Simon's Brides by Allison Knight Read Free Book Online Page B

under five feet. Snow white curls peaked from under her bonnet. Amy watched as she untied her bonnet, then raised her lorgnette to her blue eyes and studied Amy.
     
    She uttered, “My God, you are filthy.”
     
    She stepped further into the hall, glanced around and announced, “This place is an abomination.” She wrinkled her nose and sniffed. “It smells terrible. I see I have my work cut out for me.”
     
    Then, in a loud and shrill voice she shouted, “Simon Warner, where are you, you rascal?”
     
    Next, she turned to Amy, “You need to clean yourself up, my girl.” She lifted her glasses to her eyes and glanced at Caro. “And you, you are just as dirty.”
     
    Amy opened her mouth to tell this woman to leave. Before she could say a word, Simon rushed into the room. Once again Amy fought the strange emotions flooding through her. She swallowed hard and tried to ignore the sensation.
     
    Simon stopped before their visitor. “Aunt Agatha! I see--” he began.
     
    “Simon, these girls are filthy. This house is filthy.”
     
    “Aunt Agatha, these--”
     
    She stepped up next to Simon and tapped his chest with her lorgnette, “These girls need a change of clothing.”
     
    “Look, Aunt Agatha, these girls--”
     
    “Well, my boy, you sent for me. You told me it was urgent.” She glanced around, “Where are the servants? They will certainly have to be replaced. They obviously have no idea how to care for a house. And, who will bring in my trunks?”
     
    Simon bristled under her regard and opened his mouth once more, but she interrupted again, “I need to rest. I’m not used to riding in a closed carriage for hours. Oh, the rocking and the bouncing were terrible.”
     
    Simon groaned. Perhaps Aunt Agatha had not been the best choice for a chaperone, after all.
     
    “Look, Aunt,” he started again, “There’s a lot here you don’t know.” He pointed to Amy and refused to acknowledge the thrill that shot through him. “Amelia is the oldest of the women who are now my responsibility.”
     
    “Hummm,” Agatha lifted her glasses once more and Simon watched as she looked Amy over. He wondered if she saw what he saw. Her words told him she did not.
     
    “My dear, cleanliness is next to Godliness,” Agatha offered.
     
    Simon frowned and turned to the other sister. “This is Carolyn. And, they are both so dirty--”
     
    She interrupted, “They are filthy.”
     
    “Aunt, they’ve been forced to clean because the miscreant who tried to take over the property left the place a mess.”
     
    Agatha opened her mouth, but now that he had the floor, Simon rushed on. “Deplorable, I know, but he also dismissed all of the servants, so Amy and her sisters have been trying to help with the cleaning.”
     
    Agatha leaned toward him and whispered, her voice loud enough for all of them to hear, “Well, I’ll have to see to hiring servants immediately.” She lifted her glasses once more and gazed at the hall and the visible rooms. She shivered, “A mess, yes, an intolerable mess.”
     
    “Aunt, I can see to the...”
     
    She stepped closer to Simon and in the same loud whisper she asked, “Is what you wrote correct? That you have to find husbands for these women? They are quite old, aren’t they? And, they are so tall.” She shook her head glancing at Amy and Caro once more. “Finding husbands for these women will take all my skill.”
     
    “Aunt, I must find them husbands.” Simon tried to hide his horror. Somehow the thought of letting his aunt marry Amy off to someone sent a shaft of anger through him. He tried to clarify the situation. He declared, “All you have to do--”
     
    “Now, Simon,” she interrupted once more raising her lorgnette to her face, “what do you know about arranging marriages? After all, I’ve been married three times. I know about this business.”
     
    She started toward the stairs but turned back, her face wrinkled in concern, “They do have doweries,