Rescued (Flowers of the Bayou) Read Free

married once when he lived in England, but it ended unhappily and he moved back to the states with his little sister to expand his shipping industry.
    “Guess who?” Georgia giggled. She had snuck up behind Amelia without her even being the wiser and Georgia was pretty proud of herself.
    Amelia smothered a genuine yelp but recovered fast. “Let me see, is it Vivian?”
    “No, try again.” Her sweet voice rang out.
    “Well it certainly can’t be Andrew.” She teased. “Are you sure?”
    “Of that I’m sure.”
    “Guess again.”
    “If it’s not Vivian, and not Andrew, then I can’t be at all sure who it is.”
    “Yes you can.” Georgia giggled.
    “Well who else is there?”
    “Georgia silly!”
    “Oh is there? Well that just can’t be, Georgia should be in her studies right now so she can’t be in here with me.” Turning, Amelia couldn’t help but laugh at the look that came across the child’s face.
    “You’re no fun, I want to help.” She said proudly.
    Amelia gave her a stern look. “I can’t let you play with me when you should be learning.” Amelia said, flicking the tip of the child’s nose.
    Outside of the kitchen Jordan Bradford smiled, pleased to hear his sister’s voice. He’d feared the whole house had been abandoned and Margaret had taken Georgia in with her.
    No one could blame him for the assumption either. When he’d arrived just moments ago the house had been silent. Andrew who was his butler had not even greeted him at the door. But that alone didn’t bring him to the conclusion, Andrew could have been off doing lord knew what. For a butler, he didn’t do his job well.
    It was the absence of the head of household Vivian that was out of place. He wandered the corridor even went to his room without running into a soul and put away his things. He had walked back down and gone to the library, still no one.
    Finally when a bit of hunger overcame him, Jordan decided on making the trip to the kitchen and apparently this was the only place in his house where life resided. The sweet voice of his young sister could be heard within—arguing with what he could only assume to be the help. He smiled as she tried to bargain and plea her way out of her lessons with the woman.
    Hearing her whine he laughed as she tried one last attempt of getting out of her studies and decided it was time that he made his presence known, before finding out why his dear Georgia was not taking advantage of the education he was paying a “pretty penny” for.
    Pushing open the wide door, Jordan walked into the kitchen unnoticed. Clearing his throat he turned eyes finding the short form of his sister and asked, “When I left you promised you’d take your lessons more seriously.”
    “Jordan!”
    The deep voice pulled Amelia away from her playful position and back to the here and now. She watched in silence as Georgia ran to the brother that Amelia had never seen. Not wanting to be caught staring, Amelia gazed down at the bowl that sat in her lap and listened to him tell her briefly of all the places he had been exploring, while she begged to know exactly what he had brought her from each one.
    “I would be studying, honest, but Mrs. Langston left early today she had a terrible headache. I came to the kitchen to ask Amelia if she needed any help, Vivian said it was okay.”
    Suddenly her fingers seemed to be the most interesting things Amelia had ever seen in her life. She could feel his eyes on her. He did what most did when they saw her; looked her up and down, and then a dismissal. Not that she minded; after all it gave her a second chance to look at him.
    He was tall that was for sure, easily standing over six feet, and even though he was clothed, she could tell that underneath he had a strong frame. Letting her gaze travel upward she was stuck immediately by his eyes. His eyes were the oddest things, the clearest sapphire fringed with dark violet; she had never in her life seen eyes reminiscent of