The Lady of Lyon House by Jennifer Wilde Read Free Book Online

such strange hours. The atmosphere of the music hall isn’t the proper kind for a young girl growing up. The noise, the people—no, I don’t think it’s the right place for you.”
    â€œYou’ve never worried about it before, Mattie,” I said. “I love the music hall. I love the people. They’re wonderful—all of them. I am gloriously happy.”
    â€œAre you—really?”
    â€œYou know I am.”
    â€œJulia—I’ve been thinking—” She hesitated.
    â€œYes?”
    â€œA change of pace would do you good. You’ve been looking pale and drawn recently. You need some fresh air, something to put some color back into your cheeks. How would you like to spend a month or two in Devonshire?”
    â€œDevonshire?”
    â€œYes. It’s lovely this time of year. Not at all like London. No fog, no uproar, no polluted air, just lovely countryside. There are flowers and trees and little streams, and the sea is nearby. You can smell the salty tang in the air—”
    â€œHow would you know, Mattie?”
    â€œI was born there. I lived there until I married.”
    â€œYou want to send me away,” I said quietly. There was sadness in my voice.
    â€œNo, darling. It isn’t that—”
    Mattie looked up at me. Her gray eyes were troubled, and there was a crease in her brow. I knew this was hard for her. She was not good at dissembling. It was not easy for her to appear off hand and casual when all the time she was sick with worry. She could tell from the look in my eyes that she had not succeeded in her little pretense, and she turned back to the bowl of peas, snapping them briskly and throwing the broken ends into a paper sack at her feet. I loved her so much. I wanted to make this easier for her.
    â€œYou want me to go?” I asked.
    â€œYes, Julia. For a little while.”
    â€œWill you tell me why?”
    â€œI can’t, darling.”
    â€œIt—it has something to do with that man who was following me, doesn’t it?”
    â€œI—yes, yes it does. Bill and I are both worried about that. We think you should get away for a while.”
    I could see that she was evading something. There was something more she was not telling me. I did not doubt that the man who had been following me to the music hall was partly responsible for this decision to send me away, but I knew there was another reason, too. This Mattie did not intend to tell me about.
    â€œYou can be honest with me, Mattie,” I said. “I’m not afraid. I want to know why you want to send me to Devonshire.”
    Mattie pushed the bowl of peas away from her. She looked down at her ink-stained fingers for a moment, her head bowed. She seemed to be making some decision in her mind. She looked up at me, and her face was calm. The clear gray eyes stared into mine with a level gaze.
    â€œJulia,” she said quietly, “do you trust me?”
    â€œYou know I do,” I replied.
    â€œAnd do you believe that I would only do what was best for you?”
    â€œOf course, Mattie.”
    â€œVery well. You must trust me now. You must believe that this is the best thing for you at the moment. I wouldn’t send you away if there was not a good reason. Please don’t ask me any more questions. I should only have to evade them, and I haven’t much art at evasion.”
    â€œAll right, Mattie,” I replied humbly.
    â€œI have a very good friend in Devonshire, Corinne Lyon. She’s a bit eccentric, but she’s a lively old thing. You’ll like her. She has a lovely country place, Lyon House, just outside a charming little village. It’s surrounded by woods and fields and there is a stream that runs through the estate. She lives there with Agatha Crandall, her paid companion, and her young nephew, Edward Lyon, who’s just finished his studies at Oxford. I’ve written to Corinne about you, and she is wild