The Flower Girls by Margaret Blake Read Free Book Online

you told me you’d been a foreign correspondent, you didn’t tell me you still wrote.”
    She looked at the worktable, the opened books, the computer’s light blinking.
    “I didn’t think it necessary or important. You wouldn’t know me.”
    “How do you know that? Do you use your own name?”
    “No.”
    “Are you going to make me tease every bit of information out of you?”
    He leaned forward, his knees almost touching hers. “I wouldn’t mind your teasing me, Poppy. I wouldn’t mind at all.”
    She heard her little gasp, and was aware too that his words caused a frisson of delight to travel across her stomach. Her cheeks burned. Realizing she had to retaliate, she said, “You shouldn’t be flirting with me.”
    “Why not?”
    “You’re my brother-in-law, that’s why not. You belong to Jasmine.”
    “I don’t belong to anyone,” he said sternly. In a fluid motion he stood, going to stand at the fireplace, resting one hand on the mantle and the other sliding in the inside of his sweater. She watched fascinated as he massaged that area between the throat and the chest.
    “I suppose I should go…” she managed, standing and finding herself not quite steady on her legs. The impact of the moment was still rampaging through her; sending the blood coursing through her veins, making her feel hot and cold and hot again. He was so damned attractive and what was worse, she suspected he knew it.
    He abruptly pulled his hand from his sweater, the arm hanging limply at his side, a sort of tension shown in the opening and closing of his fist.
    “Things are over between Jasmine and me. If they ever were more than a…” but he stopped. “You’re not like your sister at all are you?”
    “I…no, no I’m not. But she is my sister and I would never do anything to hurt her.”
    “I wish the feelings were mutual,” he said enigmatically. Then after a moment he added, “You wouldn’t hurt Jasmine; she has no feelings for me.”
    “I can’t understand why not?”
    “Perhaps one day I’ll explain.”
    He left his position and came to her. A hand came out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
    I must keep control, she insisted to herself, but it’s so hard not to just throw myself in his arms.
    Stepping back, she felt the press of the sofa at the back of her legs.
    “I really must go.” It was a plea more than a statement.
    Seth stepped back, giving her free passage.
    When she reached the door she opened it before turning. He wasn’t even looking at her but staring at the flickering flames of firelight.
    “Don’t wait too long for that day,” she said. Whether he heard or not she couldn’t be certain for he didn’t look around. Softly she closed the door behind her. Vaulting up the stairs, she didn’t stop moving quickly until she reached her bedroom door. Once inside she felt her heart roaring away, her limbs quivering. It wasn’t the brief exercise that caused such ructions.
    If only it were.

Chapter 6
    “Look after Jasmine.”
    The voice echoed down from the past. Poppy, sitting on the window seat in her bedroom, her forehead resting against the glass pane, heard it loud and clear. Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she saw her mother Anna. Tall and thin, long fair hair framing her face, her form covered by a flowing, flower-spattered caftan. There was the reek of happy tobacco. That smell permeated the whole house. Even now Poppy could go in anywhere and tell if weed was being smoked even if it were a mild variety. After their dad had died, Anna lost it. Smoking the illegal substance didn’t help. She took stronger drugs. She couldn’t be interested in anything, least of all her two girls.
    When Poppy was sixteen and Jasmine fourteen Anna took a fatal overdose of drugs. The Coroner called it death by misadventure but Poppy wondered if her mother had wanted out of the world that seemed to hold nothing for her.
    An aunt took them in. She too spoiled Jasmine, doting on the exceedingly pretty