to wipe him from her mind. The image of Gabriel kissing Eloise Grattan was just the thing. She picked up the book of Wordsworth and leafed through it.
“Do you really think so? I’m not too young?” Eloise’s voice fluttered with nervous worry.
Too young? He couldn’t be more than a year or two older than her. She stifled a laugh, and the book accidentally knocked the glass of the display case.
“Shh,” Sally said. “Someone’s listening.”
“Who?” asked a panicked Eloise.
Felicity buried her head in the book and pressed into the corner, out of their line of sight.
“It’s only Felicity Kensington,” Sally said after a moment,“and she’s busy reading, but just to be safe, pretend you’re looking at the candy.”
“But I am looking at the candy.”
“To buy some, silly.”
“I was going to get some horehound drops,” Eloise said, and for a moment Felicity felt sorry for her. Sally was sure to ridicule the choice.
“Horehound? That’s for sore throats.”
“Pa likes them,” Eloise said weakly.
After that, the conversation stopped for so long that Felicity thought they’d left. She edged out of the corner and spied the two girls still at the candy counter.
“You don’t think I’m too young?” Eloise asked again.
“Not at all,” Sally said flippantly. “Some men like younger women.”
Felicity rolled her eyes.
“But my size—”
“My brother says men like a woman with some meat.”
Joe Neidecker might like substantial women, but Felicity doubted Gabriel did.
“Do you think I have a chance?” Eloise whispered.
Sally’s voice lowered, but Felicity could just make out the last bit. “…the barn after lunch.”
They were going to the barn? Felicity nearly dropped the book. Eloise wasn’t infatuated with Gabriel. She wanted Robert. Impossible. He would never fall in love with someone like Eloise. She had no breeding or wealth. She brought nothing to a marriage.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be with you every step of the way,” Sally said.
Felicity’s pulse beat faster. Sally didn’t offer her assistance unless she expected to gain something, even from her sidekick. Eloise might think Sally was joining her to help,but in the end, Sally, not Eloise, would have Robert—unless Felicity got there first.
She snapped the book shut. She couldn’t wait for the Founder’s Day picnic. If she wanted to secure Robert, she had to act now. But how? She couldn’t pester him like Eloise. That was sure to drive the man away. No, she needed a good, logical reason to interrupt his business or he’d only be annoyed. Business. That was it. She set the book back on the shelf.
“Oh, Felicity,” said Sally, sliding past her, “I didn’t see you. When is the committee meeting?”
“I’ll contact you,” Felicity said sweetly, as if she hadn’t overheard a thing. “I’m glad you’re helping.”
“Oh, not me. Eloise is on the committee. I’m far too busy to be on some silly old committee.”
“It’s hardly silly.” Felicity couldn’t believe she was defending Mother’s pet project. “The new window is important to the church.”
Sally shrugged. “Everyone knows the only person who really wants it is your mother. That’s why she named you chairwoman.”
Felicity clenched her fists. “No one supports this community more. Why, if it weren’t for the Kensingtons—”
“Kensington,” Sally snorted and rolled her eyes at Eloise, who giggled. “I wouldn’t throw that name around so much if I were you.”
“What do you mean?” Felicity demanded.
Again, Sally laughed. “Not a thing.” She took Eloise by the arm, and the two girls walked off, whispering to each other.
Felicity stood dumbfounded before the candy display. People disparaged the Kensington name on occasion, but no one had ever done so to her face.
“Kin I help you, Ms. Kensington?” Josh Billingsley asked.
She shook her head. Sally and Eloise’s snide comments didn’t matter. They were just
“Do you really think so? I’m not too young?” Eloise’s voice fluttered with nervous worry.
Too young? He couldn’t be more than a year or two older than her. She stifled a laugh, and the book accidentally knocked the glass of the display case.
“Shh,” Sally said. “Someone’s listening.”
“Who?” asked a panicked Eloise.
Felicity buried her head in the book and pressed into the corner, out of their line of sight.
“It’s only Felicity Kensington,” Sally said after a moment,“and she’s busy reading, but just to be safe, pretend you’re looking at the candy.”
“But I am looking at the candy.”
“To buy some, silly.”
“I was going to get some horehound drops,” Eloise said, and for a moment Felicity felt sorry for her. Sally was sure to ridicule the choice.
“Horehound? That’s for sore throats.”
“Pa likes them,” Eloise said weakly.
After that, the conversation stopped for so long that Felicity thought they’d left. She edged out of the corner and spied the two girls still at the candy counter.
“You don’t think I’m too young?” Eloise asked again.
“Not at all,” Sally said flippantly. “Some men like younger women.”
Felicity rolled her eyes.
“But my size—”
“My brother says men like a woman with some meat.”
Joe Neidecker might like substantial women, but Felicity doubted Gabriel did.
“Do you think I have a chance?” Eloise whispered.
Sally’s voice lowered, but Felicity could just make out the last bit. “…the barn after lunch.”
They were going to the barn? Felicity nearly dropped the book. Eloise wasn’t infatuated with Gabriel. She wanted Robert. Impossible. He would never fall in love with someone like Eloise. She had no breeding or wealth. She brought nothing to a marriage.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be with you every step of the way,” Sally said.
Felicity’s pulse beat faster. Sally didn’t offer her assistance unless she expected to gain something, even from her sidekick. Eloise might think Sally was joining her to help,but in the end, Sally, not Eloise, would have Robert—unless Felicity got there first.
She snapped the book shut. She couldn’t wait for the Founder’s Day picnic. If she wanted to secure Robert, she had to act now. But how? She couldn’t pester him like Eloise. That was sure to drive the man away. No, she needed a good, logical reason to interrupt his business or he’d only be annoyed. Business. That was it. She set the book back on the shelf.
“Oh, Felicity,” said Sally, sliding past her, “I didn’t see you. When is the committee meeting?”
“I’ll contact you,” Felicity said sweetly, as if she hadn’t overheard a thing. “I’m glad you’re helping.”
“Oh, not me. Eloise is on the committee. I’m far too busy to be on some silly old committee.”
“It’s hardly silly.” Felicity couldn’t believe she was defending Mother’s pet project. “The new window is important to the church.”
Sally shrugged. “Everyone knows the only person who really wants it is your mother. That’s why she named you chairwoman.”
Felicity clenched her fists. “No one supports this community more. Why, if it weren’t for the Kensingtons—”
“Kensington,” Sally snorted and rolled her eyes at Eloise, who giggled. “I wouldn’t throw that name around so much if I were you.”
“What do you mean?” Felicity demanded.
Again, Sally laughed. “Not a thing.” She took Eloise by the arm, and the two girls walked off, whispering to each other.
Felicity stood dumbfounded before the candy display. People disparaged the Kensington name on occasion, but no one had ever done so to her face.
“Kin I help you, Ms. Kensington?” Josh Billingsley asked.
She shook her head. Sally and Eloise’s snide comments didn’t matter. They were just
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