Read Online Delight and Desire by JOANNA MAITLAND - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: JOANNA MAITLAND
Ads: Link
long?
‘Grant, go and organise a chaise and four. I shall need it here in two hours. We leave as soon as it is light.’
‘Aye, sir. Which road shall you be taking?’
‘The road north. As I am sure you already knew.’ He grinned suddenly. ‘We have a battle to win, Grant, and our forces are few. So we shall need to use guile, not a frontal attack. Say as little as possible at the posting house, and return quickly. I shall need you to remain here in London, as rearguard.’
‘Aye, sir. You may rely on me to deal with Sir Hugh, and his bruiser.’
The moment the batman left, Robert rushed across to the secret door. Poor Isobel had been locked inside for what must have seemed like hours. In the dark, with no way of knowing when she would be freed. Robert touched the spring. As the door swung open, he lifted a branch of candles from the side table and held it high. ‘Isobel?’
She was blinking blindly against the light. She had pushed her arms into the sleeves of his dressing gown and tied the belt at her waist, but otherwise she had not moved. Her clothes lay in a pile on the floor. Her hands were clasped together in her lap. Robert fancied it was to stop them from shaking.
He put his free arm round her shoulders. Poor girl, her body was cold, shivering. No wonder, in this dark prison. ‘Come.’ He led her out into the light and closed the door. Her clothes could wait. More important now to warm and reassure her that she was safe. With him. He pulled a wing chair closer to the fire and pushed her down into it. Then he fetched the coverlet from the bed and wrapped it round her. ‘Better?’
Her beautiful eyes had adjusted to the light now. She nodded. ‘Thank you.’ Her voice was a thready whisper.
He poured a small brandy and pressed it into her hand. ‘Drink this. It will warm you and give you strength.’ He expected her to protest, but she did not. She nodded, tossed it down, and then began to cough uncontrollably. He saw that she was beautiful, and fragile, and vulnerable, all at the same time, and yet as brave as any soldier. One in a million. ‘Oh, my darling girl,’ Robert burst out, ‘you must take care!’ Her coughing stopped. For a long moment, he simply held her close. Something had changed between them. But there was no time now to explore the strange new feelings that had engulfed him.
Being held in his arms was heavenly. Especially after so long in that dark prison. She had heard a commotion, and raised voices, but she had been unable to make out what was going on. She had been so very afraid for Robert.
‘Courage, my sweet. It is over. Your uncle has gone.’
She rested her head against the hard strength of his body and closed her eyes. They were safe. For the moment.
‘And now we must organise a wedding.’ He chuckled into her hair. ‘In some haste, I fear.’
She looked anxiously up into his face. He would marry her for honour’s sake, even though he did not love her. Did he feel trapped, resentful? To her surprise, he was smiling warmly down at her, his gaze as gentle as a caress. A loving caress. ‘Oh,’ she breathed.
‘Come, my sweet.’ He crossed to the little desk and pulled out a chair for her. ‘You have to write a letter. We need to gain time. We must give the hounds a false scent.’
‘Oh, yes, of course. I imagine you cannot organise a wedding overnight, even with a special licence.’
‘A special—!’ He threw back his head and laughed. ‘Oh, my darling girl, life with you will certainly be full of surprises. How old are you?’
She bristled. ‘Twenty, sir.’
‘And do you have your guardian’s permission for this marriage you are about to enter into?’
Oh. She shook her head. She knew what was coming next.
‘Precisely so. Sadly this is not Verona with a Friar Lawrence conveniently to hand. This is England, and England’s laws do not permit an under-age girl to consent to marriage. It is a weary road back to Scotland, but at least the
‘Grant, go and organise a chaise and four. I shall need it here in two hours. We leave as soon as it is light.’
‘Aye, sir. Which road shall you be taking?’
‘The road north. As I am sure you already knew.’ He grinned suddenly. ‘We have a battle to win, Grant, and our forces are few. So we shall need to use guile, not a frontal attack. Say as little as possible at the posting house, and return quickly. I shall need you to remain here in London, as rearguard.’
‘Aye, sir. You may rely on me to deal with Sir Hugh, and his bruiser.’
The moment the batman left, Robert rushed across to the secret door. Poor Isobel had been locked inside for what must have seemed like hours. In the dark, with no way of knowing when she would be freed. Robert touched the spring. As the door swung open, he lifted a branch of candles from the side table and held it high. ‘Isobel?’
She was blinking blindly against the light. She had pushed her arms into the sleeves of his dressing gown and tied the belt at her waist, but otherwise she had not moved. Her clothes lay in a pile on the floor. Her hands were clasped together in her lap. Robert fancied it was to stop them from shaking.
He put his free arm round her shoulders. Poor girl, her body was cold, shivering. No wonder, in this dark prison. ‘Come.’ He led her out into the light and closed the door. Her clothes could wait. More important now to warm and reassure her that she was safe. With him. He pulled a wing chair closer to the fire and pushed her down into it. Then he fetched the coverlet from the bed and wrapped it round her. ‘Better?’
Her beautiful eyes had adjusted to the light now. She nodded. ‘Thank you.’ Her voice was a thready whisper.
He poured a small brandy and pressed it into her hand. ‘Drink this. It will warm you and give you strength.’ He expected her to protest, but she did not. She nodded, tossed it down, and then began to cough uncontrollably. He saw that she was beautiful, and fragile, and vulnerable, all at the same time, and yet as brave as any soldier. One in a million. ‘Oh, my darling girl,’ Robert burst out, ‘you must take care!’ Her coughing stopped. For a long moment, he simply held her close. Something had changed between them. But there was no time now to explore the strange new feelings that had engulfed him.
Being held in his arms was heavenly. Especially after so long in that dark prison. She had heard a commotion, and raised voices, but she had been unable to make out what was going on. She had been so very afraid for Robert.
‘Courage, my sweet. It is over. Your uncle has gone.’
She rested her head against the hard strength of his body and closed her eyes. They were safe. For the moment.
‘And now we must organise a wedding.’ He chuckled into her hair. ‘In some haste, I fear.’
She looked anxiously up into his face. He would marry her for honour’s sake, even though he did not love her. Did he feel trapped, resentful? To her surprise, he was smiling warmly down at her, his gaze as gentle as a caress. A loving caress. ‘Oh,’ she breathed.
‘Come, my sweet.’ He crossed to the little desk and pulled out a chair for her. ‘You have to write a letter. We need to gain time. We must give the hounds a false scent.’
‘Oh, yes, of course. I imagine you cannot organise a wedding overnight, even with a special licence.’
‘A special—!’ He threw back his head and laughed. ‘Oh, my darling girl, life with you will certainly be full of surprises. How old are you?’
She bristled. ‘Twenty, sir.’
‘And do you have your guardian’s permission for this marriage you are about to enter into?’
Oh. She shook her head. She knew what was coming next.
‘Precisely so. Sadly this is not Verona with a Friar Lawrence conveniently to hand. This is England, and England’s laws do not permit an under-age girl to consent to marriage. It is a weary road back to Scotland, but at least the
Similar Books
