Page 47 of Once Upon a Midnight Dream
She laughed.
“That is where the resemblance ends. He is tall and thin, and I am…” She gestured toward her voluptuous figure. “Neither.”
“You are lovely, Lilly.”
A becoming blush crept up her cheeks, and she cleared her throat before continuing her tale.
“Miss Davenport visited the home regularly, bringing gifts for all the children when she came, but she always had something special for Charles and me.
“The former headmistress thought Miss Davenport doted on us because we were the youngest children, and she had no children of her own.
“She never knew that Mrs. Reubins took our treats from us the moment Miss Davenport left. Mrs. Reubins said it was not fair to the other children.”
Lilly’s voice hardened and took on a tone Zander had never heard before at the mention of the former headmistress.
“I take it you were not overly fond of Mrs. Reubins?” He shot her a sideways glance, trying to read her expression.
Her hideous hat made it impossible.
Lilly shook her head.
“She was an awful, cruel, vindictive person who should never have been allowed around children, much less in charge of a children’s home.
“She threw a conniption fit when Miss Davenport insisted that I be hired as an instructor when I was sixteen. Mrs. Reubins had an even greater tizzy when Miss Davenport paid for Charles to go to university and medical school.”
Why would an aristocrat go to such efforts for two orphans?
“Miss Davenport sounds like an extraordinary woman.” He flicked the reins.
A bothersome suspicion took root.
“Why do you think she favored you and Charles?” Zander asked.
A frown turned Lilly’s mouth downward.
“That is a question we have both asked many, many times, to which we still have no answer.
“Not that Charles and I are not eternally grateful.
“Only God knows where we would be if it weren’t for her benevolence.” She peeked at him, her eyes bright with appreciation. “She left us what remained of her fortune too, with the stipulation we use it to operate the school.”
Zander gave a low whistle and shook his head. “Honestly, I am surprised Viscount Merrivale did not object, especially since he was pockets to let.”
Surprise skittered across Lilly’s features.
“I had not considered that, but it was her money to do with as she pleased. She told me so herself when I was about fourteen.
“She had inherited a tidy sum from her mother who had inherited from her mother. They invested and increased their fortunes, which aggravated their menfolk to no end.”
Bravo for them.
Lilly chuckled, a sultry echo of amusement. “She made it clear that it delighted her to no end that the men in their lives could not touch a penny of their money.”
Zander pondered that information for a minute.
He would wager it infuriated the Davenport men when she bequeathed her wealth to a small, countryside children’s home. Miss Davenport’s will must have been ironclad, or else her male relatives would have already taken the matter to court and claimed her funds.
Tenderness softened the corners of Lilly’s eyes, and she spread her palms wide on her thighs.
