The Roswell Legacy by Frances Statham (ebook pdf reader for pc .TXT) 📕

The reality of the kiss was far greater than anything she’d ever imagined. In his arms, Ginna felt his lips on hers, searing his claim to her with the intensity of fire against flesh. He took his time, drawing from some hidden, unknown wellspring in her inner being an emotion that had lain dormant, waiting for its awakening at the appropriate season. And when he finally lifted his head to gaze into her eyes again, she began to tremble, so devastated was she at her response to him.

“My sweet, little, innocent Ginna,” he said, holding her close. “There can never be any turning back for us now. You have unleashed a passion that will never be content again with a mere kiss.”

“I never knew …”

“The sooner we marry, the better. Come now, let me look at you and see whether I’ve compromised you totally.”

“Jonathan, I don’t think I can go inside just yet. Your mother will be able to tell …”

He laughed. “Yes. You look as if you’ve been thoroughly kissed. But is that so bad? She was young once. She’ll understand.”

Allison had heard the sound of the carriage and was waiting for them in the summer room adjoining the more formal parlor. The white wicker furniture with cool aqua chintz cushions gave the room an informality and a serenity, and it was this ambiance that Ginna felt immediately as she and Jonathan entered.

“Welcome to our home, my dear,” Allison said, coming to meet Ginna.

“Thank you, Mrs. Meadors. It’s a pleasure to be here.”

Allison noticed Ginna’s hand. “I see that Jonathan has already given you his present.”

“Yes. The ring is so beautiful. And I’ll always treasure it.” Ginna glanced shyly at Jonathan before she continued. “I have a gift for Jonathan, too. When he takes me home later this afternoon, I’ll give it to him then.”

“Come and have a seat. Would you like a glass of lemonade? Or do you prefer hot tea?”

Ginna hesitated. “Whatever you’re going to have is fine with me.”

“Lemonade,” Jonathan decided. “A nice, big glass of iced lemonade. And some of those petits fours that Crete made this morning.”

Seeing the way the two looked at each other, Allison was glad that she and Rad had chosen not to object to the marriage. And if she’d thought that Ginna would stir up unpleasant memories of the past for her, she realized now that it would not be so. The child was endearing, a person in her own right, apart from Coin and Araminta and the emotional vestiges of the past. Or perhaps it was because she was Coin’s child that Allison could love Ginna already. No, she was Charles’s child. And she must remember to think of him by that name. Coin had been buried in the Virginia wilderness along with his name.

“I think I’ll go and see about the refreshments,” a considerate Jonathan suggested, leaving the room so that his mother could have some time alone with Ginna.

As he walked into the kitchen, Crete was arranging the little sandwiches and petits fours on a tray.

“Well, it’s iced lemonade, Crete, for the three of us. Don’t bother with the tea.”

“I’ll have things ready in a jiffy, Mr. Jonathan.”

“Take your time. We’re in no hurry.” He reached over and filched a sandwich from the tray.

“Mind your manners, Mr. Jonathan. You’re ruinin’ my arrangement.”

“That’s the general idea. We need to stay in the kitchen long enough to give my favorite girls a chance to get to know each other.”

“Well, if you eat more than three sandwiches off my tray, I’m goin’ on in, acquainted or not.”

“Then I’ll start on the petits fours instead.”

“Maybe you could get the ice pick and chink us off some ice for the lemonade.”

A few minutes later, with that job completed, Jonathan walked back from the kitchen to the summer room. “Crete’s on her way,” he announced.

“We were just talking about the family bridal veil, Jonathan,” Allison said. “Ginna would like to use it with her own dress, for the wedding.”

“It would mean a lot to me, Jonathan,” Ginna said, smiling, “knowing that it had been worn by your mother and your grandmother.”

“It would please me, too, Ginna.” Then Jonathan suddenly smiled at Allison. “But that’s the only family heirloom that will be allowed. I have no intention of wearing my father’s wedding clothes. It might start the war all over again.”

Ginna laughed. “Jonathan told me that Senator Meadors served in the Union army. And although I was born in England, my mother was from Savannah originally. She was there when the city was captured.”

“That’s a coincidence, Ginna. My mother came from Savannah, too.” He turned to Allison. “Do you think you might have known Mrs. Forsyte’s family at one time?”

Allison’s hands suddenly became busy, adjusting the ruffled chintz pillow. “I … I left Savannah so many years ago.…” She looked up and saw Crete coming in with the silver tray. With relief, she said, “Oh, here’re the refreshments now. Just set the tray on the table, Crete. We’ll help ourselves.”

The awkward moment passed. But Allison was now aware of a new danger that no one had foreseen. Once Jonathan and Ginna began comparing family stories, then it was only a matter of time before they would come to the certain conclusion that part of the past had been deliberately kept from them.

CHAPTER

16

By the time Ginna arrived back at the family brownstone, it was late afternoon. Never knowing what her mother’s mood would be, she was always a bit uneasy whenever she returned home. But the pleasantness of that particular afternoon spent with Jonathan had dulled her natural caution. And, too, she was anxious to give him his engagement gift.

“I hope you’ll like it,” Ginna said as she stepped down from the carriage and began to walk with Jonathan past the wrought-iron gate. “I’ve been working on it steadily for the past three months.”

Jonathan’s right eyebrow went up