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‘I have been for a walk,’ Sissy replied. ‘The weather is wonderful, don’t you think?’
‘Well, yes dear.’
‘I have news,’ Sissy interrupted before Norma could bring her up to do date with the latest gossip Maud had told her about. ‘Morgan has just invited us to dine tomorrow evening.’
Norma beamed. ‘I hope you told him that we would be delighted to accept.’
‘Of course,’ Sissy replied, her eyes twinkling.
Norma studied the rose-tinted cheeks and the mischievous twinkle in Sissy’s eyes and wondered if Morgan was responsible. While she knew she should worry that Sissy was likely to get hurt, if Morgan had brought about such changes in Sissy, and made her happy, then she was more than pleased for them both.
The following evening, Sissy looked down at herself and sighed despondently. Thankfully, she was all alone in her bed chamber. Nobody could see her disappointment. She had hoped that the ribbons and adornments she had added to her best and newest dress would have been enough to hide its age but sadly there was simply nothing she could do about the fact that it had already been repaired several times.
‘I cannot go,’ she whispered miserably. ‘I simply cannot go.’
‘But you must. He will know you are lying if you send your apologies at this late date. We got away with it the last time but we won’t be so fortunate again. We cannot risk offending Morgan and his mother,’ Norma said.
‘You make them sound so much better than us,’ Sissy whispered.
‘That is because we are, my dear,’ Norma said sadly.
Sissy wanted to cry. She flopped down on the edge of the bed and knew then that she had been foolish to risk everything for Morgan’s kisses.
Norma sat on the edge of the bed beside her. ‘It will do us both good to be able to dine with them again, but this has to be a once in a lifetime occasion. It won’t do to expect anything more from them. I don’t doubt Alicia prompted Morgan to ask us to dine because she knows about Mr Lauder selling this house and feels sorry for us. Enjoy it, but don’t feel bad about how you look. If it mattered to Alicia and Morgan they wouldn’t have invited us.’
‘But I don’t want to be invited out of sympathy or pity,’ Sissy countered flatly. She struggled not to sound ungrateful and petulant but that was how she felt. She wanted Morgan to want her – the woman. She wanted him to want to spend time with her. ‘It’s all so confusing.’
‘Just remember your station,’ Norma warned. ‘We are being invited to dine because of old connections. They don’t expect anything more from us and we shouldn’t expect anything more from them.’
‘I don’t,’ Sissy assured her.
Not now in any case.
‘I am sorry, my dear,’ Norma whispered.
‘It is not your fault,’ Sissy replied. Sucking in a huge breath, she picked up her shawl and draped it over her shoulders. ‘Let’s get this over with then, shall we?’ She offered her aunt a brave smile which she kept firmly in place as she followed Norma out of the house and into the luxurious carriage waiting for them at the end of the gate.
‘The neighbours are in fine form I see,’ Norma grumbled with a wry look at the twitching curtains in the neighbourhood.
‘They are so nosy. At least we won’t be watched so avidly when we are living at the other cottage,’ Sissy sighed. She offered a smile and a quiet murmur of thanks to the footman who held a hand out to assist her aboard. He looked truly startled, as if it hadn’t been expected it, but Sissy didn’t notice.
‘To think we used to travel like this all the time,’ she murmured, eyeing the luxurious interior of the huge carriage with blatant envy.
‘It never does any good to look back all the time, Sissy,’ Norma chided. ‘That is part of our past, not our future. Don’t dwell on it.’
Sissy settled back and stared moodily out of the window. She tried not to think about anything really. Each time she did allow her thoughts to wander they ended up with Morgan, or what they had shared on their walk yesterday. Contrary to what she knew to be sensible, Sissy found herself eager to see him again.
CHAPTER TEN
Thankfully, the journey to Morgan’s house didn’t take too long. Sissy didn’t get the chance to get too nervous.
‘Chin up,’ Norma urged as the carriage rumbled to a stop outside of the front door.
When Sissy looked out of the window she saw the huge front door of Morgan’s house swing open. She expected the butler to appear in the doorway. Instead, Morgan himself descended the stone steps to greet them and it was he who handed her down from the carriage.
‘You look delightful,’ he murmured softly.
‘Thank you.’ Sissy dipped into a curtsey and struggled to contain the wild surge of delight that flooded through her when their hands touched.
