Loving Julia by Karen Robards Read Free Book Online Page B

addressed her as “mama.” She had the same build as he, the same porcelain-perfect features, even the same coloring—although age had turned her hair a distinguished shade of silver and fine lines marred the flawless surface of her skin. Dressed in a high-necked, long-sleeved black silk dress that was ornamented only by a gleaming onyx brooch at the base of her throat, she was still as arrestingly attractive as her son. Only her voice, with its edge of petulant dissatisfaction, differed markedly from his.
    “Really, Sebastian, just because you are the subject of some unsavory gossip over Elizabeth’s death is no reason to make a social outcast of yourself. Or are you worried that someone might ask about that backward child of yours? You should be used to that by now—My heavens, what in the world is that ?”
    Jewel had twisted in her chair to better see the speaker as this exchange took place, and her movement caught the lady’s attention. She stared at Jewel with repugnance, and Jewel returned her look with interest. Despite the earl’s icy manner and insults, Jewel felt herself instinctively siding with him in what she sensed was an ongoing battle with his icicle of a mother.
    “Prepare yourself for a shock, mama,” the earl said with a slight, malicious twist of his lips. “This is the newest addition to our happy family. Timothy’s widow, to be precise. Uh, Jewel, you may make your curtsy to your new cousin, my mother, the Dowager Countess of Moorland.”
    “Sebastian, I have had enough of your childish tricks, and so I warn you! If you think to palm me off with some Banbury story….!”
    “Oh, it’s quite true, mama, I assure you. I have the marriage lines right here.” The earl sounded as if he were enjoying himself. Jewel, far from following his admonition to curtsy to his mama, was glaring at the lady.
    “Sebastian, if this is another of your attempts to annoy me …”
    “Not at all, mama. You may see for yourself if you wish.”
    He profferred the marriage lines. With carefully controlled movements the countess crossed the room and took the document from his hand. As she read it, her face creased in the same slight frown that had marred the earl’s features earlier.
    “And are you going to let this—this creature pull the wool over your eyes with this? It is not worth the paper it is printed on.”
    “Who d’ ya think …” Jewel started indignantly, but was silenced by the earl’s quick frown and uplifted hand.
    “Be silent,” he said, scarcely sparing her a look. Much to her own surprise, Jewel obeyed him.
    “Strangely enough,” he continued, “I believe the document is genuine.” His mother glared at him. He smiled blandly back at her.
    “Even if she did somehow coerce Timothy into marrying her, we have only to turn her away, and it won’t matter. Who would listen to her with him dead—and besides, we have her marriage lines.” A cunning look came into the countess’ eyes as she regarded Jewel, who sat stiff and resentful in her chair. “Very foolish of you to hand over the paper, girl. Without this, what proof do you have?”
    “Why, mama, what other proof does she need if I am prepared to accept her as Timothy’s relic?”
    The countess made a low, choked sound as she stared at her son. “You cannot. Sebastian, you are doing this merely to persecute me. Oh, why was I cursed with such an unnatural son?”
    “Bad luck, wasn’t it, that I didn’t die instead of Edward? Well, such is the way of things.”
    “Sebastian, you can’t …”
    “Oh, but I can,” he said softly, his eyes never leaving her face. “And I am. And, dearest mama, there is absolutely nothing you can do about it.”
    The countess glared at him. Jewel could have sworn the woman’s eyes were filled with hate. But surely no mother could actually hate her own flesh and blood?
    “If you go through with this, you will rue the day, I promise you,” the countess said in a low choked voice. Turning,