Read Summerset Abbey: Spring Awakening (Summerset Abbey Trilogy) for Free Online Page B

smart woman had was through a good marriage, and for all intents and purposes, her marriage to Sebastian had every possibility of being brilliant, if not necessarily passionate.
    So, for the first time since the engagement, she actually looked forward to her wedding, if only as a means to an end. Being the mistress of Eddelson Hall, though it was not as grand as Summerset, would be a welcome distraction, and best of all, Sebastian’s wedding gift to her was a hangar that would hold her Vickers aeroplane. Thoughts of Jonathon grew less and less frequent, and they were no longer accompanied by a stabbing pain; instead, she felt only a sense of regret and loss when he entered her mind.
    It was indeed past time to get on with her life.
    Aunt Charlotte, languid and unusually quiet, flickingthrough a periodical, lay next to Rowena, while Elaine lay on her other side. Victoria and Eleanor were off furnishing their London flat, and as happy as Vic sounded, Rowena knew her sister wouldn’t be back until a week before the wedding, which was now only six weeks away.
    A shadow fell over Rowena and she glanced upward from under the protective brim of her straw cartwheel hat, purposefully designed to keep the sun from touching her pale skin. It wouldn’t do to get tanned or coarse before the wedding, as Aunt Charlotte was always telling her.
    “Colin!” Elaine cried, leaping from her chair. Her brother pulled her up in a hug. “What are you doing here? I thought . . .” She stopped midsentence and glanced nervously at her mother.
    Rowena, too, glanced at her aunt, wondering what she would say. It had been over a week since Colin had finally broken the news to his parents about joining the army, and Aunt Charlotte had dramatically ordered him off the property.
    “I sent for him,” Aunt Charlotte said calmly.
    “I knew you couldn’t live without me.” Colin grinned. Only he could tease his mother like this.
    “You flatter yourself. Your father talked me into having you here. Apparently I behaved too rashly in his mind.”
    “Admit it, Mother. You would miss me.”
    His mother gave an indelicate snort. “Actually, I begged your father to use his connections to save you from your folly, but he has decided that the army may be exactly what you need. And while it’s clear that you need some more discipline in your life, there are undoubtedly other ways more suited to your title and less fraught with peril.” She let out an exaggerated sigh. “What is it with men and their obsession with playing soldier?” She directed this toward Rowena and Elaine, but they both knew betterthan to answer. She pointed an elegant finger at Colin. “You are going to regret this, young man, mark my words.”
    “Yes, Mother.” Colin sighed.
    “Do you want to join us?” Elaine asked, her voice anxious. “We can have the servant bring you a lounger.”
    Colin shook his head. “No. I want to talk to Father. I got my orders and I know that he, at least, will be interested in my assignment.” He cast his mother a sidelong look, which she ignored.
    “I’m very interested,” Rowena said.
    Colin seemed proud of himself and preened as if his drab, olive-green calvary uniform were evening formals. “You are now looking at a member of the 1st King’s Dragoon Guards and I will be stationed in Lucknow, India.”
    Another snort from his mother told Rowena her aunt was less than impressed with her son’s assignment.
    “That’s wonderful!” Rowena exclaimed, even though she wasn’t sure if this really was good news. She just thought that someone should make up for his mother’s disapproval.
    “Then we could come visit you!” Elaine said, clapping.
    Aunt Charlotte stood. “Maybe you would actually be able to find a husband in Lucknow, darling. I’m sure they aren’t too picky out there in the middle of nowhere.”
    With that, Aunt Charlotte turned on her heel and sauntered off as if she hadn’t just sent a poisoned arrow into her