Read Online Lady Blue by Helen A Rosburg - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Helen A Rosburg
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stand at the edge of the stream.
Harmony, however, had seen the look in his eyes before he turned away. “Are you trying to tell me,” she inquired softly, “you’re sorry about that, too?”
Anthony hesitated, then turned to meet Harmony’s gaze. His smile had returned. It was gentle.
“Let’s just say … I’m not sorry I got to know you.”
She had absolutely no idea how to respond. His warmth and sincerity had taken her completely by surprise. She wasn’t sure she could have replied anyway, for the uncomfortable lump that had formed in her throat. She tried to swallow it away. And saw something moving fast out of the corner of her eye.
Before Harmony could react, it had brushed her lips and landed on the left side of her nose. She screamed.
“Harmony!”
“Get him! Get him!” she shrieked, and whirled as the insect buzzed around her head. “Get it away from me!”
Startled and off balance, Anthony took a blind swing. His boots slipped in the mud and he toppled over backward. There was a loud splash.
Horrified, Harmony stared at the spot where Anthony had disappeared beneath the water. Until he came up, sputtering and spitting and loudly cursing. Then she laughed. Laughed until tears ran from her eyes and it became difficult to breathe. And she felt her own feet begin to slip from beneath her.
“Oh, no … Anthony! Nooooo!”
“Laugh at me, will you?” Maintaining his grip on her ankles, Anthony pulled Harmony into the water with him.
“Anthony!” Harmony gasped for air and pushed the hair from her eyes. “Anthony, how
dare
you?!”
“Very easily, my love.” Anthony laughed and dunked her again.
This time Harmony did not scramble for the surface. She kicked to free her feet from the hindrance of her petticoats and dove for the bottom. She closed her eyes to the mud-riled water and felt for Anthony’s feet. Then she tugged. Hard.
Anthony slipped back into the water, arms flailing as he went under. Harmony surfaced and pulled herself onto the bank. Laughing, she waited for him to emerge.
Anthony came out of the water and onto the bank in a single motion. He shook his head and spattered droplets of water in all directions.
“Well, I guess that teaches me, once and for all, not to mess with you, Lady Blue.” He jumped to his feet and tried unsuccessfully to brush the dirt from his wet breeches. They had now become so revealing Harmony had to look away.
“How about a bottle of wine to keep us warm while we dry out?”
Harmony looked back in Anthony’s direction, trying to keep her eyes on his face. “For breakfast?”
Anthony glanced up at the sun. “No, for lunch. How about some of that, too?”
Dismayed, Harmony realized it was noon already. Where had the time gone? She watched him unpack his saddlebags. He certainly was well prepared, she mused. Almost as if he had kidnapped a young lady before. Had he? She was surprised at the stab of jealousy that accompanied the thought.
“Here you are,
mademoiselle
.” Anthony leaned over, bowing, to hand her the metal cup of white wine. “I’m sorry I couldn’t find more elegant stemware, but
Cook broke it all in a fit of rage.”
Harmony laughed as Anthony sprawled in the grass beside her. As he had on the evening before, he raised his glass in a gesture of salute.
“To a lovely day,” he said softly. “To a lovely, perfect day, my sweet, sweet Harmony.”
Their cups clinked together in the silence.
Though the wine was making her head swim, Harmony felt compelled, out of pride, to drink to Anthony’s last toast.
“Again,” he said, touching his cup to hers, “let us drink to your masterful horsemanship.”
“Thank you.” Harmony ducked her head, feeling a blush flood her cheeks.
“May I ask how and where you learned to ride?”
The entire situation was so unreal Harmony was grateful to grab onto something solid and comforting: her past. Nestling her cup in the grass to keep it upright, she sat up a little
Harmony, however, had seen the look in his eyes before he turned away. “Are you trying to tell me,” she inquired softly, “you’re sorry about that, too?”
Anthony hesitated, then turned to meet Harmony’s gaze. His smile had returned. It was gentle.
“Let’s just say … I’m not sorry I got to know you.”
She had absolutely no idea how to respond. His warmth and sincerity had taken her completely by surprise. She wasn’t sure she could have replied anyway, for the uncomfortable lump that had formed in her throat. She tried to swallow it away. And saw something moving fast out of the corner of her eye.
Before Harmony could react, it had brushed her lips and landed on the left side of her nose. She screamed.
“Harmony!”
“Get him! Get him!” she shrieked, and whirled as the insect buzzed around her head. “Get it away from me!”
Startled and off balance, Anthony took a blind swing. His boots slipped in the mud and he toppled over backward. There was a loud splash.
Horrified, Harmony stared at the spot where Anthony had disappeared beneath the water. Until he came up, sputtering and spitting and loudly cursing. Then she laughed. Laughed until tears ran from her eyes and it became difficult to breathe. And she felt her own feet begin to slip from beneath her.
“Oh, no … Anthony! Nooooo!”
“Laugh at me, will you?” Maintaining his grip on her ankles, Anthony pulled Harmony into the water with him.
“Anthony!” Harmony gasped for air and pushed the hair from her eyes. “Anthony, how
dare
you?!”
“Very easily, my love.” Anthony laughed and dunked her again.
This time Harmony did not scramble for the surface. She kicked to free her feet from the hindrance of her petticoats and dove for the bottom. She closed her eyes to the mud-riled water and felt for Anthony’s feet. Then she tugged. Hard.
Anthony slipped back into the water, arms flailing as he went under. Harmony surfaced and pulled herself onto the bank. Laughing, she waited for him to emerge.
Anthony came out of the water and onto the bank in a single motion. He shook his head and spattered droplets of water in all directions.
“Well, I guess that teaches me, once and for all, not to mess with you, Lady Blue.” He jumped to his feet and tried unsuccessfully to brush the dirt from his wet breeches. They had now become so revealing Harmony had to look away.
“How about a bottle of wine to keep us warm while we dry out?”
Harmony looked back in Anthony’s direction, trying to keep her eyes on his face. “For breakfast?”
Anthony glanced up at the sun. “No, for lunch. How about some of that, too?”
Dismayed, Harmony realized it was noon already. Where had the time gone? She watched him unpack his saddlebags. He certainly was well prepared, she mused. Almost as if he had kidnapped a young lady before. Had he? She was surprised at the stab of jealousy that accompanied the thought.
“Here you are,
mademoiselle
.” Anthony leaned over, bowing, to hand her the metal cup of white wine. “I’m sorry I couldn’t find more elegant stemware, but
Cook broke it all in a fit of rage.”
Harmony laughed as Anthony sprawled in the grass beside her. As he had on the evening before, he raised his glass in a gesture of salute.
“To a lovely day,” he said softly. “To a lovely, perfect day, my sweet, sweet Harmony.”
Their cups clinked together in the silence.
Though the wine was making her head swim, Harmony felt compelled, out of pride, to drink to Anthony’s last toast.
“Again,” he said, touching his cup to hers, “let us drink to your masterful horsemanship.”
“Thank you.” Harmony ducked her head, feeling a blush flood her cheeks.
“May I ask how and where you learned to ride?”
The entire situation was so unreal Harmony was grateful to grab onto something solid and comforting: her past. Nestling her cup in the grass to keep it upright, she sat up a little
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