Chapter 21
433 Words
"Lady Joan" Hugh said "this is my beloved sister -Kate."
Joan rose to her feet, and flashed a smile "hello Kate! Nice to meet you."
"And you!" Kate said and embraced Joan with a hug.
Kate sat across them, biting her lower lip "Hugh, let me tell you, you are fortunate to have such a cheerful friend."
"As if the earth lacks cheerful people" Hugh said with a lopsided smile.
"And diabolism makes you" Kate replied with a sly twist to her lips.
Hugh shrugged and took the biscuits kept atop the table, biting into them as he said "and I'm your brother."
"Of which,I'm aware."
Good lord, Joan thought, the siblings were most mean. They reminded her of her own fights with her elder brother, George.
"Er.... Hugh would you mind if you leave us ladies on our own?" Kate asked.
Hugh considered that and then with an approving tilt of his head, he said "fine."
Hugh rose and left the room.
Joan stiffened her spine. Why did Kate ask Hugh to leave? What did Kate have on her mind?
Kate turned to Joan with a sickly sweet smile that curled her lips. And her eyes....Joan could clearly see mischief lurking deep in the fuchsia depths of her eye rims.
Joan fought off a sigh as she could see Kate's face change into a notorious expression.
She had something wicked under her sleeve.
"It's a beautiful day Lady Joan."
"Call me just Joan. And yes, Kate I possess the skill to read eyes. So you can just blurt out what you want to tell me."
"Smart one."
"Always."
"You like my brother" Kate said, the sentence not even a question.
That was abrupt, Joan thought, as her heart struggled to stay calm. Obviously, Joan thought, she'd expected Kate to say something nonsensical, but God, that was fast. She'd almost expected Kate to order her to dance a jig, or ask her to describe the uneventful moments of her life.
"I-I-" Joan struggled to let out as her throat convulsed and choked on unspent words.
"You needn't lie" Kate said "please."
"How do you know?" Joan asked disbelievingly.
"Last night, I saw you looking at him."
"But I didn't catch a single glimpse of him."
"Is it?"
"No I caught two glimpses.....but I didn't see him in full form. He would as if.....perish...."
"He was staying out of your line of sight. I saw that too."
"What does that mean?"
"He was staring at you, and he never wanted you to know, that, he was doing so."
"And?"
"Hugh Ceevanford likes you too."
- Writer
