WoA2.23Smashwords by Amber Newberry Read Free Book Online Page A

tea when you first arrived in the Tamil Nadu region, which he said was in the South.
    “That makes the months en route worth the trouble alone. Once you taste tea that has not been imported and left on a boat for four to six months, you will never want to leave.” “All for the sake of flavor?” I asked, teasingly. He shrugged, and I found it difficult to believe this was his only reason for wanting to return to India so quickly. How strange it must have felt to live so much time in another country only to come back to your life in England. It all seemed like so much trouble for the trading of tea.
    Creeda came into the garden and saw us sitting together and she scolded "Jules" for not coming into the cottage to announce his presence so that she might bring us tea. He said that he only planned to stay for a moment, but she insisted that he come inside to see her latest embroidery before he left. He obediently followed her, but I stayed in the garden. I do not think they realized that there was a window open and that I could hear their conversation from where I sat.
    "Now Jules, ye'd best leave that dear girl be, she ain't old enough to be one of yer conquests!" Creeda's voice was unmistakable. I heard Julian respond in an amiable tone.
    "You know that my charm is too great to overcome!" I rolled my eyes. He was ever the rake, even with old Creeda.
    She responded, "Well, yeh know what I mean, that one’s not meant to be toyed with, so leave ‘er be till she's old enough to wed. An' that don't mean ye go leadin' that sweet thing on. She's a wee angel an’ deserves better than how ye treat one of them servin’ girls."
    I remembered seeing Julian being so familiar with Franny in the hallway at Rhineholt. The thought made me cringe.
    Julian left without saying goodbye to me. I saw a glimpse of him when he left, but since he did not exit through the garden, I wasn’t close enough to call a farewell to him. How strange that he should leave in such a rush and say nothing to me, not that I was shocked at his lack of manners.
    Doctor Haskins visited that evening and said that I could return home the following morning, if I promised to be careful with my still-healing wound.
     

 
    Chapter 4
     
     
    The summer air was warm and hazy, making it feel like I was dreaming all day long. It was not so hot that I could not spend a morning walking in the gardens behind Rhineholt, but by afternoon the sun was ruthless. I would retreat inside and often napped until tea time. My wound was mostly healed and I could walk easily, apart from a slight limp, which the doctor assured me would disappear over time. I could only hope that it would be gone by the time I travelled to Germany.
    Uncle Charles went away to work in London, where he conducted most of his business related to Rhineholt House and the sprawling property. I was not sure what would eventually happen to Rhineholt, as there was no male heir. I knew that I was doomed to be married and that would almost assuredly mean that I would move to some other great house. My ancestral home would then need someone to run it when my Uncle got too old. This made me think of Leo and Julian, and I wondered which of them would be left in charge of Hilbourne and which of them would be left to run Punam Estate.
    August had come and gone. Celia came to stay a few days with us before we all left the country to stay at the London house to prepare me to be sent off to school. I was no longer a little girl, and I would need a proper wardrobe for a young woman. I insisted that my Aunt allow me to give my old clothes Fleur.
    “You know how I feel about you interacting with that girl--”
    “I do know, but an interaction that takes only five minutes is not bound to do damage, I’m sure.”
    “I only mean that you should be wary of getting too close, and I don’t think it would be appropriate for Fleur to wear those clothes. What will she do in them?”
    “What all little girls do in them! Be little