The Ormond Girl

By MIREILLE PAVANE

‘The ancient Greeks believed that humankind was once so perfect that the gods grew jealous and split each person into two, so that each would have to spend eternity searching for their other half.’ Neither the Ormond girl nor the earl’s reprobate son entertained such sentimental clap-trap. Miss Ormond was too sensible and Rochefort had far too many other pleasurable diversions to pursue. But when Rochefort tried to steal a kiss from the Ormond girl in a country lane, he set in motion a chain of events that tested even the will of the gods.

• Language: English
• Publisher: MIREILLE PAVANE
• Release date: Jul 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005007614

MIREILLE PAVANE

Mireille Pavane cannot recall exactly when she began messing about with books and literature but since then (brainwashed at a young age by the French and Russian writers and E.M. Forster) it has remained an abiding love. Mireille continues to scribble away in secret when not otherwise distracted by a professional career or gardening duties in her alternate life. She also has an unhealthy curiosity and fondness for footnotes which she attempts to curtail from time to time. Mireille is a member of the international and local chapters of the Village Idiots’ Guild.

Book preview

THE ORMOND GIRL

Mireille Pavane

Also by Mireille Pavane

Voyage Out series:

Voyage Out

The Grand Tour

The Stroke of Midnight

Standalone:

The Ormond Girl

The Lady of the Unicorn

Of Irises Blue

The Princess and the Gargoyle

Envy

The West Wing Chamber

Innocence

À la Murder: The Couturière’s Tale

Copyright © 2020 Mireille Pavane

Mireille Pavane asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means (including photocopying, recording, scanning, or other electronic or mechanical methods), without the prior written permission of the author and publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Cover design: Mireille Pavane

Cover image: photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Smashwords Edition

ISBN: 9781005007614

Licence Notes:

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Publisher’s note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, organizations, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

The Ormond Girl

‘The ancient Greeks believed that humankind was once so perfect that the gods grew jealous and split each person into two, so that each would have to spend eternity searching for their other half.’

Neither the Ormond girl nor the earl’s reprobate son entertained such sentimental clap-trap. Miss Ormond was too sensible and Rochefort had far too many other pleasurable diversions to pursue. But when Rochefort tried to steal a kiss from the Ormond girl in a country lane, he set in motion a chain of events that tested even the will of the gods.

To B. and J.,

who read the first draft and berated me for the ending. Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. I tried.

Two sturdy oaks I mean, which side by side,

Withstand the winter’s storm,

And spite of wind and tide,

Grow up the meadow’s pride,

For both are strong.

Above they barely touch, but undermined

Down to their deepest source,

Admiring you shall find

Their roots are intertwined

Insep’rably.

— Henry David Thoreau, ‘Friendship’

Table of Contents

Title Page

Also by Mireille Pavane

Copyright Page

Synopsis

Dedication

Epigraph

Table of Contents

The Ormond Girl

Thank You for Reading

About the Author

The Ormond Girl

Iwas looking through the jewellery box on Mother’s dressing table containing the more valuable of our family jewels which had been passed down the generations. I came upon a plain gold wedding ring amongst the pearls, gemstones, and other finely wrought ornaments and trinkets. I wondered at the presence of the wedding ring in the casket, at how it came to be there and the identity of its former owner. I tried to recall memories of Grandmother and was reminded of the story that she had once told me.

It had been a morose day, all wet and dismally grey. I had lingered long in Grandmother’s chamber in the chair by her bedside, keeping her company through her recurring illness which had worsened during the winter. The chamber had a diligently maintained fire in the hearth and offered a place of