Lady Lorena Cullip is the definition in Mr. Samuel Johnson's English Dictionary for the word: curious.
One might also find her name under
1- scandalous
2- disastrous,
3- slightly mad.
But the latest rumors about the lady have all of London holdin...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Lorena froze on the front stairs of her house and stared at the woman who stood in the door.
"Lorena," Aunt Tilda cried dramatically. "I came just as soon as I heard the terrible news. You burned down the Earl of Ashwick's house?" Her stunning blue eyes were wide and her heavy chest, dripping with diamonds and pearls, rose and fell with her every breath. Aunt Matilda was dressed in a shade of purple that made her pale skin glow and to Lorena, Aunt Tilda had always been the most dazzling woman she'd ever met. And the ton agreed. Matilda Shaw was Lorena's mother's sister, and she and Lorena both shared the same golden Lawrence hair and blue eyes. Matilda used her beauty on any willing soul who fell for it.
Lorena blinked. "I'm afraid that happened over a week ago, and your house is just outside of London. Surely, you heard of it some time ago. Perhaps even that very night."
Aunt Tilda straightened, blinked, and grinned. "Oh, Lorena, you do know me." Her eyes glittered and she turned toward the door just as two more people came in and announced, "But I had good reason for my delay."
Lorena stilled and placed a hand over her heart at the sight of her cousin, Maura.
Only a year younger than Lorena, Maura also had the Lawrence looks and was beautiful like her mother, but where Tilda knew how to make an entrance, Maura could have snuck right in without being seen if not attached to her mother. Maura silently looked around the house and turned to Lorena. "Hello, Lorena." She smiled sweetly.
Lorena quickly rushed down the staircase and threw her arms around Maura. "Oh, Maura!" It had been many years since Lorena had seen her. She hadn't even heard from her since the day her father had carted her off to Bedlam.
"I took her out of the asylum," Aunt Tilda began. "She never belonged there, but when I heard what they were getting ready to do to her... I couldn't let her stay there. Perhaps we could stay here? Just for a while?"
"Of course," Lorena cried. She was weeping, stilling holding onto Maura.
Maura was still smiling.
Lorena turned to the man who'd been coming in and out of the door since Aunt Matilda entered. He'd just finished bringing in another trunk when Aunt Tilda turned to him.
"Thank you," she said sweetly and gave the man a coin.
The young man grinned. "My pleasure." His suit was tattered, and it was obvious he was not in the employ of a fine house.
Aunt Tilda, seeming to know what Lorena saw, said, "This is Mr. Sudworth."
"Zedock Sudworth," the man commented with a grin that transformed him into a very handsome young man. "Call me Zed."
Lorena had no intention of doing anything of the like.
