The Hawk and the Jewel (Kensington Chronicles 1) (30 page)

Months had passed since that time. Miles was gone, and his absence was painful. For a few weeks Sunny had worked almost every day to teach a handful of village children how to read. Holly was all aflutter about her coming out, and in the midst of this, with the weather very cold, Rand waited with trepidation.

"Has Sunny said anything to you about any new schemes?" Chelsea chuckled. "No, Rand. You ask me that every night, and it's always no. I can't understand why you're worried. She always comes to us now, and when you stop and think about it, it's never been anything too outrageous."

Rand punched his pillow into a more comfortable position and stayed quiet. He was nowhere near as optimistic as his spouse. Sunny was not depressed as she had been in the past winters, but Rand was sure that was only because she was dreaming of a new plan to drive him into an early grave. He prayed himself to sleep, but felt very faithless. It was too much to hope that they might make spring without Sunny felling into more trouble.

"Jordan!" Sunny cried his name and ran to greet him on this unexpected visit. "Why are you home?"

"Oh, I had some business that needed my attention, so I thought I'd take time to drop in."

227

Jordan was finished with school; however, his father had an estate some three hours away and preferred for him to live there to manage it. Jordan did not mention to Sunny that he had come home to ask his father one more time if he could live at home. All his dreams about how close he would be to Sunny when he finished school went up in a puff of smoke when his father told Jordan where he needed to work.

He had always tried to honor his parents, but this time Jordan had been sorely tempted to leave home, propose to Sunny, and disappear with her to the far ends of the earth. Instead, he prayed and waited. He also worked hard, and even though he missed Sunny so much it hurt, he stayed on and did a fine job. In fact, his father was so pleased that when they had talked, he had given him some hope. It seemed that Jordan would be needed at home all that summer, and when the fall came they would reevaluate the situation.

"So how long are you here?"

"Just until Monday, but I'll be working here all summer."

"That's wonderful!"

"What's wonderful?" Holly wanted to know as she went to hug Jordan.

"Jordan will be home this summer."

"Now we only need Miles," Holly sighed, accepting the tea Sunny passed to her.

Chelsea joined the young people, and when they were just finishing, Jordan remembered a favor he wished to ask of Holly. Holly was more than compliant and rose to go and find the book he was looking for.

"Good old Holly," Jordan commented as she was leaving. "She's always a pal."

Holly didn't turn on these words, but Sunny was seated in such a way that she could see her niece's face as she left the room. What she saw so alarmed her that for a moment Sunny could not school her features.

"Why, Sunny," Chelsea commented when she spotted her distressed look. "Whatever is the matter?"

Sunny gave a small laugh and tried to sound normal. "Oh, nothing really. Maybe the sandwich didn't agree with me."

Sunny's hand trembled as she reached to smooth her hair, but no one noticed and, thankfully, Holly's departure had caused her to miss the entire exchange.

228

Jordan stayed for another hour, and during that time Holly behaved so normally that Sunny began to wonder if she had imagined the whole thing. By bedtime, Sunny had convinced herself of this very feet, but sleep would not come. She tossed and turned for what felt like hours before finally leaving her bed and going down the hall to Holly's door.

There was no answer to her knock, and Sunny was certain that Holly was asleep. She was about to go in anyway when a voice startled her from the rear.

"Now what are you up to at this time of the night?" "Oh, Boots dear," Sunny said with a hand to her pounding chest. "I need to talk with Holly.n

"Why, love," she spoke affectionately, "I'm sure she's asleep, just as you ought to be."

"But I've got to talk with her."

"Would you like me to get your brother? If you're upset, you know you can go to him.**

"No," Sunny was adamant. "It's Holly I must see." Mrs. Boots could see no help for it, so she opened the door and crossed silently into the room. The noise they had made in the hallway, however slight, was enough to awaken Holly. Upon seeing this, Mrs. Boots turned back to Sunny.

"Well, we've certainly woken her, but you are not to be in here long. You'll not be able to stand up in the morning after this little midnight jaunt. I'll be back shortly to check on you." With that she made her way quietly to the door and then to the downstairs study to tell Lord Randolph that the girls were awake.

"What's the matter, Sunny?" Understandably, Holly was looking for answers. She'd been awakened from a deep sleep only to sit and listen to Mrs. Boots as she said the most cryptic things to Sunny. "I need to talk with you, Holly. Can I light the lantern?" By way of answer Sunny heard Holly removing the chimney. Within moments the bed was bathed in a soft glow. Holly pushed herself up against the head, and Sunny sat on the edge-Sunny's mind raced with how to begin. She studied Holly and wondered if there was anyone in the world who was half as lovely. She knew of no one else who had hair as dark as a crow's wing, or whose complexion was like that of a rose petal. Her eyes were dark and expressive, and her figure was lovely and full.

229

Sunny thought Holly must be every man's ideal, but as much as Sunny wanted to tell her, the words would not come. Instead she suddenly blurted out the only question that had been on her mind.

"You're in love with him, aren't you?"

Holly saw how easy it would be to pretend, but instead her whole body slumped in defeat. Sunny would hate her now.

"Yes, I am, and I'm sorry."

"You're sorry? Why would
you
be sorry? I'm sorry I never knew. I'm sorry that I'm always taking all his time and controlling the conversation."

"You don't hate me, Sunny?" Holly's voice was filled with wonder.

"Why would I hate you?"

"Sunny," Holly became very still. "Aren't you in love with Jordan?"

"Of course I love Jordan, just like I love Miles. Holly, you know I'm not going to be married."

Holly burst into tears. Sunny came closer and put her arms around her, which caused Holly to sob all the harder. Her voice shook when she spoke, but Sunny caught every word.

"All this time I thought you loved him. I thought you were just waiting until you were older to say anything. I've hated myself for caring so much, but I've loved Jordan for years, and he just thinks of me as a little sister.

"I know he'll marry someday, and I'll have to go away because I won't be able to stand seeing him with someone else. Until tonight," Holly added as she'd begun to calm, "I thought that someone else would be you. Please don't tell him, Sunny, please. I'll do anything, but please don't tell him."

"I won't; I won't," Sunny assured her, "but you could, Holly. You could talk with him. Maybe he loves you too, and if you were to tell him, he would feel like he could declare his own love."

Holly studied Sunny's face in the lamplight and could have cried all over again.

She's serious,
Holly thought to herself.
She really doesn't know. We're all such grand pretenders. I'm eating my heart out over Jordan, and he practically worships Sunny with his gaze. She can't even see it*$ there.

"I don't think that would work," Holly said slowly. "But that's all right, just as long as you're not upset with me."

230

"Of course not. I just can't believe how blind and insensitive Fvc been."

The girls talked until all was well between them. They were sleepy, but closer than ever when at last they went to bed. Mrs. Boots came to check on them some minutes later, this time with Rand on her heels, only to find both girls in Holly's bed, heads nearly touching and fast asleep.

THE DUKEAND HIS FUTURE DUCHESSRODETHEIRHORSES at a leisurely

pace and talked about their life together. So eager was he to be married to the woman he loved and have her settled at Bracken that Brandon was beginning to count the weeks.

The park in London where they rode was not nearly as private as they would have liked, but in any other place they would have to be chaperoned. That morning Dinah had finally selected the style and fabric for her gown, and even though Brandon could see she was dying to tell him, she had kept silent. He was now in the midst of teasing her, but still she wouldn't say.

"Let me guess. It's covered with tiny pearls and has a very long train."

"Do you wish my dress was covered with little pearls, Brandon?" Dinah's voice was very unsure, and Brandon shouted with laughter. Her very look and voice told him exactly how her dress did
not
look.

"You're terrible, Brandon," she said as she caught onto his game. "It's supposed to be a surprise."

"You mean bad luck and all that?"

"You know I don't believe in luck, but it is tradition for the groom to be surprised."

"Is it also tradition to be married on your late mother's birthday?"

"Oh, Brandon, I know," Dinah's voice was a sigh. "When father suggested it, it sounded so thoughtful and tender, but I didn't think about the fact that it would be months away."

232

233

"I'm sorry I mentioned it." Brandon's tender smile accompanied his apology.

They had already talked it out, and he shouldn't have brought it up again. In any event, it was just three months away now, 86 days to be exact, and then the business of chaperons and separate homes would all be a thing of the past.

Chelsea knew that her face was going to give her away in a moment. She had spent so much time telling Rand not to worry, and now Sunny had finally confided in her. Rand was going to explode when he found out, or worse yet, grow very, very quiet.

Chelsea shrugged. There was no help for it at this point, so she might as well get it over with. She took a deep breath, hoping he would be too busy to talk with her, and entered Rand's study.

His "hello, love" was not what she wanted to hear at the moment.

"Are you busy, Rand?"

"Come in."

Just as Chelsea had feared, Rand immediately read something in her face. He watched in silence as she took the chair opposite his desk and tried to smile. Rand smiled back in genuine amusement.

"You might as well give all, love, because I know something is amiss."

Chelsea's smile dropped, and her shoulders slumped. "Oh, Randolph, you must try to stay calm."

"Randolph, eh? As bad as all that?"

"Yes, and Sunny is already asleep, so you mustn't wake her."

Rand's frame tensed. "What has she done?"

"She wants a job at the mill."

"The mill? One of our mills?"

"Yes," Chelsea said softly.

"Well, it's out of the question." Rand's voice held a note of finality.

"It's already done."

*Whatfs
Rand came out of his chair so fast he nearly tipped it over.

"She disguised herself, dressed in near rags, and pulled her hair back. She went to the big mill under a false name, and Johnson gave

her work. I knew she was going to the village, but I didn't see her when she left; she only told me about it when she got home."

Praying and trying to stay calm, Rand sat down very slowly. "Did she give a reason for wanting to do this?"

"Yes. She said she'd never really shown much interest in your work with all the sheep and the mills, and she wanted to know how it was for the workers. She was too tired to eat, and I didn't get suspicious until Mrs. Boots said she had taken a bath and gone to bed. When I asked Sunny, she told me everything."

"Well at least she's got it out of her system."

"She hasn't. She plans on returning in the morning. The workers could not say enough about you, and she rather enjoyed the work on the looms even though it was long and backbreaking. She wants to finish out the week."

"Do you know what will happen if she's discovered? I'll have a walkout on my hands. They'll think she's there to spy. Chelsea, I've got to stop her."

"Well, I think you can, but you'll have to talk with her in the morning. I just checked on her, and she's out cold. She's probably never worked a day so hard in all her life."

Rand stared in amazement at his sister. Had he not known it was her, he would never have guessed. Like so many worn at the mill, her dress was shapeless and nondescript. Only a small section of her hair showed at the front of her scarf, and even her face looked darker and rougher. When Rand drew near, she squinted, effectively masking the shade of her eyes. Not until she grinned at him did his shock fall away. She had blackened one front tooth.

Rand turned away from her to hide a smile and to think. He'd wanted to talk with her before she dressed, but she begged him to wait. He'd called through the door that she was not to get dressed for the mill because the plans were off, but she had only put him off. Now, an hour later, he could actually see how she'd gotten away with it the day before.