t relinquish Millie’s reluctant hand. Nevertheless, she persisted until free. “It’s not like I haven’t seen you since yesterday.”
“And I hope to see you again tomorrow…” From the inside of his jacket he withdrew a small elongated velvet box. “…wearing this.” The box opened to show a silver chain bracelet, greasy with magic.
Mrs. Moore rose from her chair to admire the gift. “How…lovely. Is it Tiffany?”
A frown creased Elliott’s forehead. “Marcus.”
Millie retreated. “It’s too much. I can’t accept it.”
Mrs. Moore continued to stare at the simple silver bracelet. “You can’t turn down a gift like this.”
“I can’t accept a gift like this.” She turned to Raymond.
He rose. “I say, Elliott. L-laying it on t-t-t-oo thick?” His toe nudged the vase, increasing the flowers’ volume.
Elliott looked to the flowers and his frown deepened. He lifted the bracelet from its box and reached for Millie’s hand. “I insist.”
Mrs. Moore came around to the other side. “Take the gift, Mildred.” Her voice was tight and brittle.
Millie looked between her mother and Elliott. Her hand reached for Raymond’s. “Must I?”
“Yes,” her mother said between her teeth.
“I don’t want it.”
Raymond looked at the bracelet Elliott held up. Mrs. Moore lifted her finger and traced the links, beguiled by the magic infused in its silver.
But Millie wasn’t fooled, Raymond was certain. Yet another reason to love her.
She clung to his hand. This action did not go unnoticed by Elliott.
“I see.” He laid the bracelet back in its box and gave it to Mrs. Moore. “Perhaps this is a gift that would be appreciated later.”
Mrs. Moore received the box with eager hands. She ran her fingers over its velvet surface. “Mildred,” she said, her voice taking on an unnatural coldness. “Take this upstairs.” She forced it onto Millie.
Millie held it by two fingers as if its greasy effects would contaminate her further.
Raymond had to do something. He reached into his pocket. “B-before you g-g-o, M-m-miss Moore, I have a lit-t-tle something f-f-or you as we-we-ell.” On the back of a heart he pencilled a
Similar Books
