The Unaccomplished Lady Eleanor Read Online Free

mop of tousled black hair and a decidedly angry countenance. 
    ‘ Well? ’ he demanded.  ‘ What have you to say for yourself? ’
    Opening her mouth to reply, Eleanor found herself devoid of speech as a sudden wave of emotion washed o ver her.  The man, hands on hips, continued to stare at her, making her wish she were anywhere in the world other than lying in a crumbled heap at his f eet in this enormous menacing c astle.  Covering her face with her hands, she was unable to hold back the tears she had been fighting most of the day .  T hey began silently streaming down her face.
    ‘ Now then, n ow then , what’s going on here? ’ boomed a stentorian voice.  Startled , Eleanor whipped her hands from her face and was this time met by a much mo re familiar sight: that of her g odmother, Lady Ormiston.  Her memory of the woman had not diminished at all.  She was as loud and as fearsome as Eleanor remembered: her large form dwarfing everything around her; her grey hair pulled back from her round face in a severe bun, topped off with a lace cap.  Dressed head-to-toe in mourning black, she bustled towards them, her wide , old-fashioned panniers swaying violently from side-to-side, almost knocking over the ancient artefacts lining either side of the corridor.  Eleanor cringed inwardly at the irony of the situation.  Only mi nutes ago she had resolved to m eet her godmother as an equal, on a level footing, and here she was crying in a heap on the floor. Before she had tim e to gather her thoughts , the dowager came to an abrupt halt in front of them.
    ‘ This woman walked right into me, Aunt, ’ announced the young man, glaring accusingly at Eleanor.  ‘ I have had no apology and now she is snivelling like a child. ’
    All at once, the arrogance of his tone caused a wave of indignant rage to pulse through Eleanor.  She had done nothing wrong .  She was tired .  Her entire body ached.  T he bruise on her head , whi ch had now developed into a lar ge lump, was throbbing terribly.  S he was hungry and grimy and, m ost of all, she was in no mood to be treated as though she were nothing more than a piece of unwelcome dirt.
    With as much dignity as she could muster, she pulled herself up from the floor and, tilting up her chin defiantly to face what she now realiz ed was a tall, broad-shouldered young man, she inhaled deeply. 
    ‘ I beg your pardon, sir, ’ she countered , looking directly into a pair of large dark eyes, ‘ but it was you that knocked me over.  If you had but looked into the corridor before barging out like a wild animal, you would have seen me immediately and the entire incident would have been avoided. ’
    The man glowered at Eleanor, dark fury now colouring his features.  Before he could reply , the dowager interjected.
    ‘ Well, Eleanor, ’ she huff ed, crossing her arms over her ample bosom, ‘ Giles had informed me you had arrived. By George, I knew that I was going to have my work cut out with you but I must say I didn’t expect you to be causing trouble already .  Now let me have a proper look at you. ’ She took a step back and rais ed her lorgnette to her small, black eyes , in exactly the same way she had done six years previously. Every remnant of Eleanor’s earlier resolve evaporat ed as she instantly rev erted back to a self-conscious teenager at a complete loss as to what to do with her arms.    Awkwardly, and in the absence of any better ideas, she let them hang loosely by her sides.
    The dowager pursed her lips as she surveyed her goddaughter’s stunning crown of glos sy auburn hair; her large emerald eyes and her flawless, peachy skin.  After what seemed to Eleanor like an eternity, she lowered her lorgnette and placed her hands on her expansive hips.  ‘ Well, ’ she puffed , ‘ I suppose we should be thankful that you have at least inherited your mother’s looks.  You could do with a little more meat on your bones but at least you have a decent bosom