"Freda Warrington - A Taste of Blood Wine" - читать интересную книгу автора (Warrington Freda)

out, men hauling on the ropes, and members of the Hall staff going
to and fro. The butler, Newland, was supervising. Tomorrow was
Madeleine's nineteenth birthday party, and the world—so it felt—
would be descending on Charlotte's refuge.
She would have to endure it, for Madeleine's sake. At least Anne
and David would be here.
"I dare say I'll survive," she told herself. "Think about Maddy
instead of yourself, idiot."
A noise behind Charlotte made her start.
"Talking to yourself? I sometimes wonder about you, dear, I really
do."
Aunt Elizabeth came into the room, angular and elegant in a dress
of gold silk voile, a sash round her hips and a wide-sleeved jacket of
the same colour. She had the type of strong-boned face that didn't
seem to age, although she was only five years younger than
Charlotte's father. She wore her dark hair in a youthful bob.
"I hope you're feeling better," Elizabeth said ominously.
"Yes, Auntie, I'm much better, thank you."
"Good, because you are going to enjoy yourself tomorrow, or at
least, look as if you are. You can't use the excuse of flu to hide in
your room. I'm not having Maddy upset by anything"
"I wouldn't dream of upsetting her." Charlotte meant to sound
conciliatory, but the words came out abruptly.

file:///K|/eMule/Incoming/Freda%20Warrington%20-%20A%20Taste%20of%20Blood%20Wine.html (70 of 711)28-12-2006 21:38:58
A Taste



"Not intentionally, but you don't seem able to help yourself. I don't
know what we're going to do with you."
"There's no need for you to do anything," she said quietly. "I'm
quite happy working for Father. I should never have tried—"
"Yes, well, don't let's dwell on it. Not everyone is cut out for
Society, obviously."
"I suppose not," she said, shrivelling inside. Elizabeth needled her
constantly about her unsociability, and she hated it. Her relationship
with her aunt had never been warm. The only thing in which
Elizabeth had ever failed was the attempt to mould Charlotte to her
own design.
Lady Elizabeth Reynolds' husband was a baronet, but it was an
unconventional marriage. He spent most of his time abroad and
Elizabeth rarely went with him, preferring to preside over his
country seat and to enjoy herself in high society. Charlotte had her
suspicions as to what her idea of enjoyment was. It seemed the
marriage was just a respectable front for both husband and wife.
Perhaps that was not wrong in itself, but the irony was that her old-
fashioned father trusted his sister to chaperon his daughters, while
all the time she was perverting Fleur and Madeleine to her own
amoral outlook. For that reason, Charlotte could not trust or respect