The Devil of Clan Sinclair Read Online Free Page A

sensitive to our plight, he says, but will not attempt to break the entail. Don’t expect any help from that quarter.”
    Now was the time for her to protest, to say Enid’s suggestion was foolish. Try as she might, she couldn’t see a brighter future for them, not with Poor Lawrence spending her fortune in such a profligate way.
    “Do you have the courage, Virginia?”
    No, she didn’t. But what other option was there in the face of such unfair laws? A woman had no rights to anything, least of all her own money.
    The door suddenly opened and her two sisters-in-law entered. Virginia was engulfed in a flurry of weeping, black silk and arms enfolding her in a comforting embrace.
    “Dearest Virginia,” Eudora said. “How are you faring?”
    Enid’s oldest daughter was tall, gliding when she walked. Her demeanor and poise was of a woman twice her age. Every once in a while, however, Eudora smiled, and the expression hinted at a younger and more carefree girl, one capable of mischief.
    She wore her hair parted in the middle and swept into rosettes on either side of her head. A matronly style but one suiting her, as did the black she now wore. Even dressed in mourning, one noticed her dark eyes and long lashes, a creamy complexion, and full pink lips.
    “Is she Mediterranean?” someone had once asked about Eudora, and the question had reminded Virginia of lithographs she’d seen of Roman women, even to the prominent nose and regal looking brow.
    If Eudora had any flaws at all, it was that she loved to shop. A few times each week Virginia accompanied her, walking through the Pantheon, the Burlington Arcade, Davie’s warehouse on St. Martin’s Lane, or the Soho Bazaar.
    They invariably returned empty-handed from each one of their outings, simply because Lawrence refused to give them any pocket money and Virginia’s quarterly allowance wasn’t that large.
    “Oh, sister, was it awful?” Ellice asked.
    Ellice was the opposite of her taller older sister. She fidgeted. She squirmed. She could not sit still for more than a few minutes at a time. Her brown eyes were always sparkling with curiosity. “Why do you suppose” was the phrase starting most of her conversations. Her brown hair was always coming loose, and she was forever being lectured by her mother on comportment, manners, what to say and when. Unfortunately, she had, on more than one occasion, offended people by speaking what was on her mind.
    If Eudora was Enid’s joy, Ellice was her trial.
    Virginia had never considered they might be the saving grace of her marriage. Eudora and Ellice had become her sisters in truth.
    “I’m fine,” she said, answering both of them.
    Stepping back, she met Enid’s gaze. The three of them and all the servants in the house were dependent on her decision. She honestly didn’t know what would happen to them once Jeremy ascended to the title.
    “I’ll consider it,” she said to Enid.
    “Consider it quickly, Virginia.”
    With a few parting words, she left the three of them to sit with Lawrence’s coffin. Eudora wept with quiet dignity. Ellice was noisier and more effusive. Enid, like her, was concerned more with survival than grief at the moment.
    Slowly, she closed the sliding doors behind her.
    “I would be happy to assist you in any way, Countess.”
    Startled, she turned to find Paul Henderson standing there, watching her.
    Paul was an extraordinarily handsome man. With his dark brown eyes and thick brown hair, he garnered a woman’s attention. His features were perfect as well, even if his mouth might be considered a bit too large. Of average height, he was more muscular than most men of her acquaintance.
    He would need to be, having been Lawrence’s attendant. Paul had bathed him, cared for him, acted as valet and secretary. In the latter role, he’d summoned the solicitor whenever Lawrence wanted to spend more money. Paul had gone to Enid and told her what Lawrence was doing. Because of his warning, they had