Read Online His Lady Spy (The Star Elite Series) by Rebecca King - Free Book Online Page B

of the last few moments would remain with her for the rest of her days. Her revulsion at her own actions was so strong that she wasn’t sure what to do with herself. In a brief fit of panic, she wondered if she would see that same revulsion in her sister’s eyes.
    She longed to return her head to the man’s shoulder and seek the comforting warmth of his strong arms, but simply had to know. Easing back in his arms, she wriggled around until he had no choice but to put her down. Once her feet were on the floor, she brushed out her skirts, and took a moment to wipe the tears off her cheeks with a trembling hand.
    “Are you alright?” Archie asked softly, astonished yet inordinately pleased that she was at least trying to help herself.
    “I don’t think so, not right now,” Portia replied somewhat stiffly. She wasn’t sure what he was expecting her to say. Oh, yes, I’m fine thank you? Slowly, reluctantly, she glanced at Cecily.
    “You did what you had to do,” Cecily declared flatly, anger building at the sight of the raw pain on her sister’s face. If it wasn’t for their father, they wouldn’t be in the wretched church at all, let alone in the middle of this farce. Right now, if she was near her sire, he would be on the receiving end of her fury for once. Her blood boiled; her rage built, and she squared her shoulders, moving toward her sister with stark determination. Grabbing Portia by the shoulders she drew her upright until their eyes met.
    “You listen to me Portia Tinsdale. We have to get out of this mes s. You saved our lives back there. If it wasn’t for you, we would have been killed at the hands of Frenchmen, in a church both of us dislike, in a village neither of us want to live in.” Cecily’s voice was cold and hard. “This is our chance to change things. I don’t know about you, but I am sick of having my life dictated to. I am not going to be given to old cronies just to please my father. This is about us. You did what you had to do for a chance of life. Now we both have to do what we must to get out of here, and take that new life for ourselves. Are you with me?”
    Portia stared at her sister , wondering what had happened to her. Despite the lingering terror, she couldn’t withhold the small smile that stole over her lips at the militant glare on her young sister’s face. It was so unlike the Cecily she had come to know and love that she wasn’t sure what to make of it. But she wasn’t about to question it. If this was Cecily’s way of coping with adversity, then Portia owed it to her – to them – to be as strong as she possibly could be.
    Taking a deep breath, she nodded once , and squared her shoulders. “You are right of course, please forgive me,” Portia sighed, swiping a hand down her face to clear away the last traces of tears. She glanced at Archie almost officiously. “Tell me what you want me to do.”
    Archie was stunned. In all of his years in the army, he had seen men lose their grip on reality on more than one occasion, especially when the cold brutality of war took hold. He had never, ever, seen someone throw the fear to one side, grab hold of their fortitude in such a firm grip, and change their demeanour so swiftly. He wasn’t sure whether to be shocked, proud or horrified. The last thing he wanted was two defiant, gun-toting females on his hands, and wondered briefly if he wouldn’t have preferred to carry the soft, delicate female he had been holding moments earlier.
    “If you are feeling up to it, I think we need to get out of here, and head away from the village.” Archie replied cautiously, struggling to gather his own thoughts together after what he had just witnessed.
    “Right,” Cecily declared to nobody in particular as she headed toward the door. “Off we go then.”
    Within minutes Archie was following the ladies as they clambered over the low stone wall that ran around the perimeter of the churchyard, mentally shaking his head in disbelief. If