Read Online Andrews Brothers 01 - The Ruse by Felicia Rogers - Free Book Online
Authors: Felicia Rogers
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not be good for either of them.
“We can’t stay here,” he
whispered.
“Well, I won’t return to my
rooms.”
“Then what is your plan? Stay
here until the staff discovers you?”
She gnawed on her lip.
Taking a chance, he said, “Very
well, I will place you elsewhere, but until we find a permanent solution, you
must come with me now.”
Clipped footsteps echoed along
the wide hall. Luke grabbed her forearm and whispered, “We must hurry.”
“I tell you I won’t move.”
He squeezed tighter and pulled.
She protested only until she reached the lit hall.
“What have you done? You’ve
doomed us both.”
“Hush, woman, and move.”
She clenched his hand and he led
them to his suite. Once inside, he closed the door and prayed Jarvis wouldn’t
make a request of him. His heart beat rapidly as he leaned against the door.
Brigitta had made her way to the bed and huddled beside it, curled into a tight
ball. She squeezed her eyelids closed and mumbled unintelligible words under
her breath.
The sound of footsteps faded and
Luke breathed a sigh of relief. It was short lived as he glanced at his
companion. Brigitta rocked; wild mutterings flowed from her lips and tears
coursed along her cheeks mingling with her freckles.
He lit candles then retrieved a
basin of cold water that sat on the table, freshened from the morning. He
dipped a rag and wrung it out, then bent to wipe her face and was stunned when
she struck him with her fist.
He rocked backward, crashing
against the wooden floor. She took the opportunity to scramble to her feet and
run. Pushing off the floor, he took off after her.
They met at the door. With her
hand on the knob, he grabbed her and twisted her into his arms, her chest
rising and falling rapidly in the damp chemise.
****
“Why did you do that?” he said
between gritted teeth.
Brigitta struggled, but his arms
tightened around her. “Let me go!”
“I will do no such thing. Now
stop behaving like an insolent child and let me wipe your face.”
Reluctantly, she gave in. She
relaxed her rigid muscles and allowed him to lead her to a seat and use the
cold rag to cleanse her tears. When he finished, he leaned back on his
haunches.
The flickering candlelight lit
his visage and gave him a soft glow. “Does anyone else know you’re here?” she
whispered.
“You shouldn’t worry about that.”
The resemblance to her husband
caused her heart to pound. The same brown hair arranged in the same style; the
same breadth of shoulder and trimness of waist. The main difference lay in the
eyes. This man’s eyes glowed bronze, while her husband’s were almost black.
He pursed his lips. His gaze
lowered and she followed its descent. Her chemise sagged in the front and left
little to the imagination. She jerked it upward and heat flushed her face.
Gruffly, he said, “I think we
should find you some clothing.”
Brigitta muttered, “Perhaps I
should have dressed before lowering myself from my window.”
He laughed and leaned back on his
haunches.
“Perhaps there is a shirt in the
wardrobe that I could wear?” she asked.
He scrunched up his features, his
lips mimicking a frown. He didn’t seem to like the idea of her procuring
clothing from this room. Cold made her teeth clack so hard that her head
jittered.
He knelt before her and she stood
and pushed past him. She walked to the wardrobe, opened the door, and rifled
through the contents.
Grabbing a long white nightshirt,
she climbed inside the wardrobe and pulled the door closed until only a sliver
of light shone through. Quickly, she changed and climbed out. The material
clung to her thighs and she wiggled until it released. It struck the back of
her knees and fell softly against her skin.
She hung her chemise over the
fireplace grate. Still cold, she gathered a quilt from the foot of the bed and
wrapped it around her shivering body.
Cold wafted through the soles of
her scantily clad feet and she resumed her seat on the chair,
“We can’t stay here,” he
whispered.
“Well, I won’t return to my
rooms.”
“Then what is your plan? Stay
here until the staff discovers you?”
She gnawed on her lip.
Taking a chance, he said, “Very
well, I will place you elsewhere, but until we find a permanent solution, you
must come with me now.”
Clipped footsteps echoed along
the wide hall. Luke grabbed her forearm and whispered, “We must hurry.”
“I tell you I won’t move.”
He squeezed tighter and pulled.
She protested only until she reached the lit hall.
“What have you done? You’ve
doomed us both.”
“Hush, woman, and move.”
She clenched his hand and he led
them to his suite. Once inside, he closed the door and prayed Jarvis wouldn’t
make a request of him. His heart beat rapidly as he leaned against the door.
Brigitta had made her way to the bed and huddled beside it, curled into a tight
ball. She squeezed her eyelids closed and mumbled unintelligible words under
her breath.
The sound of footsteps faded and
Luke breathed a sigh of relief. It was short lived as he glanced at his
companion. Brigitta rocked; wild mutterings flowed from her lips and tears
coursed along her cheeks mingling with her freckles.
He lit candles then retrieved a
basin of cold water that sat on the table, freshened from the morning. He
dipped a rag and wrung it out, then bent to wipe her face and was stunned when
she struck him with her fist.
He rocked backward, crashing
against the wooden floor. She took the opportunity to scramble to her feet and
run. Pushing off the floor, he took off after her.
They met at the door. With her
hand on the knob, he grabbed her and twisted her into his arms, her chest
rising and falling rapidly in the damp chemise.
****
“Why did you do that?” he said
between gritted teeth.
Brigitta struggled, but his arms
tightened around her. “Let me go!”
“I will do no such thing. Now
stop behaving like an insolent child and let me wipe your face.”
Reluctantly, she gave in. She
relaxed her rigid muscles and allowed him to lead her to a seat and use the
cold rag to cleanse her tears. When he finished, he leaned back on his
haunches.
The flickering candlelight lit
his visage and gave him a soft glow. “Does anyone else know you’re here?” she
whispered.
“You shouldn’t worry about that.”
The resemblance to her husband
caused her heart to pound. The same brown hair arranged in the same style; the
same breadth of shoulder and trimness of waist. The main difference lay in the
eyes. This man’s eyes glowed bronze, while her husband’s were almost black.
He pursed his lips. His gaze
lowered and she followed its descent. Her chemise sagged in the front and left
little to the imagination. She jerked it upward and heat flushed her face.
Gruffly, he said, “I think we
should find you some clothing.”
Brigitta muttered, “Perhaps I
should have dressed before lowering myself from my window.”
He laughed and leaned back on his
haunches.
“Perhaps there is a shirt in the
wardrobe that I could wear?” she asked.
He scrunched up his features, his
lips mimicking a frown. He didn’t seem to like the idea of her procuring
clothing from this room. Cold made her teeth clack so hard that her head
jittered.
He knelt before her and she stood
and pushed past him. She walked to the wardrobe, opened the door, and rifled
through the contents.
Grabbing a long white nightshirt,
she climbed inside the wardrobe and pulled the door closed until only a sliver
of light shone through. Quickly, she changed and climbed out. The material
clung to her thighs and she wiggled until it released. It struck the back of
her knees and fell softly against her skin.
She hung her chemise over the
fireplace grate. Still cold, she gathered a quilt from the foot of the bed and
wrapped it around her shivering body.
Cold wafted through the soles of
her scantily clad feet and she resumed her seat on the chair,
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