Louisa Rawlings (52 page)
Authors: Promise of Summer
Anjele, stunned by her nerve, demanded, “What do you think you’re doing?”
Claudia ignored her as she pawed impatiently through the gowns hanging inside till she found what she was looking for and yanked it out in triumph.
“I’m wearing this. It’s cooler than anything I have, and it will look better on me than you, anyway.”
Anjele shook her head in firm denial. “I’m wearing that to Rebecca Saunders’s birthday ball tonight.”
“So? Wear it. We’ll be home around five.” Draping the garment over her arm, she started out.
Anjele ran to block her path. She hated to have an argument, but every time Claudia borrowed her clothes, they were brought back mussed. And the dress was a favorite for the sweltering weather—a cool, pale green color, fashioned of light lace and chiffon and draped off the shoulder with a scooped bodice.
She knew Claudia was only using the heat as an excuse. The real reason was her larger bosom, which would be more revealing in Anjele’s smaller bodice—and all for Raymond’s benefit. Claudia had never made a secret of the way she felt about him. Not that Anjele was jealous. Actually, it concerned her that she wasn’t.
Anjele repeated her objection, adding, in an effort to pacify, “I’ll be glad to let you wear it another time.”
Claudia’s eyes narrowed. “You’ll be sorry.”
“You have other dresses.” She bit back the impulse to point out that Claudia actually had a much nicer wardrobe than she did. It was merely another way her mother made sure she could not be accused of favoring her natural daughter over the adopted one.
“It’s because of Raymond, isn’t it?” Claudia challenged. “You’re afraid he’ll think I’m prettier than you, so you don’t want me to look nice.”
Quietly, Anjele yielded, “You are prettier than me, Claudia.” And she believed that to be so. Anjele envied her cousin’s naturally curly golden-blond hair and limpid blue eyes, while thinking her own appearance to be a bit on the plain side.
Her mother said it was because she didn’t try to be glamorous, which was true. Anjele much preferred her long hair blowing in the breeze when she went riding, and it was too much trouble to sponge her skin with rosewater and lemon juice. She saw nothing wrong with tanned flesh and sunburned cheeks.
Claudia was getting angrier by the minute. “If I’m so pretty, then how come it’s you Raymond is going to marry?”
Anjele sighed and shook her head, wondering once more why it had to be this way between them. Claudia knew as well as she how it all came to be but pushed back impatience as she reminded, “Ida and Vinson have been friends with Momma and Poppa forever. It was always understood.”
“But you don’t love him…” Her words trailed off as Jobie, the little servant girl, appeared in the doorway.
Looking fearfully from one to the other, Jobie finally held out the tray she was carrying and said to Anjele, “I got yo’ lemonade, missy.”
Anjele stepped back long enough to allow her to place it on the table by the window but made sure Claudia did not rush by with the dress.
When they were once more alone, Anjele saw no need to continue the subject of Raymond and tried to end the conversation. She held out her hands to take the garment. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let you borrow it, Claudia. Not this time.”
Claudia was silent for a moment, then whirled around as she cried, “Very well. But if I can’t wear it, neither will you. Not tonight, anyway.”
Before Anjele could make a move to stop her, she ran to where Jobie had left the pitcher of lemonade and quickly snatched it up to pour the liquid on the dress.
Promise of Summer
Louisa Rawlings
From pickpocket to heiress…to bride?
Pickpocket Topaze Benoite trembles in fear as she stands in front of the man who has just caught her in the act. His cold blue eyes promise retribution, but he has something more dangerous in mind than a French prison—he wants her to impersonate the missing heiress Veronique de Chalotais.
Through weeks of rigorous training that transform Topaze from a street urchin to a refined noblewoman, she finds herself drawn to Lucien, thrilled by his seductive presence, his touch, his devil’s smile.
But his desire for revenge against his family seems to color his every mood, even when their mutual desire ripens into passion. Is he interested in using her only when it’s convenient, then disposing of her when he has achieved his goals? Or will their love endure long past summer’s end?
This Retro Romance reprint was originally published in August, 1989 by Warner Books.
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
11821 Mason Montgomery Road Suite 4B
Cincinnati OH 45249
Promise of Summer
Copyright © 2013 by Louisa Rawlings
ISBN: 978-1-61921-627-3
Edited by Heather Osborn
Cover by Kim Killion
All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Original Publication by Warner Books: August 1989
First
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
electronic publication: September 2013
