Cates, Kimberly by Stealing Heaven Read Free Book Online Page A

mountain snow pillowed in the center
of a sun-kissed summer sea.
    Norah
couldn't speak as her fingers stole out to touch the garment, make certain it
was real.
    But
Richard was already sweeping it about her shoulders. She stood like a
moon-struck child as he fastened the exquisite pelisse about her. "There
is a bonnet too," he said, retrieving a confection of blush-colored lace
and myrtleblossoms from another box. He settled it on Norah's curls, his brow
furrowing in concentration as he tied the bow beneath her chin.
    "Richard,
how can I ever thank you?" Norah ran trembling fingers across the
cloud-soft down.
    He
flashed her his most dazzling smile. "Virtue is supposed to be its own
reward, is it not? Just go off and bewitch your Irishman, Norah. Your marriage...
and happiness will be reward enough for me."
    At
that moment, Richard's coachman and postilion staggered over, hauling a shining
new trunk twice the size of Norah's battered old one.
    Norah
gasped. "More? Oh, Richard—"
    "Mr.
Piggle, you may take Miss Linton's old trunk and dispose of its contents as you
will."
    Norah
raised a hand to her throat, dismayed. "No! I, oh, I don't think—I mean,
it's not that I'm not grateful—"
    "I'll
brook no argument on this point, sister mine. I know how your devious feminine
mind works far too well. You'd want to save the new things—keep them
pristine, for God knows what reason, and wind up 'making do' with your old
ones. I want you to wear the pretties I bought you. Enjoy them."
    "But
I—" She started to protest again, but he looked like a small boy she'd
deprived of a sweet. She surrendered with a laugh. What else could she do?
Especially when he was right? "Abominable boy!" she said. "At
least let me take out my treasure box."
    She
opened the trunk and removed a hatbox in which she'd tucked her few treasures:
one stray earring of a set that had belonged to her great-grandmother and the
doll her father had given her the Christmas before he'd died—a doll garbed in
refurbished finery to delight a new little girl, the child who would be Norah's
daughter.
    There
had been few physical demonstrations of affection in Winston Farnsworth's
house, but Norah flung her arms around her stepbrother nonetheless. Her voice
caught on a sob. "I shall miss you so much. I cannot believe I'm losing you
now, when we've finally grown close."
    "It's
dashed unfair, I know. But it's not as if we'll never see each other
again," he said, awkwardly patting her on the back. "Why, I'm certain
you'll come to London from time to time. And I shall see to my brotherly duty
and make certain that all is well with you. In fact, I have already arranged
for a friend of mine to stop by your castle to make certain this Irishman
realizes what a treasure I've entrusted to him."
    Norah
felt blood rush to her cheeks, and she pulled away from him, beseeching her
brother. "No! It's not necessary." But her dismay only increased as
Richard laid his gloved fingertips against her mouth.
    "I
will be the judge of what is necessary to fulfill my duty where my own sister
is concerned. The Honorable Philip Montgomery has already offered to see how
you fare."
    "Philip
Montgomery?" Norah's dismay increased a thousandfold. Anyone but him! She
had cherished a schoolgirl's crush on Montgomery since she was scarce
fourteen—and she couldn't count the number of times in the ensuing years the
elegant aristocrat had caught her staring at him like a love-sick ninny.
"Oh, Richard, please tell me you did not confide the circumstances
surrounding my betrothal to Philip Montgomery!"
    Richard
looked genuinely hurt. "I'm not quite the insensitive dolt people think
me! I made your engagement sound quite romantic, as if this Irishman had swept
you off your feet. Of course, Montgomery was positively surly when I told him
the story. But then, he is suspicious of anyone possessed of a drop of Irish
blood. They've had an estate near Sligo for two hundred years, and I vow it's
been nothing but agony