Read Online A Most Delicate Pursuit by Pamela Labud - Free Book Online Page A

she could see rat droppings in the corners. Silently, Bea prayed the vermin had decided to move on. She didn’t relish the thought of sharing her bed with companions of the rodent variety.
    “Shouldn’t we be going soon?”
    “We can’t leave just yet. I’m sorry, but there are things that need tending to. Our horse threw a shoe, so I’ll be fixing that before we go anywhere. And there’s the fact that we have no supplies and I’ve no idea how far we’ll be able to travel without water and food.”
    “Oh.” Bea suddenly felt the urge to cry, but the last thing she wanted to do was give in to hysteria. “I see.”
    “And then, there’s this.”
    Stunned, she watched as he pulled off his jacket and she saw that half of his shirt and sleeve were covered in dried blood.
    “When did that happen?”
    “When the carriage rolled over,” he told her. “I was stabbed by a tree branch that went through the window.”
    “And you didn’t think to mention it?” she gasped. Walking closer to him, and swallowing back the bile rising in her throat, she saw the dark red hole of his injury.
    Now that she got a better look at him in the morning light, she suddenly became aware of several things at once. His usually robust coloring looked more flushed, despite the low temperatures that had her pulling her blanket even tighter around her. A light sheen of sweat had formed on his brow. Reaching out, she placed the back of her hand on his forehead.
    “You’ve got a fever.”
    He shrugged. “A minor inconvenience, I assure you.”
    She shook her head. “I know. You’ve been through worse. Still, we’ve got to get that shirt off you and give the wound a good cleaning.”
    “Already trying to remove my clothing? What a scandal, Miss Hawkins. What are you thinking?”
    Bea did not let his attempt at humor deter her. “Nonsense. You’ll be no use to me dead, now, will you?”
    He nodded reverently to her. “I defer to your most sensible judgment, but first we must locate a clean source of water. If my memory serves, there is a spring about an hour’s walk from here. I’ll take the horse and head that way. I should be back soon.”
    “It’s that far away?”
    “I’m afraid so,” he said. “Now, let’s get you warmed up. I believe there is a patch of wild strawberries at the bottom of that hill. If we’re lucky, I might even run across some quail eggs.”
    Pushing down her mounting concerns, she nodded. “A most delightful breakfast. All we need is tea.”
    “I can do many things, dear Beatrice, but magic is not one of them.”
    “Of course. You’ve done far too much already.”
    He bowed low and reminded her of the fine figure he’d cut the very first time they’d been introduced. A stab of regret went through her. Their flight and his injury were two more things that she could have avoided had she gone the path her family had so badly wanted to set her upon.
    “Michael,” she said as he turned away from her.
    “Yes?”
    She was going to tell him thank you, for risking his life and now thinking only of their survival. But the sight of him took her breath away. The way his gaze wandered over her, warmed her in a most unexpected way. She couldn’t decide if it was the set of his jaw, or the width of his shoulders, or even his attitude of roguish confidence that affected her so.
    “Do try not to injure yourself further.” She held her breath.
    He looked at her a moment. “It’s not as if I intended to get hurt in the first place.”
    “I know, but it seems you do get hurt quite often.”
    He grinned. “You’re worried about me?”
    “Of course I am. You’re my brother-in-law’s friend, after all. I mean, he’d be most upset if something terrible were to happen to you.”
    “He would be? And you, Beatrice? Would you be upset as well?”
    Well, that was the question, wasn’t it? Beatrice suddenly felt as if some sort of challenge had been issued and she was very much at a disadvantage.
    “I