The Hawk and the Jewel (Kensington Chronicles 1) (20 page)

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T? !WAY'HOLLY?"Sunny "toher"to as she eagerly climbed to the very top steps.
y

"Yes, this is the place,-Holly answered reluctantly, brushing webs from her face. The door to the attic creaked, and Holly saw dust fly as Sunny plunged her way into the room.

u hirerHOUy'"SUmiyexdaimed-"Jcan>tWfc* you nev come

Holly stood brushing her hands together as she watched Sunny rush to the window she had spotted from the ground

the scabies* * **ViCW'"SUimybrCathCdMIUX**milesb^ondUnwillingly Holly joined her, stepping over aging artifacts fo>m generations of Gallaghers. They were standing by the one dusty winow in the topmost room in the south tower, a tower that was more ornate than useful.

"And what do you two think you're up to?**

The stern voice of Mrs. Boots sounded in the doorway, and Holly jumped as though she'd been caught stealing something. In a faltering voice she began to explain, but Sunny cut her off.

Rloriom,BOOISdear'Cme"* ** "^fromtto window. It's simply

Mrs. Boots gave a good-natured shake of her head, and HoUy stared at her in wonder. The only person to ever get away with calling Mrs. Boots "Boots dear" was her father, at leaft until Sunny had

rived. Mrs. Boots had been with the Gallagher family since before leather was born, and her word among the servants was law.

Both Miles and Holly adored her, and were adored in return, rfcut they toed the line when it came to matters of the household. Chelsea was forever telling Mrs. Boots that she was indispensable, and Rand, even though he thought the world of her, had her neatly wrapped around his little finger.

Sunny had only been at Willows' End for a week before she had emulated Band's way with her. Mrs. Boots, remembering the day Sunny was born and then the day her father returned from his voyage without her, could not find the heart to deny her a thing.

"What made you come up here, love?" Mrs. Boots asked as she I joined the gjrls by the window.

"I saw this window from the stables and wondered about this part of the house," Sunny answered, but she was preoccupied, already spotting something else that caught her interest.

"All right," Mrs. Boots caught Holly's distressed look over being in the attic. "Out with both of you. You're already dusty, and I don't want a bit of this dirty stuff dragged through the house.**

Holly gladly exited the room, but Sunny followed more slowly, taking a last look around as she went. The view from the window had been so captivating that she realized how she missed the chance to do some great exploring. As she moved down the dark staircase, she promised herself that she would get back up to look in those trunks before the month was out.

Mrs. Boots saw her to her room with orders to clean up for lunch, but Sunny's mind was still on what she had seen from the window. When Holly, freshly turned out, came to collect her for lunch, Sunny was still in her underclothes.

Holly flopped on the bed. "We're going to be late if you don't hurry.**

"Oh, I know, but I was thinking about something." Sunny moved with a pronounced lack of urgency, and when she looked up it was to find Holly's eyes on her.

"What's the matter?" Sunny wanted to know.

"Nothing,** Holly smiled. "I was just thinking how much you've changed since Christmas, and how pretty your figure is becoming.**

Sunny looked down at her small breasts and slim hips and then at her voluptuous niece. "I won't ever have your figure,** she said resignedly.

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"That doesn't matter," Holly told her honestly. "You'll probably i look like Aunt Heather, and she looks lovely in everything she wears. Like my mother always says, a smaller figure is easier to work with.**

Sunny thought of Chelsea, who was tall and very full-busted, and nodded, seeing for the first time that Holly was probably right. Chelsea and Holly were able to wear very few rounded necklines, and when they did wear them, the necklines were very high in order to be modest. There wasn't a style that Sunny couldn't wear, and she suddenly found herself hoping she would have Heather's nice shape.

Thoughts of figures and fashion seemed to be on everyone's mind that day, including Chelsea's. Immediately following lunch, she told the girls they were to have new summer wardrobes. Holly reacted with girlish delight, but Sunny was not thrilled. Chelsea immediately noticed her lack of enthusiasm, and when Holly left the room Chelsea questioned her.

"You're not excited," the older woman commented softly.

"I was just fitted for a wardrobe before Christmas," Sunny returned with true chagrin.

Chelsea hid her smile. Most girls would have reacted as Holly had, but Chelsea was swiftly learning that although Sunny was more than predictable in some areas, she was a complete surprise in others. It was always a shock to Chelsea when Sunny displayed indifference toward her looks and clothing. The only reason she was ever well-turned out was because her maid, Christie, went to such efforts.

"I know you'd rather forego the fitting, but you'll thank me when you have a closetful of lightweight dresses to wear this summer."

"All right, Chelsea. Thanks," Sunny acquiesced, but after only a moment she looked troubled once again.

"Now what's wrong?" Rand wanted to know,

"I don't want to spend money on a wardrobe; I want to buy something else."

"I'm covering the cost of your wardrobe, so you needn't worry about that. What did you want to buy?"

"A horse!" Sunny's eyes Jit with excitement.

Rand and Chelsea stared at her.

"What horse?" Chelsea wanted to know.

"Townsend's stallion, King's Ride," Sunny spoke enthusiastically. "Not King, of course, but when we were at the Townsends' last week, one of the hands told me that Dandy just had a filly." Sunny

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(paused to catch her breath, she was so excited. "The sire is King. The hgroom let me peek in the stable, and Rand, you won't believe how [lovely she is, a roan with the proudest head I've ever seen. She was standing by Dandy, and I-"

Rand and Chelsea listened quietly to this recital, feeling a bit stunned. If this had been their child, they would have already told her no, but this was Rand's sister, and a decidedly affluent sister at that. They didn't know exactly what Brandon had told Sunny about her finances, but if she was worrying about affording the horse
and
a summer wardrobe, he had obviously not divulged to her just how

well off she was.

They were also running into another problem, one they had talked over but not faced-that of Sunny's being a sibling, and therefore more independent than a child. To this point, all Holly's rules had applied to Sunny, rules governing such activites as bedtimes, study hours, and outings.

As Sunny prattled on, Rand realized the very reason that she knew about the filly was because she was his sibling and not his child. Both she and Holly had gone with him to the Townsends*, and since Holly had never visited the stables before, Rand had felt no need to mention his desire that the girls stay away. He was a little alarmed at the moment to think that Sunny had visited the stables and he hadn't even known it.

There wasn't a servant within miles of Willows' End who didn't know exactly who Sunny Gallagher was, and it was not as if their positions allowed them to report Sunny's actions to her brother. That, along with the confident way she carried herself, must have made everyone feel she was a law unto herself. Rand realized that they wouldn't have turned her away from the stables for any reason, even though there was some breeding going on in one of the outside corrals. This was exactly where he had been, while assuming his sister and daughter were visiting inside with the ladies of the house.

"Are you angry with me, Rand?" Sunny's soft voice cut into his thoughts.

"Not with you, Sunny, but I am a bit perturbed with myself." Sunny looked totally confused before Rand continued.

"You see, sweetheart, Holly is not the least bit interested in horses; it never once occurred to me that you would come to the stables."

Sunny looked utterly crestfallen, thinking back to Darhabar. "You don't want me in the stables?"

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"Not when there is breeding going on," Rand told her bluntly. Sunny's features immediately cleared. "Oh, that. I've seen hoi bred many times."

"That is beside the point," Rand told her sternly, wondering non for the first time what manner of man had raised his sister. "It is] totally out of the question for you to be present at such times. It's an] embarrassment to the attendants, and I will not allow it.**I

Sunny's look turned to one of disgust. "Now you sound like-Ahmad Khan."

"I do?" Rand was thoroughly surprised. "Yes."

"So you were not allowed in the stables during breeding?" Rand was still coming to grips with being compared to the emir.

"I was not allowed in the stable
at all."

"So how do you know-"

"I snuck in," Sunny interrupted, offering her reply with a shrug.

It was all so matter-of-fact on Sunny's part that Chelsea felt laughter bubbling inside of her. She was careful to keep this well hidden, but it was really fun to watch a younger version of herself. No wonder Rand had wanted Sunny to live with them. As much as he would have denied it, he loved women who were unconventional.

"Well, you're not going to sneak into stables while you're living with me," Rand began, but Chelsea cut in with a gentle word.

"I'm sure you wouldn't, would you, Sunny? Rand has no problem with your going to the stables when the horses aren't breeding. And from what I can see, you're only interested in riding the animals. Am I right?"

Sunny nodded with relief over Chelsea's understanding and looked up to see her brother coming toward her.

He came to Sunny and took her in his arms. "I'm sorry I flew off at you."

Sunny hugged him back, thinking as she had many times in the past weeks how nice it would be if he were her father and not her brother.

"Chelsea and I were going to surprise you," Rand said when he had released her, "and buy you a horse later this summer. But if you've got your heart set on this one, I'll ask if it's for sale."

Sunny gave no answer to this wonderful news, but simply threw her arms back around his neck and gave him a mighty squeeze.

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iclsea was next, and Sunny stood for long moments next to ^_a's chair and let herself be held. Chelsea, smiling at Rand over ay's shoulder, wondered anew at this young sister, this enigma : had come to live with them. Sometimes such a child in need of a _ier*s touch, and other times a woman, levelheaded and sure. While Chelsea and Sunny were still embracing, the door to the lining room opened, and Miles stepped in. They hadn't seen him ._ Christmas, and the physical changes in him were marked. He i taller, more filled out, and if possible, even more handsome. Mother and father both rushed to greet him. Chelsea prayed as the went that he had also changed emotionally, at least enough to handle having Sunny as a permanent resident of the house.

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(2/uwlu>~

.

sunnt stared out her bedroom window, wanting to go to the stales but knowing she would encounter Miles if she did. She let the lace curtain fell back into place and sat on the edge of her bed. He was almost as bad as Cecil, the way he stared at her without speaking and hung around outside the door when he knew she was planning. to head for the library or salon.

He wasn't going to be here all summer, but it looked to Sunny as though the weeks he was staying were going to be long. She wondered if maybe she should go back to London, but then Cecil's face popped into her mind, and Sunny despaired. Would she ever find a place to be happy?

There was a knock on the door. Sunny, wanting to be left alone, remained quiet. The ploy didn't work. The door opened, and Holly's head came in.

"Sunny?" she said softly. "May I come in?"

"I don't feel very well, Holly," the younger girl told her niece, but Holly came in anyway and carefully shut the door.

Sunny watched her quietly as she retrieved the desk chair and brought it close to the bed. Holly sat, and this time it was her turn to stare. Sunny had begun to look thin and pale in the last few days, and today there was something more; today there was profound regret in her eyes. Holly knew that her mother had tried to talk with Sunny and gotten nowhere.

"You don't feel well?" Holly asked now, her voice tentative.

*Tm not sick," Sunny said.

"But there is something wrong, Sunny, isn't there? Arc you have-; your monthly flux?"

"No," Sunny responded as she wrapped her arms around her

:, turning her head to look out the window.

'Have I done something?" Holly sounded near to tears.

*No," Sunny said with surprise. "It's not you, Holly. I'm just

ig like I might need to go back to London."

*But why?" Holly nearly wailed. "Why would you want to leave icn we're having such a good time?"