Page 48 of Marry in Scandal

It was a disgrace, her greatest shame. And she had no excuse for it. There was nothing at all wrong with her eyesight. She could see perfectly well to embroider, to knit, to pluck a stray hair from her eyebrows. It was stupidity, that was all. There could be no other answer. She didn’tfeelstupid, but the evidence to the contrary was overwhelming.

And to admit to Edward Galbraith that she was so stupid as to not even be able to read—she simply couldn’t bring herself to do it. That look would come into his eyes, the look she dreaded but was so horridly familiar with, the look first of incredulity, then scorn—or worse, of barely disguised pity.

And then they treated her as if she were really stupid and couldn’t understand the simplest things. If Edward ever started to talk to her like that, she couldn’t bear it.

He read on, his voice deep and almost mesmeric, carrying effortlessly over the rattle of the carriage and the sounds of the horses. “‘His two other children were of very inferior value. Mary had acquired a little artificial importance by becoming Mrs. Charles Musgrove; but Anne, with an elegance of mind and sweetness of character, which must have placed her high with any people of real understanding, was nobody with either father or sister; her word had noweight, her convenience was always to give way—she was only Anne.’”

Like Papa, who valued Rose for her beauty and spirit, and had seemed to love Lily equally—until he’d learned, after Mama had died, that Lily, who was almost twelve at the time, still could not read.

Papa had called heran imbecile.

And so he’d sent them both—punishing Rose as well for Lily’s inadequacies—away from everything they knew, from everything they loved, to an exclusive school in Bath.

And promptly forgot about them.

She had lost her father’s love when she was almost twelve.

An imbecile... An embarrassment to the family

Lily forced the lump in her throat away. There was no use dwelling on the painful recollections of the past. Old hurts might not heal, but they eventually faded. She had to believe that.

She settled back against the deeply padded leather seat and listened to Edward’s voice. She could listen to him all day. Only Rose and Mama had ever taken the trouble to read books aloud to Lily.

Besides, she wanted to hear what happened to this Anne Elliot, whose father so unkindly disdained her.

• • •

“I’ll take it, Burton.” Emm took the tray containing her husband’s breakfast and quietly closed the door. It was almost noon. Cal would be furious. He’d asked to be woken at dawn, but he’d been so exhausted that he’d fallen asleep the moment he hit the bed, and she couldn’t bring herself to wake him. Until now.

She drew back the curtains and light flooded their bedchamber. Cal stirred, pried open bleary eyes, stared at the weak spring sunshine and sat bolt upright. “What time is it?”

“Nearly noon. The coffee’s hot, so don’t spill it,” she said calmly, and placed the tray on his lap, effectively preventing him from leaping out of bed, at least not without spilling hot coffee everywhere. Wifely tactics.

“Noon? I left instructions to be woken at dawn!”

“I know. I countermanded them. Eat your breakfast. You need to eat.”

“Dammit, Emm, I have to—”

“A strange little note arrived a short while ago.”

“Note? What note? Is it ransom?”

“No. It seems to be from Mr. Galbraith.”

“Galbraith? Ned Galbraith? What’s it say?”

“It was addressed to you, but I opened it anyway.” He put out his hand for it, but she held it back. “I’ll read it to you while you eat.”

She waited until, with a long-suffering expression, he shoved a forkful of eggs into his mouth. Then she read the note aloud: “‘Found your missing package in good condition. Will return it to you at earliest convenience—Friday night or early Saturday morning. E. Galbraith.’” She looked at Cal. “Well?”

He held out his hand and she gave the note to him. He glanced at the signature, then slumped back against the pillows. “She’s safe! Galbraith’s got her.”

“Thank God!” Emm plopped down on the bed beside him. Coffee slopped over, dripping onto the tray, but they neither noticed nor cared. “I thought that’s what the note must mean, but I couldn’t be sure.”

Rose and George burst in. “Is it true? Lily’s been found? She’s safe?” Clearly they’d been listening at the door.

Cal nodded. “Yes, she’s safe. My friend Galbraith has her. He’s bringing her home.”