Page 30 of A Soft Kiss in Summer
Their grandfather was an eccentric old man who liked to tell his stories, and Graham indulged him.Victoria Hart, Graham’s sister-in-law, did as well.When most folks avoided Ewan Campbell, those two never did, even though she knew at times they wanted to.
She wondered if Josiah would listen as well or brush him off like most folks did.She hoped not.Having him ignore her grandfather would change the way she saw him and there was nothing worse than thinking you knew someone only for them to prove they weren’t a very nice person.
The last of the food was set on the table and they busied themselves filling their plates, the noise growing by the second.Violet listened with half an ear, her mind on more pressing things—like when Josiah would go get their wedding annulled—when there was a knock on the back door.They all looked at each other a moment before Graham stood to answer it.
Violet’s heart skipped a beat when she saw Josiah standing in the doorway, then stilled a moment later when she saw Edwin.
Josiah locked eyes with her as he stepped into the house.“Edwin wished to say goodbye.”
Edwin followed him in and looked around the room before his gaze landed on her.“Can we speak outside?”He glanced at Josiah and sneered.“Preferably, alone.”
She glanced at Josiah but before she could answer, her grandfather said, “Nothing you need to say that everyone can’t be hearing, lad.It’s not proper for a man to be having secret conversations with a merit lady.”
Edwin’s face went red, and she bit her tongue to keep from smiling.Her grandfather was a busybody but, bless his nosey heart, he was more perceptive than most and knew speaking to Edwin was the last thing she wanted to do.
Edwin straightened his suit jacket and gave her grandfather an irritated look before focusing his gaze on her.“Very well, then.Violet, I don’t believe for a moment this marriage to the marshal is real and I want you to know my offer for marriage is still good.”
“But I’m already married, Edwin.Quite happily, I might add.”The words flowed so easily past her lips and she hated lying.She always had.One lie turns into two, then three, and before you know it, you’ve got so many of them you can’t keep them straight anymore, so lying about her happy marriage to Josiah made her uneasy.Could she keep the farce going until Josiah had the marriage annulled?And if she did, then what?How would she explain all this away?
She sighed while looking at Edwin.How had her life gotten so messed up and confusing?
“That’s it then?”
She nodded.
Edwin glanced at them all in turn before glaring at Josiah.He turned on his heel without another word and no one said anything until he jumped from the porch and was gone.
Graham motioned Josiah further into the room with a tilt of his head and shut the door behind him.“Go grab a seat, Josiah.”
She thought for a moment he was going to refuse, but he finally walked further into the room to take the seat beside her.Rose was already filling a plate for him.
Violet grabbed the bread basket and took a slice, sniffing it before offering it to Josiah.“This looks different.”
Daisy smiled.“It’s a new recipe.Try it.”
Violet slathered it with butter before biting into it.She washed it down, shrugging her shoulders.“It tastes like bread to me.”
Daisy rolled her eyes.“Thanks for the input.”
Rose laughed and grabbed another slice.“I think it’s delicious, Daisy.The sunflower seeds give it a nice bit of texture.”
“As do I,” Graham told her.“Anytime you want to try new recipes out on me, you’re welcome to knock on my door.You know as well as I do Rose can’t cook to save her life.”
Rose raised an eyebrow at him.“So says the man who will be cooking his own meals from now on.”
Graham grinned and leaned over to kiss her cheek.The corner of Rose’s mouth twitched, so despite her harsh tone, she knew her sister didn’t mean half the things she said.
She glanced at Josiah.He’d not said a word since sitting down, and his silence made her nervous.Was he wondering how long he’d have to wait to get their marriage annulled?
Or was his silence due to something else entirely?
ChapterNine
The last time he’d been in such a domestic situation, he’d been days away from marrying a woman he’d thought to spend the rest of his life with.
He tried not to think about Ruth much at all these days, but with all this marriage nonsense with Violet, it was hard not to.
Ruth’s family had been big like Violet’s was, but they hadn’t been anything like the Campbell clan.Ruth’s family was rich and reserved and once upon a time he’d thought they were exactly the type of respectable family he wanted to be a part of but being here now, listening to the laughter of Violet and her family, he knew he would have been miserable with Ruth.Hell, he’d known it weeks before she died.
