دانلود رمان انگلیسی “دو بار خجالتی”

Elizabeth Ashling took up the pearl drops from their blue velvet bed to fix in her ears, while her maid slid the final pins into her hair. She reflected upon how different she felt from the first time she had sat before this same mirror, only three years previously, and suppressed a sigh. She had been anticipating her first ball, and been so excited that her maid had shaken her head and claimed it was all but impossible to dress her hair properly for all her fidgeting. Tonight Ditcham was beseeching her mistress to abandon the long face that she said would have suited a wake rather than a come-out, and did so with all the authority of one who had been her mother’s tirewoman and had known her from infancy. ‘Well, it is not my come-out, thank goodness. My cousin will be the focus of attention, but I promise I shall not give anyone the opportunity to say that I am not delighted to be present.’ ‘It is high time you were out in society again, Miss Elizabeth, and enjoying yourself at your age. As for being admired, well, there is no reason you should not find yourself the belle of the ball, so lovely as you look, and the image of your poor dear mama.’ ‘I sincerely hope you are wrong. It would put both Cousin Amelia and my aunt’s noses very much out of joint. Besides, Amelia is an exceedingly pretty girl, and I am sure my aunt has very reasonable expectations of her making a most advantageous match before the Season is over. Amelia, at least, will not disappoint her.’ There was a bitter stress upon ‘at least’.