Sweet Charity by Elizabeth Ludwig
Special FOUR part series!
Part 1
“Jasmine McDrew is a man-stealing, gossip-spreading flirt, and I hate her.”
Charity jabbed a hairpin into her voluminous curls, followed quickly by a second, and then a third.
“Now, Meez Charity, why you do not let me finish your hair?” Lit by the flicker of candles, the bronze face of Charity’s maid, Luisa, appeared even warmer as she peered at Charity in the mirror. She reached up and wound one of Charity’s blond curls around her stubby finger. “You will only ruin what I’ve worked so hard over, chica.”
Charity twisted to glare at her maid. Though balanced precariously on a footstool, she still barely came to Charity’s shoulder. “I can’t help it, Luisa. I just know Jasmine has set her cap for my Ambrose. I’ll do anything to stop her from sinking her claws into him. Anything!”
Cooing in Venezuelan, Luisa gently pried a pin from Charity’s fingers and proceeded to insert it properly in Charity’s hair. “There.” She patted the last lock into place and stood back to admire her handiwork. “You are muy bonita. Why you worry about that devilish Jasmine McDrew, anyway? She is like a weed next to you. The doctor, Señor Ambrose, would be a fool to look at anyone else.”
Charity’s heart melted at the mention of her fiancé. Tonight was supposed to be their night, when they celebrated their engagement with loved ones and friends at her family’s plantation home. Instead, here she sat worrying once again about that vile, fiancé-grabbing Jasmine.
Her fingers curled into fists. She meant what she’d said to Luisa. She would do anything to stop Jasmine from getting her hands on Ambrose.
Anything.
Part 1
“Jasmine McDrew is a man-stealing, gossip-spreading flirt, and I hate her.”
Charity jabbed a hairpin into her voluminous curls, followed quickly by a second, and then a third.
“Now, Meez Charity, why you do not let me finish your hair?” Lit by the flicker of candles, the bronze face of Charity’s maid, Luisa, appeared even warmer as she peered at Charity in the mirror. She reached up and wound one of Charity’s blond curls around her stubby finger. “You will only ruin what I’ve worked so hard over, chica.”
Charity twisted to glare at her maid. Though balanced precariously on a footstool, she still barely came to Charity’s shoulder. “I can’t help it, Luisa. I just know Jasmine has set her cap for my Ambrose. I’ll do anything to stop her from sinking her claws into him. Anything!”
Cooing in Venezuelan, Luisa gently pried a pin from Charity’s fingers and proceeded to insert it properly in Charity’s hair. “There.” She patted the last lock into place and stood back to admire her handiwork. “You are muy bonita. Why you worry about that devilish Jasmine McDrew, anyway? She is like a weed next to you. The doctor, Señor Ambrose, would be a fool to look at anyone else.”
Charity’s heart melted at the mention of her fiancé. Tonight was supposed to be their night, when they celebrated their engagement with loved ones and friends at her family’s plantation home. Instead, here she sat worrying once again about that vile, fiancé-grabbing Jasmine.
Her fingers curled into fists. She meant what she’d said to Luisa. She would do anything to stop Jasmine from getting her hands on Ambrose.
Anything.
Stay tuned next week for Part 2 of Sweet Charity.
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2 comments:
Oooo, Lisa! Great opening! Can hairpins be used as murder weapons?
(laughing) Oh, but you'd be surprised what can be used as a weapon, my dear!
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