Susanna moved an old rug from the corner of the room and pulled up a wood plank from the floor. Milly was surprised by her sister’s actions… and the large book her sister revealed from the floor’s depths.
It wasn’t a book. It was a tome.
Susanna struggled to carry it to the table by the window.
Milly rushed over and looked the book over. It was very old. The brown leather was worn, broken in some places. Pages had been stuffed into the book. Milly flipped it open to the first page and was surprised to find the book was alphabetized by surname.
A few more flips showed that the loose pages were additions that had been added later.
She read through the first name.
It was an account of sins. There were dates. Witnesses. Some names had been crossed out. The first entry was about a man who’d murdered his own wife.
Milly gasped and closed the book. Then she looked at Susanna.
Her sister was still crying. “You’re going to take it from me, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am.” Milly had been a horrible sister to not have sought this book out earlier. “Susanna, I thought you were pretending. I didn’t think the book was real.” Milly was trembling as she gathered the book to her chest. She feared what else rested between the pages of the book. What had Susanna seen?
Her sweet innocent sister.
Susanna poked her lip out. “I didn’t want you or Walter to see it.”
“Susanna, this book is not for children.” Milly wasn’t sure if it was for even for herself. “Where did you find it?”
Her gaze held challenge. “Mildred, I’m not a child. I’m thirteen. I’m a woman.”
“And you believe a woman should be reading this? How could you keep this from me? Don’t you understand I’m trying to protect you? Especially your mind?”
Susanna burst into loud tears. The action was so sudden that it took Milly’s breath away. “I hate you! I hate living here! I can’t have anything! Walter takes everything from me. Now you! I hate you!” The rant went on and on, and Milly crumbled under the onslaught of emotions. Susanna’s face turned red. Her breathing became rushed. Her hands were balled into tight fists as she huffed and puffed her spite.
Milly stood there silently and took it, mainly because didn’t know what to do with Susanna most days. Milly had been nothing like her at thirteen. She’d been quiet. What she’d enjoyed most was dreaming. She’d found pleasure in small things, like the sway of grass blades on a windy day or watching the lake on their property ripple when stones were thrown in. Sometimes, she could get Susanna to slow down and enjoy those things as well, but mostly Susanna wanted more. She’d always liked things. She compared herself to other girls of her station. The other gentry in the area had more, and Susanna’s need had only grown worse since their father’s death.
And the need for things was only made worse when their brother took what they had away. Walter took everything from Susanna. Susanna was very pretty. Beautiful, in fact. Often, locals would give her things for free. Gentlemen bought her ribbons for little more than a smile. Milly didn’t like it. She knew not every smiling face held the best intentions, but Susanna didn’t listen, and Walter didn’t stop her.
Walter allowed it, because when she came home, he’d take whatever she had to be sold elsewhere. The next day, there would be coin for bread or coal for the winter and the walls would shake from Susanna’s endless anger.
Milly clenched the book, wishing she could bend a little or give Susanna something in the book’s place, but she couldn’t. She had nothing to give. Her eyes began to water all over again when she realized just how helpless she was. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
Susanna turned away and marched to her window. Milly stared at her a full minute before retreating to her own room. She ignored the peeling walls and the chipped, dull furniture. She didn’t bother inspecting the scratched wood and ignored the way her bed gave underneath her until she felt as though she could fall straight through.
Milly wiped away the rest of her tears before she began to read.
The sound of a door opening in the distance pulled Milly from the book. Her heart raced and she looked around the space like a woman caught. She couldn’t believe the things that rested on the pages of the tome. It was scandalous, an account of every wrongdoing of so many members of the ton. She recalled reading about some of them in the papers her brother brought home from his club. The men in the papers were nothing like the ones documented in the strange tome Milly had found.
It was a book of things that should have been held secret, yet one person had learned it all. Had a man written the book? A woman?
A book of secrets.
Milly would be seeing some people differently now. She believed the book may have been written by someone from Vandera, since there were quite a few members of their town within the pages.
She looked at her burning lamp and didn’t recall when she’d lit it. That was how intent her reading had been. The sun was still up, but it wouldn’t be long before sunset. She’d not heard from Susanna in some time. She put the book down and went to see if it was her brother who’d arrived or if Susanna had left.
She did that sometimes when upset. Milly had no control over her and had no clue where she went when she left, but she knew it wasn’t far. Susanna would return a time later and say nothing about her journey.
Walter beat her only once for the offense, but Milly believed he’d been scarred more than Susanna by the incident since he never did it again.
Milly found Walter in the receiving room that they never received anyone in. Susanna sat across from him. She said nothing and didn’t look at Milly as she entered.
Walter said nothing about the silence that hung between them. Instead, her brother stood, approached her, and held out a coin. “Go get dinner.”
Milly looked down at the money and then at her brother. “What do you expect me to get with this?” It wasn’t even enough for a loaf of bread. Not even a stale one.
Walter sighed. His gray eyes looked tired. “I don’t know, Milly. You figure it out. You always figure it out.” Then he turned, sat back down, and closed his weary eyes. “I had to let Mr. Dely go in order to give you that coin. Then I had to do his share of the work.” Mr. Dely worked hard, which meant Walter had been in the field all day.
Milly clenched the coin and decided she wouldn’t complain. She looked at Susanna, who was still only giving Milly her profile. “Would you like to come to town with me?” They could both fit on Walter’s horse.
Susanna finally looked at her, her eyes shining. She never turned down a chance to go to town.
See how Cassius and Milly's story unfolds.
Get the story HERE.
Book List Order
Also by DEBORAH WILSON
∫ ∫ ∫
VALIANT LOVE SERIES
Book 1 - The Perfect Lady
Book 2 - The Perfect Gentleman
Book 3 - The Perfect Duke
Book 4 - The Last Duke
Book 5 - Mark of the Marquess
Book 6 - Dread of The Earl
Book 7 - Scar of The Duke
Book 8 - Wounds of A Viscount
Book 9 - Pain of The Marquess
Book 10 - The Secret Life of a Duke
Book 11 - The Secret Pleasures of An Earl
∫ ∫ ∫
STANDALONE NOVELLA
The Lady's Masquerade
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Copyright and Disclaimer
Copyright © 2019 by Deborah Wilson - All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. The characters and events portrayed in this book are either the product of author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental.
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this book in any form or by any electronic means without written permission from the author. Recording of this book is strictly prohibited. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
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The Secret Pleasures of an Earl: (The Valiant Love Regency Romance) (A Historical Romance Book) Page 31