Love's Misadventure (The Mason Siblings Series Book 1) Read Free Page B

space. “Annabel, you look well. Such a pleasure to see the both of you.” Her older brother, Major Charles Bradley, strutted into the breakfast room with a self-satisfied smirk on his face, his blonde hair handsomely—and, she thought, deliberately —dishevelled.
    “Good heavens, Charles, what have you done now?” Mama said in a reproachful voice. “You know how irksome your father and I find it when you cause a scandal.” She put the last small piece of her marmalade toast in her mouth and chewed it slowly.
    Anna smiled behind her teacup. “Yes, Charles, do tell us what you’ve been up to. Nothing too mischievous, I hope.” She took another sip and returned it to its saucer.
    “No, indeed,” he said in mock affront, his eyes glittering with humour. “I merely spent the evening at White’s and won ten quid off Stanton at the tables.” He paused with a teasing glance toward their mother. “Then Harvey and I retired to a very nice house down the street where we met two very fine young ladies—”
    “That is quite enough, Charles!” Mama’s eyes were wide. “You will hold your tongue. Those tales are not fit for a lady’s ears!”
    Annabel couldn’t suppress the inelegant snort of laughter that escaped her. Mama turned sharp eyes on her, while Charles’ crinkled in the corners.
    “You know he says such things only to shock you, Mama.” She sent an impish grin to Charles. “He could not possibly have won ten quid; he is not nearly that skilled a card player.”
    Charles let out a bark of laughter while their mother gasped, a hand fluttering to her chest.
    “ Annabel ,” she scolded.
    Charles leaned forward to place his palms flat on the table. “I could win against you easily, little sister. Name the time, game, and wager.”
    “I shall! I have no prior engagements tomorrow afternoon—”
    “Indeed you shall not!” Mama tossed her napkin to the table. “There will be no wagering in this household.” With an exasperated sigh, she stood and stalked from the room, sending them one last warning glance over her shoulder before disappearing through the doorway. “You two will be the death of me, yet.”
    As soon as their mother was out of earshot, Charles heaped his plate with pork and eggs and sat at the table across from Anna.
    “I do love teasing her so.” He grinned at her.
    Anna swallowed a mouthful of fruit and smiled back at him. “I don’t think I could ever tire of it. Now,” she paused, “what did you really do last night?”
    Charles did not look up from his plate. “Precisely what I said.”
    “Come off it, Charles. I know you better than that. You are an abysmal liar.”
    His midnight-blue eyes grew shuttered, but the look vanished so quickly that she wasn’t sure she had actually seen it. That concerned her more than anything.
    Since her brother had returned injured from war four months ago, he had been different. He had erected a wall around himself, exuding only the happy version of Charles. But Anna knew he was hiding something behind his jokes. He was quick to temper and grew defensive very easily. Even his closest friend, Bridget, Lane’s younger sister, had stopped coming around except to visit with Anna. Those two had been nearly as inseparable as Lane and Anna, but something had obviously occurred to change that. Annabel was burning to know what it was.
    “Very well, my sister, the sleuth,” he grumbled. “I saw a play at Drury Lane.”
    Anna’s eyebrows rose. “You? A play? I am all astonishment!”
    Charles chewed on a mouthful of egg. “I did, in fact, go to White’s after the play and won ten quid from Stanton. But that is where my evening ended.”
    Something told her that there was more, but she did not press him. He was entitled to his secrets.
    “Sounds dull,” she ventured.
    “Not so dull as yours, I imagine. What did you do? Read?”
    “As a matter of fact, yes,” she said defensively. “I would not consider that dull . And do not look so smug.