Read Online Karen Harbaugh by A Special License - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: A Special License
Ads: Link
you needed anything. Perhaps a private parlour? My chambermaid was saying as how you might need a place to talk with your lady friends, private-like.”
Rothwick gave a mental groan. No doubt the woman had been listening at the door, and between her and the maid, word of his and Sophia’s altercation would very likely spread rapidly. “Your husband has already given me a private room, but I do need a breakfast, one for myself and one to be brought to the lady who accompanied me,” he replied. “I would also be much obliged to you if you could locate Mr. Richard Amberley and send him to me.”
Mrs. Chawleigh curtsied and hurried away down the stairs. Lord Rothwick followed more slowly. He rarely drank spirits and never in the morning, but somehow he felt a glass of fortifying brandy would not be a bad idea right now.
Chapter 5
Richard Amberley pulled out his watch and looked at it for the second time. Sophia’s chocolate was quite cold now, for its surface was congealing into skin. He wondered if something dreadful had happened to his sister and if he should look for her. The thought of being free of her machinations at last stayed him—for a few moments only, however. He rose from his chair.
“If it please you sir, would you be Mr. Richard Amberley?”
Richard turned to see the angular face of the innkeeper’s wife, Mrs. Chawleigh. He inclined his head slightly in reply.
“Well, sir, Lord Rothwick would like to see you in his private parlour to join him for breakfast, if you haven’t partaken, that is.”
Richard blinked. Rothwick here! What would the earl want with him? Having breakfast with one’s brother-in-law-to-be was not unusual, but their tastes were quite disparate and the circles in which they moved touched only tangentially. He rarely had anything to do with the man.
And how did Rothwick know he was here? Richard paled slightly. Sophia! He hurriedly dismissed Mrs. Chawleigh with the message that he would indeed meet with the earl.
As Richard walked to the private parlour he wondered what Sophia had got him into now. He frantically reviewed his past actions and wondered how his sister might twist them to vex his lordship. He could think of no way she could, but then he did not have the Machiavellian instincts she did. He could only wait and see.
Richard’s first view of the earl was not encouraging. Rothwick sat at the table, grimly surveying his breakfast as if it had mortally offended him. At Richard’s entrance he looked up, his face cleared, and he invited Richard to the laden plates before him. Richard let out a breath. So perhaps it was not he himself who was in trouble! Lord Rothwick’s easy conversation and the fine breakfast before him quickly eased the young man’s spirits, and he fell to dining with more optimism than he had felt for a long time.
At last Lord Rothwick pushed himself back from the table. A sigh escaped him, and Richard looked at him inquiringly.
“I suppose you are wondering why I asked you to join me,” Rothwick said.
“Well, it was very kind of you to invite me to breakfast,” replied Richard. “Not that you haven’t been in the past, that is, but—”
“But I haven’t put myself out to be more than pleasantly civil, is that it?”
“No, no!” Richard said, slightly alarmed. “Always up to snuff—I mean to say—we don’t run in the same circles, after all!” He thought of Sophia again and hoped that whatever she had told her fiancé, it wasn’t too incriminating.
His lordship raised a hand. “There’s no need to say it. I have heard others say that I am a bit high in the instep.” His brief smile was grim. “I saw your sister abovestairs a few minutes ago. We had some unfortunate words. She said I might talk with you in lieu of your father.”
Richard blanched. Never before had Sophia referred to her brother as a figure of authority, and he was certain this new development was yet another twist in her schemes. He closed his
Rothwick gave a mental groan. No doubt the woman had been listening at the door, and between her and the maid, word of his and Sophia’s altercation would very likely spread rapidly. “Your husband has already given me a private room, but I do need a breakfast, one for myself and one to be brought to the lady who accompanied me,” he replied. “I would also be much obliged to you if you could locate Mr. Richard Amberley and send him to me.”
Mrs. Chawleigh curtsied and hurried away down the stairs. Lord Rothwick followed more slowly. He rarely drank spirits and never in the morning, but somehow he felt a glass of fortifying brandy would not be a bad idea right now.
Chapter 5
Richard Amberley pulled out his watch and looked at it for the second time. Sophia’s chocolate was quite cold now, for its surface was congealing into skin. He wondered if something dreadful had happened to his sister and if he should look for her. The thought of being free of her machinations at last stayed him—for a few moments only, however. He rose from his chair.
“If it please you sir, would you be Mr. Richard Amberley?”
Richard turned to see the angular face of the innkeeper’s wife, Mrs. Chawleigh. He inclined his head slightly in reply.
“Well, sir, Lord Rothwick would like to see you in his private parlour to join him for breakfast, if you haven’t partaken, that is.”
Richard blinked. Rothwick here! What would the earl want with him? Having breakfast with one’s brother-in-law-to-be was not unusual, but their tastes were quite disparate and the circles in which they moved touched only tangentially. He rarely had anything to do with the man.
And how did Rothwick know he was here? Richard paled slightly. Sophia! He hurriedly dismissed Mrs. Chawleigh with the message that he would indeed meet with the earl.
As Richard walked to the private parlour he wondered what Sophia had got him into now. He frantically reviewed his past actions and wondered how his sister might twist them to vex his lordship. He could think of no way she could, but then he did not have the Machiavellian instincts she did. He could only wait and see.
Richard’s first view of the earl was not encouraging. Rothwick sat at the table, grimly surveying his breakfast as if it had mortally offended him. At Richard’s entrance he looked up, his face cleared, and he invited Richard to the laden plates before him. Richard let out a breath. So perhaps it was not he himself who was in trouble! Lord Rothwick’s easy conversation and the fine breakfast before him quickly eased the young man’s spirits, and he fell to dining with more optimism than he had felt for a long time.
At last Lord Rothwick pushed himself back from the table. A sigh escaped him, and Richard looked at him inquiringly.
“I suppose you are wondering why I asked you to join me,” Rothwick said.
“Well, it was very kind of you to invite me to breakfast,” replied Richard. “Not that you haven’t been in the past, that is, but—”
“But I haven’t put myself out to be more than pleasantly civil, is that it?”
“No, no!” Richard said, slightly alarmed. “Always up to snuff—I mean to say—we don’t run in the same circles, after all!” He thought of Sophia again and hoped that whatever she had told her fiancé, it wasn’t too incriminating.
His lordship raised a hand. “There’s no need to say it. I have heard others say that I am a bit high in the instep.” His brief smile was grim. “I saw your sister abovestairs a few minutes ago. We had some unfortunate words. She said I might talk with you in lieu of your father.”
Richard blanched. Never before had Sophia referred to her brother as a figure of authority, and he was certain this new development was yet another twist in her schemes. He closed his
Similar Books
