Housebound by Anne Stuart Read Free Book Online Page A

Holly snapped, and Anne’s head shot up, her green eyes troubled as she surveyed her sister’s angry face. Holly continued on, undaunted. “You haven’t met Anne’s fiancé yet, Noah. Ashley hates him, but Proffy thinks the match is made in heaven. He’s much more tolerant of old Wilson than he is of any of my men friends. But then, Anne is thirty-four, and I guess he figures she knows what she wants by now.”
    Noah leaned against the oak table, more amused than anything else. “Thirty-four, are you? My, you are ancient! I’m surprised you don’t need a cane to get around.”
    â€œI can still manage pretty well,” Anne replied lightly, her eyes concerned as they took in Holly’s obvious distress. She had known for years that Holly hated to lose. But why should she feel threatened by Noah’s harmless charm, unless he meant more to her than one of the brief encounters she’d enjoyed over the years.
    â€œYes, she’s two years older than you,” Holly added with all the deftness of a sledgehammer. She had been blessed with neither Ashley’s malice nor Anne’s slightly mocking humor, and her attempts at acerbity fell flat.
    â€œSo she is,” Noah said mildly, taking in the tension with a wry smile.
    Finally Anne forced herself to move. “Look, why don’t you two go on up to the dining room and I’ll get a start on breakfast? If you’re feeling noble you might even set the table.” She slid off the countertop and began rustling around the stove.
    â€œThat sounds like a good idea.” Noah refilled his coffeemug, getting one for Holly while he was at it. The anger and suspicion were gone from the younger woman’s eyes—instead they were filled with belated guilt and misery.
    â€œAnne, I’m…” Words seemed to fail her, and Anne could very well guess why. She could hardly admit to being jealous of her elder sister—Holly could never admit to any insecurities at all.
    â€œDon’t worry about it, cranky,” she said in a low voice, accompanying it with a forgiving smile. “I can see now why you sleep till noon.”
    Holly smiled back, obviously relieved, as she caught Noah’s arm in a lightly possessive grip. “Two eggs, over easy, with sausage and English muffins,” she demanded blithely. “What would you like, Noah?”
    He stared down at Holly, his easy smile nowhere to be seen. “First of all, I’d like you to stop treating your sister like a short-order cook and honored serf,” he drawled, the sting in his voice faint but present. “And for breakfast I’ll have whatever she’s making, or better still, I’ll make it myself and save her the trouble.”
    Anne swallowed, waiting for the explosion, and Holly’s eyes flashed dangerously for a moment. And then the tension left her, and she laughed, a light, unaffected laugh that was a major part of her charm.
    â€œYou’re right; I was thoughtless, and I’m sorry. Anne, you go on upstairs and set the table, and Noah and I will make breakfast.”
    â€œNow that sounds like a good idea,” Noah seconded, his eyes warm with approval. “Even better, why don’t you take your coffee, go into the living room, and put your feet up? Read the paper, take it easy. Holly and I will set the table, too. You deserve a morning off.”
    â€œYes, darling, you look like you’ve been under a lot of strain,” Holly added, and for the first time Anne wondered if Ashley’s malice had really passed her by.
    â€œAll right, I’m going,” she acquiesced. “But you have to clean up any mess you make.”
    â€œCross my heart!” Holly promised. “I’ll put Noah in charge of KP.”
    â€œHey!” he protested.
    â€œWomen’s lib,” she chirped back saucily. “Go on, Anne. You can trust us in your precious kitchen.”
    As she