Lucullia when she is old and they all fall out.” Colin tickled her.
Glory burst into laughter.
“And poor Murtia whose husband demands she answer his every beck and call,” Colin barreled on, “Poor hungry Portia who can not even attract a man who will continue to indulge her insatiable appetite.”
Glory joined in. “Poor Alexa whose husband can not keep the bed hot enough for her. Poor cheerless Ophelia who’s espoused is eternally happy.”
Colin laughed. “You mean eternally obnoxious.”
“And poor, poor Odessa whose betrothed does not have the ballocks to bridle her rages.”
“Glory!” a voice shouted across the garden.
Colin tensed. Glory gasped, “That’s Odessa.”
“Will I see you tonight?” Colin whispered.
“Come to the wedding.”
Colin nodded and dashed way.
“Glory.”
Glory turned to see her older sister, Odessa, pink with vexation.
“Where have you been?”
“Here,” Glory said.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
“Obviously not very hard,” Glory chortled.
Odessa’s face contorted. She grabbed Glory by the elbow and pulled her along.
“Ow,” Glory whined, “you are hurting me. Help!” she yowled half-heartedly, “I am being pulled to certain doom by a wild woman masquerading about as a princess.”
Odessa’s fist tightened on her elbow, her fingernails bit into her skin. Glory’s face scrunched up, and she paled. “Odessa, that really hurts.”
“We have a lot of work to do today, Glory. Father will be returning tonight from Council’s Realm, and everything must be set for Lucullia’s wedding.”
“Why can’t Ophelia and Portia help you?”
“They already are.”
Glory blew a stray strand of hair from her face. “I have better things to do today.”
Odessa dragged Glory into a corner and quickly looked about to ensure no one unwanted was coming. “As in consorting with Colin?”
Glory’s face was drawn. The blood rushed out of her complexion. She felt dizzy. “You know about us?”
“Everyone knows about the two of you,” Odessa growled.
Glory swallowed hard.
“Everyone, that is, but Father. If you do not pull your weight today, I will make it my personal charge to change that.”
“You wouldn’t!” Glory hissed.
“Try me.”
She glowered at Odessa, but was no match for her obstinate stare. Glory yowled in frustration, conceding with a huff. “Fine! Where am I needed?"
CHAPTER TWO
Lucullia’s Wedding
Glory knelt near a seamstress, helping her put the finishing touches on Lucullia’s white gown.
“Ow, be careful!” Lucullia stomped as a needle poked her ankle.
“I am sorry, My Lady,” murmured the seamstress.
“This should have been done weeks ago,” Glory muttered.
“It would have if I were not being wed to such a beggar,” Lucullia retorted. “It is all I can do to at least turn this rag he sent me into a proper dress.”
Ophelia, Odessa’s twin, had been sniffling softly in the background and suddenly burst into tears. “I wish I were getting married!”
“Your day is coming. What’s the rush?” Glory mumbled.
“It is just that…that…” Ophelia sniveled, “Lucullia looks so pretty.”
Odessa rolled her eyes at her twin. “Ophelia, you already are pretty.”
“You are only saying that,” Ophelia sobbed, “because you are my sister.”
Portia stood near a table in the corner laden with food. “We’re all sisters,” she garbled with a mouth full of rump roast.
“That may be so,” said Lucullia, “but do not dare put your fat little sausages on this dress. It is bad enough as it is without the stains of whatever garbage you have been eating.”
Ophelia wailed.
Odessa growled. “Oh, what is it now, Ophie?”
“Lucullia called Portia fat again.”
“She is,” grumbled Odessa.
Ophelia dried her blue eyes and dabbed at her nose. She looked at Portia who was now stuffing her face to conceal her hurt feelings. Ophelia burst into broken laughter. “Hey, you are
Glory burst into laughter.
“And poor Murtia whose husband demands she answer his every beck and call,” Colin barreled on, “Poor hungry Portia who can not even attract a man who will continue to indulge her insatiable appetite.”
Glory joined in. “Poor Alexa whose husband can not keep the bed hot enough for her. Poor cheerless Ophelia who’s espoused is eternally happy.”
Colin laughed. “You mean eternally obnoxious.”
“And poor, poor Odessa whose betrothed does not have the ballocks to bridle her rages.”
“Glory!” a voice shouted across the garden.
Colin tensed. Glory gasped, “That’s Odessa.”
“Will I see you tonight?” Colin whispered.
“Come to the wedding.”
Colin nodded and dashed way.
“Glory.”
Glory turned to see her older sister, Odessa, pink with vexation.
“Where have you been?”
“Here,” Glory said.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
“Obviously not very hard,” Glory chortled.
Odessa’s face contorted. She grabbed Glory by the elbow and pulled her along.
“Ow,” Glory whined, “you are hurting me. Help!” she yowled half-heartedly, “I am being pulled to certain doom by a wild woman masquerading about as a princess.”
Odessa’s fist tightened on her elbow, her fingernails bit into her skin. Glory’s face scrunched up, and she paled. “Odessa, that really hurts.”
“We have a lot of work to do today, Glory. Father will be returning tonight from Council’s Realm, and everything must be set for Lucullia’s wedding.”
“Why can’t Ophelia and Portia help you?”
“They already are.”
Glory blew a stray strand of hair from her face. “I have better things to do today.”
Odessa dragged Glory into a corner and quickly looked about to ensure no one unwanted was coming. “As in consorting with Colin?”
Glory’s face was drawn. The blood rushed out of her complexion. She felt dizzy. “You know about us?”
“Everyone knows about the two of you,” Odessa growled.
Glory swallowed hard.
“Everyone, that is, but Father. If you do not pull your weight today, I will make it my personal charge to change that.”
“You wouldn’t!” Glory hissed.
“Try me.”
She glowered at Odessa, but was no match for her obstinate stare. Glory yowled in frustration, conceding with a huff. “Fine! Where am I needed?"
CHAPTER TWO
Lucullia’s Wedding
Glory knelt near a seamstress, helping her put the finishing touches on Lucullia’s white gown.
“Ow, be careful!” Lucullia stomped as a needle poked her ankle.
“I am sorry, My Lady,” murmured the seamstress.
“This should have been done weeks ago,” Glory muttered.
“It would have if I were not being wed to such a beggar,” Lucullia retorted. “It is all I can do to at least turn this rag he sent me into a proper dress.”
Ophelia, Odessa’s twin, had been sniffling softly in the background and suddenly burst into tears. “I wish I were getting married!”
“Your day is coming. What’s the rush?” Glory mumbled.
“It is just that…that…” Ophelia sniveled, “Lucullia looks so pretty.”
Odessa rolled her eyes at her twin. “Ophelia, you already are pretty.”
“You are only saying that,” Ophelia sobbed, “because you are my sister.”
Portia stood near a table in the corner laden with food. “We’re all sisters,” she garbled with a mouth full of rump roast.
“That may be so,” said Lucullia, “but do not dare put your fat little sausages on this dress. It is bad enough as it is without the stains of whatever garbage you have been eating.”
Ophelia wailed.
Odessa growled. “Oh, what is it now, Ophie?”
“Lucullia called Portia fat again.”
“She is,” grumbled Odessa.
Ophelia dried her blue eyes and dabbed at her nose. She looked at Portia who was now stuffing her face to conceal her hurt feelings. Ophelia burst into broken laughter. “Hey, you are
Similar Books
