Read Online Be Mine Tonight by Kathryn Smith - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kathryn Smith
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moving at lightning speed through the open hall to avoid the sun’s vengeance again.
He returned to the dark of his chamber with stinging flesh and a heart heavy with concern for the strange young woman who drew him in like a moth to flame, but was as distant and untouchable to him as the sun.
The laudanum Pru took for pain helped her sleep the rest of the day. Caroline insisted that she take dinner in her room and remain abed, even though it was the last thing Pru wanted. Marcus came up for tea in the evening and to update her on the day’s progress. They met in her sitting room, of course. Caroline might encourage Pru to be improper, but she still abided by all the rules of decorum.
Even though Marcus was enthusiastic about how close they were coming to getting into the ruins, the highlight of Pru’s evening was the single red rose that arrived at her beside in a slender crystal vase.
“It’s from Mr. Chapel,” Georgiana informed her the next morning, her attention seemingly on the perfect crimson bloom. “Why would he send such an offering?”
Warmth blossomed in Pru’s chest. “Because he is a nice man?” It was the best she could offer in her weakened state. How she hated being weak.At one time she could dance all night at a London ball and be ready for a picnic by noon the next day. Now she slept more than she danced and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been to a picnic that included more than just family.
“Hmm.” Georgiana’s hazel gaze was shrewd. “I wonder how he knew you were under the weather.”
Only Georgiana could refer to a life-threatening illness as “under the weather.” “He was there yesterday when the pain came upon me. He helped me to my room.”
Georgiana nodded, her expression unreadable save for a slight smile. “Then I suppose he is a nice man after all. Now, how do you feel about getting out of this bed and enjoying the sunshine?”
Georgiana helped her dress and pin her hair. They took tea in the garden and when Pru said she’d like to go to the excavation site, Georgiana sent for a little buggy and drove Prudence there herself.
The excavation was located on a low hilltop near the cliffs. Tall grass waved in the breeze, dots of wildflowers swaying among the blades. The sun shone high overhead, lulling Pru into a sense of deep contentment as gulls cried in the distance. The surf lapped gently at the rocks below, flushing the air with the scent of salt and wet sand.
If there was a heaven, this was surely it, and it wasn’t nearly so frightening as Pru sometimes thought.
The men digging stopped to don their shirts as the buggy approached.
“Blast,” Georgiana remarked with her usual dryness, “I was so hoping to catch a glimpse of Marcus without his shirt.”
Pru laughed. Her abdomen didn’t even twinge—blessedly. The pain was gone today, but the effects of the laudanum lingered, making her mouth dry and her limbs heavy.
Marcus—clad in the lamented and grimy shirt—met them. His brow and cheeks were flush, streaked with smudges of dirt. His teeth flashed white in the tan of his boyish face.
“I hoped you would come today,” he greeted, stripping off his gloves to help her down from the runner.
Those words were like wings to her heart. “Oh? Have you found something?”
Setting her on the ground, he flashed her another grin as he turned to assist Georgiana. “You’ll see.”
“Oh, I hate it when you do that!” But she laughed anyway. After yesterday’s reminder of the perilousness of her life, she needed something to get excited over. Something to cling to.
He led them to a hole on the least-sloped side of the hill. The landscape was dotted with uncovered foundations and bits of stone. The structure that had stood here once before had been a series of smaller buildings surrounding a larger one.
Marcus stood grinning at the slanted opening. “I had a suspicion that this might be some kind of cellar, set off as it was.”
That
He returned to the dark of his chamber with stinging flesh and a heart heavy with concern for the strange young woman who drew him in like a moth to flame, but was as distant and untouchable to him as the sun.
The laudanum Pru took for pain helped her sleep the rest of the day. Caroline insisted that she take dinner in her room and remain abed, even though it was the last thing Pru wanted. Marcus came up for tea in the evening and to update her on the day’s progress. They met in her sitting room, of course. Caroline might encourage Pru to be improper, but she still abided by all the rules of decorum.
Even though Marcus was enthusiastic about how close they were coming to getting into the ruins, the highlight of Pru’s evening was the single red rose that arrived at her beside in a slender crystal vase.
“It’s from Mr. Chapel,” Georgiana informed her the next morning, her attention seemingly on the perfect crimson bloom. “Why would he send such an offering?”
Warmth blossomed in Pru’s chest. “Because he is a nice man?” It was the best she could offer in her weakened state. How she hated being weak.At one time she could dance all night at a London ball and be ready for a picnic by noon the next day. Now she slept more than she danced and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d been to a picnic that included more than just family.
“Hmm.” Georgiana’s hazel gaze was shrewd. “I wonder how he knew you were under the weather.”
Only Georgiana could refer to a life-threatening illness as “under the weather.” “He was there yesterday when the pain came upon me. He helped me to my room.”
Georgiana nodded, her expression unreadable save for a slight smile. “Then I suppose he is a nice man after all. Now, how do you feel about getting out of this bed and enjoying the sunshine?”
Georgiana helped her dress and pin her hair. They took tea in the garden and when Pru said she’d like to go to the excavation site, Georgiana sent for a little buggy and drove Prudence there herself.
The excavation was located on a low hilltop near the cliffs. Tall grass waved in the breeze, dots of wildflowers swaying among the blades. The sun shone high overhead, lulling Pru into a sense of deep contentment as gulls cried in the distance. The surf lapped gently at the rocks below, flushing the air with the scent of salt and wet sand.
If there was a heaven, this was surely it, and it wasn’t nearly so frightening as Pru sometimes thought.
The men digging stopped to don their shirts as the buggy approached.
“Blast,” Georgiana remarked with her usual dryness, “I was so hoping to catch a glimpse of Marcus without his shirt.”
Pru laughed. Her abdomen didn’t even twinge—blessedly. The pain was gone today, but the effects of the laudanum lingered, making her mouth dry and her limbs heavy.
Marcus—clad in the lamented and grimy shirt—met them. His brow and cheeks were flush, streaked with smudges of dirt. His teeth flashed white in the tan of his boyish face.
“I hoped you would come today,” he greeted, stripping off his gloves to help her down from the runner.
Those words were like wings to her heart. “Oh? Have you found something?”
Setting her on the ground, he flashed her another grin as he turned to assist Georgiana. “You’ll see.”
“Oh, I hate it when you do that!” But she laughed anyway. After yesterday’s reminder of the perilousness of her life, she needed something to get excited over. Something to cling to.
He led them to a hole on the least-sloped side of the hill. The landscape was dotted with uncovered foundations and bits of stone. The structure that had stood here once before had been a series of smaller buildings surrounding a larger one.
Marcus stood grinning at the slanted opening. “I had a suspicion that this might be some kind of cellar, set off as it was.”
That
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