Romance: Detective Romance: A Vicious Affair (Victorian Regency Intrigue 19th England Romance) (Historical Mystery Detective Romance) by Lisa Andersen Read Free Book Online
Authors: Lisa Andersen
retreat from the society he’d so recently been thrust back into. He wished to take a pause, he said, and he could think of nobody better to do that with that young Miss Somerset.
Eve was hugely excited by this news, and could barely sit still for the two weeks building up to his visit. The last time they had had a formal suitor had been when Eve was one-and-seven and a boy from London had come down to court her, but Eve had ruined that by not allowing the boy to call her “silly flower”.
“I am not silly ,” Eve had said, to the gasps of Mother and Auntie Alice. “And I am not a flower. I am a woman, a quite intelligent woman.” Mother had not talked to her for almost a week after that.
“You will not embarrass this home again,” Mother said, the night before Brigadier Appleyard was due to arrive. “You will be decorous and proper at all times. You will not make remarks unbecoming of a young lady. You will not behave in a forward or improper manner. You will at all times be a lady , Eve. For the sake of your prospects, listen to your old mother! And remember at all times, he is here to win you , not the other way around. You must never appear overzealous with men. They are an – shall we say – eager sex, my sweet daughter. You know little of the world, and so you will not know of what I speak. But trust me when I say that nobler women than you have been brought lower than maidservants by the eagerness of their speech.”
Eve endured this speech by nodding and smiling, which was how she had learnt to deal with all of Mother’s long speeches. Auntie Alice wouldn’t say anything about the meeting since Mother had scolded her two nights ago. “If you will talk like that about a man who fought for your country, sister,” Mother had said, leaning over her, “then you can get out of my house!”
The only sound to be heard from Auntie Alice now was the click-click-click of her knitting needles.
Finally, the day arrived. Brigadier Appleyard sent a calling card in the morning asking if he may visit around one o’ clock. Mother responded that that was acceptable and Eve spent the morning in the most intense anticipation. She felt as though she had spent the last month climbing a vast mountain, and now she was so close to the top she could see sunlight cresting it, washing down toward her, over her face. However, despite this thrill of anticipation, a pit had opened in her stomach; she was incredibly nervous. When one has not spoken intimately with the opposite sex for a long time, one ceases to believe one is capable of such discourse.
But there was not long to be nervous. Presently Eve arose to a knocking at the door. “Sit down!” Mother hissed. “Let Ellie answer it!” (Ellie being the only maidservant they had been able to keep on at reduced wages.)
There was a shuffling without, and then Ellie led in Brigadier Appleyard. He looked around the room and smiled tightly when he saw Eve, his scar tugging at his upper lip.
*****
“Brigadier Appleyard,” Mother said, rising and curtseying. “It is a pleasure to welcome you into our humble home. I hope the journey here was agreeable.”
Brigadier Appleyard appeared lost for a moment. Then his head snapped to Mother and he nodded briskly.
“Yes, thank you,” he said. “The roads were at peace. It was—a nice change from—from the way things have been—elsewhere.” He flinched as though inflicted by his own words. “Ladies, thank you for allowing me into your home.”
“I believe you have met my daughter, Miss Eve Somerset?”
Eve had already stood. Now she curtseyed low and formally, but looked up for a quick, secret moment and caught Brigadier Appleyard’s eye. She looked down quickly, lest she appear coquettish.
“And my sister, Miss Alice Wilton,” Mother went on.
Auntie Alice curtseyed clumsily, looking anywhere but into Brigadier Appleyard’s face.
“Please, Brigadier Appleyard, sit down,” Mother said.
“You may use
Eve was hugely excited by this news, and could barely sit still for the two weeks building up to his visit. The last time they had had a formal suitor had been when Eve was one-and-seven and a boy from London had come down to court her, but Eve had ruined that by not allowing the boy to call her “silly flower”.
“I am not silly ,” Eve had said, to the gasps of Mother and Auntie Alice. “And I am not a flower. I am a woman, a quite intelligent woman.” Mother had not talked to her for almost a week after that.
“You will not embarrass this home again,” Mother said, the night before Brigadier Appleyard was due to arrive. “You will be decorous and proper at all times. You will not make remarks unbecoming of a young lady. You will not behave in a forward or improper manner. You will at all times be a lady , Eve. For the sake of your prospects, listen to your old mother! And remember at all times, he is here to win you , not the other way around. You must never appear overzealous with men. They are an – shall we say – eager sex, my sweet daughter. You know little of the world, and so you will not know of what I speak. But trust me when I say that nobler women than you have been brought lower than maidservants by the eagerness of their speech.”
Eve endured this speech by nodding and smiling, which was how she had learnt to deal with all of Mother’s long speeches. Auntie Alice wouldn’t say anything about the meeting since Mother had scolded her two nights ago. “If you will talk like that about a man who fought for your country, sister,” Mother had said, leaning over her, “then you can get out of my house!”
The only sound to be heard from Auntie Alice now was the click-click-click of her knitting needles.
Finally, the day arrived. Brigadier Appleyard sent a calling card in the morning asking if he may visit around one o’ clock. Mother responded that that was acceptable and Eve spent the morning in the most intense anticipation. She felt as though she had spent the last month climbing a vast mountain, and now she was so close to the top she could see sunlight cresting it, washing down toward her, over her face. However, despite this thrill of anticipation, a pit had opened in her stomach; she was incredibly nervous. When one has not spoken intimately with the opposite sex for a long time, one ceases to believe one is capable of such discourse.
But there was not long to be nervous. Presently Eve arose to a knocking at the door. “Sit down!” Mother hissed. “Let Ellie answer it!” (Ellie being the only maidservant they had been able to keep on at reduced wages.)
There was a shuffling without, and then Ellie led in Brigadier Appleyard. He looked around the room and smiled tightly when he saw Eve, his scar tugging at his upper lip.
*****
“Brigadier Appleyard,” Mother said, rising and curtseying. “It is a pleasure to welcome you into our humble home. I hope the journey here was agreeable.”
Brigadier Appleyard appeared lost for a moment. Then his head snapped to Mother and he nodded briskly.
“Yes, thank you,” he said. “The roads were at peace. It was—a nice change from—from the way things have been—elsewhere.” He flinched as though inflicted by his own words. “Ladies, thank you for allowing me into your home.”
“I believe you have met my daughter, Miss Eve Somerset?”
Eve had already stood. Now she curtseyed low and formally, but looked up for a quick, secret moment and caught Brigadier Appleyard’s eye. She looked down quickly, lest she appear coquettish.
“And my sister, Miss Alice Wilton,” Mother went on.
Auntie Alice curtseyed clumsily, looking anywhere but into Brigadier Appleyard’s face.
“Please, Brigadier Appleyard, sit down,” Mother said.
“You may use
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