Romance: Detective Romance: A Vicious Affair (Victorian Regency Intrigue 19th England Romance) (Historical Mystery Detective Romance) by Lisa Andersen Page A
Authors: Lisa Andersen
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“You have not flinched from me once. Miss Wilton certainly has, no matter how she tries to hide it. And even Mrs. Somerset has some disgust in her eyes, but not you?”
“It does not bother me at all,” Eve said honestly.
“Eve,” Charles said, and then looked quickly at the window. “May I kiss your hand? It is monstrous of me to ask, I know. But I would—I would like it very much.”
Eve felt her heartbeat speed up as though a jolt of lightening had just coursed through her. She looked anxiously toward the window and saw that nobody was there; nobody was watching. Her hand was gloved. Slowly, her hands trembling, she unpeeled the glove, revealing her small white hand. Charles reached down and touched her hand. “Miss Somerset, are you sure?”
“Yes, Charles,” she said quietly, her heart hammering in her chest now. “I would— I think I would like it if you did.”
He clasped her hand in his. His hand was rough and war-worn, but warm and somehow safe-feeling, as though nothing could harm her as long as he had hold of her hand. He bowed down and laid his lips upon her skin. She shivered as the sensation ran up her body. “Thank you, Miss Somerset,” Charles said, straightening again. “
Eve quickly put her glove back on, and then she looked toward the house, just to make sure— there, in the top window, stood Auntie Alice, her nose pressed against the glass. As soon as she saw Alice, she darted back into the house, the curtains fluttering behind her. “What is it?” Charles said, looking toward the house. But it was too late. Auntie Alice was gone. “What is it, Miss Somerset? Has something bothered you?”
She saw, Eve thought in panic. Auntie Alice saw. Oh, Heavens, I am going to hear it now!
*****
“Kissed your hand, indeed!” Auntie Alice cried, almost the instant Charles was gone. She paced the room with her knitting bundled in her meaty fist. “In my day, that sort of thing never would have happened! What, a revolution abroad breeds a revolution of skirts over here! Is that how it is? Oh, Lord bless me, kissed your hand indeed!”
Eve bowed her head and waited for the scorn that really mattered, the scorn that would come from Mother: come like a beam of fire. Eve waited and waited until finally Auntie Alice exclaimed: “Mary, aren’t you going to say something to your daughter? She runs around with the man like a common slattern! How dare you let her conduct herself in such a way! How dare you—”
“Enough,” Mother said, her voice as cool as ice. “That is enough, Alice. What’s done is done. It has happened and there is naught we can do about it. So, Eve, my sweet daughter, this is your scheme, is it?”
“Scheme, Mother?” Eve said, confused.
Mother squinted at her, and then nodded. “Perhaps you are naïve after all. You know of course we must accept the Brigadier’s proposal now. We could barely dream of refusing before, for his income and his prestige. Now there is no question of it. He has touched you now, dear; he has claimed you. I will send word immediately.”
“Oh, Mother!” Eve cried, almost clapping her hands together like when she was a girl. “Do you mean it? I can marry him?”
“ This is her punishment?” Auntie Alice said, her voice full of disbelief. “ This is how you punish your daughter, your flesh-and-blood? You give her what she wants !”
“Sister,” Mother said quietly. “We have both poured our lives into Eve. We have worked for her marriage ever since my dear, confused husband robbed her of a dowry. This is everything we wanted; and we are lucky that she wants it to. A rare thing in this world. Do not be sad, because she is starting her life. Ours is not over just yet.”
The rest was just background noise. Soon Mother wrote the letter and sent it into town. Within an hour, there was a reply saying that Charles would call tomorrow when they would arrange the vicar and the church. Charles wanted to be married as soon as he
“It does not bother me at all,” Eve said honestly.
“Eve,” Charles said, and then looked quickly at the window. “May I kiss your hand? It is monstrous of me to ask, I know. But I would—I would like it very much.”
Eve felt her heartbeat speed up as though a jolt of lightening had just coursed through her. She looked anxiously toward the window and saw that nobody was there; nobody was watching. Her hand was gloved. Slowly, her hands trembling, she unpeeled the glove, revealing her small white hand. Charles reached down and touched her hand. “Miss Somerset, are you sure?”
“Yes, Charles,” she said quietly, her heart hammering in her chest now. “I would— I think I would like it if you did.”
He clasped her hand in his. His hand was rough and war-worn, but warm and somehow safe-feeling, as though nothing could harm her as long as he had hold of her hand. He bowed down and laid his lips upon her skin. She shivered as the sensation ran up her body. “Thank you, Miss Somerset,” Charles said, straightening again. “
Eve quickly put her glove back on, and then she looked toward the house, just to make sure— there, in the top window, stood Auntie Alice, her nose pressed against the glass. As soon as she saw Alice, she darted back into the house, the curtains fluttering behind her. “What is it?” Charles said, looking toward the house. But it was too late. Auntie Alice was gone. “What is it, Miss Somerset? Has something bothered you?”
She saw, Eve thought in panic. Auntie Alice saw. Oh, Heavens, I am going to hear it now!
*****
“Kissed your hand, indeed!” Auntie Alice cried, almost the instant Charles was gone. She paced the room with her knitting bundled in her meaty fist. “In my day, that sort of thing never would have happened! What, a revolution abroad breeds a revolution of skirts over here! Is that how it is? Oh, Lord bless me, kissed your hand indeed!”
Eve bowed her head and waited for the scorn that really mattered, the scorn that would come from Mother: come like a beam of fire. Eve waited and waited until finally Auntie Alice exclaimed: “Mary, aren’t you going to say something to your daughter? She runs around with the man like a common slattern! How dare you let her conduct herself in such a way! How dare you—”
“Enough,” Mother said, her voice as cool as ice. “That is enough, Alice. What’s done is done. It has happened and there is naught we can do about it. So, Eve, my sweet daughter, this is your scheme, is it?”
“Scheme, Mother?” Eve said, confused.
Mother squinted at her, and then nodded. “Perhaps you are naïve after all. You know of course we must accept the Brigadier’s proposal now. We could barely dream of refusing before, for his income and his prestige. Now there is no question of it. He has touched you now, dear; he has claimed you. I will send word immediately.”
“Oh, Mother!” Eve cried, almost clapping her hands together like when she was a girl. “Do you mean it? I can marry him?”
“ This is her punishment?” Auntie Alice said, her voice full of disbelief. “ This is how you punish your daughter, your flesh-and-blood? You give her what she wants !”
“Sister,” Mother said quietly. “We have both poured our lives into Eve. We have worked for her marriage ever since my dear, confused husband robbed her of a dowry. This is everything we wanted; and we are lucky that she wants it to. A rare thing in this world. Do not be sad, because she is starting her life. Ours is not over just yet.”
The rest was just background noise. Soon Mother wrote the letter and sent it into town. Within an hour, there was a reply saying that Charles would call tomorrow when they would arrange the vicar and the church. Charles wanted to be married as soon as he
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