Read Online Marblestone Mansion 01 - Scandalous Duchess by Marti Talbott - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Marti Talbott
Ads: Link
Miss.” Even so, Charlotte stayed in the hallway, hoping Hannish would notice that it was she who cared most about him. Too soon, McKenna closed the door.
Sprawled on the parlor floor with a blanket covering him and his hat lopsided on his head, Alistair opened one eye and then the other. He was alarmed to find himself so exposed and tried to sit up, but when the room began to spin, he lay back down. He turned on his side, pulled the blanket over his backside and went back to sleep. The next thing he knew, Hannish was sitting on the floor beside him, pouring half a glass of whiskey.
“ Drink this, ‘twill help.” Hannish offered his arm, helped Alistair sit up and watched him down most of the liquid. “Will you survive?”
Alistair quickly handed it back and grabbed hold of his aching head with both hands. “I do hope so, Sir.”
Hannish poured another half glass of whiskey and held it out, but when Alistair refused, he drank the contents himself. “Prescot is some fighter. I had no idea he was a boxer before he came to Colorado. I dinna believe there is a scratch on him.”
“ Not a scratch?” Alistair asked.
“ Tell me, why do you think Olivia brought Graham with her? She must have known I would find out and suspect the worst.”
Alistair had a feeling he had said way too much the night before, although he could not quite remember what. Stalling for time, he began to rub the back of his neck and move his head from side to side, hoping to alleviate the headache. “Graham, Sir?”
“ Alistair, we are old friends, you can tell me the truth.”
He eyed the glass until Hannish noticed and refilled it. Then he took another two gulps. “Your wife does not confide in me.”
“ Does she hope to marry this stonemason?”
“ Give up her title?” Alistair scoffed. “I hardly think that likely unless…”
“ Unless a better title has come along?”
Alistair wrinkled his brow. “What could be better than a duke?”
“ A Prince?”
Again, Alistair scoffed. “The Queen frowns on divorce and none of Victoria’s sons would be that stupid.”
“ You’ve not seen a foreign prince or two paying Olivia undue attention, then?”
“ Nay, Sir.” Alistair abruptly realized where he was and caught his breath. “Have the others seen me…like this, I mean?”
“ It could not be helped.”
Alistair closed his eyes and shook his head. Then he remembered his split lip, touched it and smiled. “Twas a bloody good fight, Sir.”
“ Would you care to go again sometime?”
“ Indeed I would.”
“ So would I,” said Hannish.
It was embarrassing to join the other servants for the noon meal in the kitchen, but Alistair drew in a deep breath, took his usual seat opposite Prescot at the end of the table and pretended nothing had changed – that is, until Sassy began to giggle. “What tickles your fancy this day, Sassy?”
“ You got a very good one, and in the opposite eye as Mr. Hannish.”
Alistair’s head still hurt a little and he was about to roll his eyes when he decided not too. “Mine was left-handed, is all.”
“ The lad you fought?” Sassy asked. “Why did you fight?”
“‘ Tis what men do when they are upset, Sassy,” Jessie explained. “They find a poor soul just as upset, and they two have it out.”
“ It is called a fair fight,” Keith explained.
“ A fair fight?” Sarah asked. “Were they as big as you and Mr. MacGreagor?”
“ Well…” Alistair started. He was still not sober enough to think quickly and Sarah was giving him that look -- the look he was beginning to grow fond of. It appeared she might favor him, and he hoped so.
Prescot quickly interrupted. “Bigger.”
Sassy wasn’t sure she believed that, but she let it pass. There was a wonderful lunch to be had and she was determined not to leave a crumb of cornbread on her plate.
“ What needs to be done yet today?” Blanka asked.
“ Well, we best finish sweeping all the empty rooms. The rugs will
Sprawled on the parlor floor with a blanket covering him and his hat lopsided on his head, Alistair opened one eye and then the other. He was alarmed to find himself so exposed and tried to sit up, but when the room began to spin, he lay back down. He turned on his side, pulled the blanket over his backside and went back to sleep. The next thing he knew, Hannish was sitting on the floor beside him, pouring half a glass of whiskey.
“ Drink this, ‘twill help.” Hannish offered his arm, helped Alistair sit up and watched him down most of the liquid. “Will you survive?”
Alistair quickly handed it back and grabbed hold of his aching head with both hands. “I do hope so, Sir.”
Hannish poured another half glass of whiskey and held it out, but when Alistair refused, he drank the contents himself. “Prescot is some fighter. I had no idea he was a boxer before he came to Colorado. I dinna believe there is a scratch on him.”
“ Not a scratch?” Alistair asked.
“ Tell me, why do you think Olivia brought Graham with her? She must have known I would find out and suspect the worst.”
Alistair had a feeling he had said way too much the night before, although he could not quite remember what. Stalling for time, he began to rub the back of his neck and move his head from side to side, hoping to alleviate the headache. “Graham, Sir?”
“ Alistair, we are old friends, you can tell me the truth.”
He eyed the glass until Hannish noticed and refilled it. Then he took another two gulps. “Your wife does not confide in me.”
“ Does she hope to marry this stonemason?”
“ Give up her title?” Alistair scoffed. “I hardly think that likely unless…”
“ Unless a better title has come along?”
Alistair wrinkled his brow. “What could be better than a duke?”
“ A Prince?”
Again, Alistair scoffed. “The Queen frowns on divorce and none of Victoria’s sons would be that stupid.”
“ You’ve not seen a foreign prince or two paying Olivia undue attention, then?”
“ Nay, Sir.” Alistair abruptly realized where he was and caught his breath. “Have the others seen me…like this, I mean?”
“ It could not be helped.”
Alistair closed his eyes and shook his head. Then he remembered his split lip, touched it and smiled. “Twas a bloody good fight, Sir.”
“ Would you care to go again sometime?”
“ Indeed I would.”
“ So would I,” said Hannish.
It was embarrassing to join the other servants for the noon meal in the kitchen, but Alistair drew in a deep breath, took his usual seat opposite Prescot at the end of the table and pretended nothing had changed – that is, until Sassy began to giggle. “What tickles your fancy this day, Sassy?”
“ You got a very good one, and in the opposite eye as Mr. Hannish.”
Alistair’s head still hurt a little and he was about to roll his eyes when he decided not too. “Mine was left-handed, is all.”
“ The lad you fought?” Sassy asked. “Why did you fight?”
“‘ Tis what men do when they are upset, Sassy,” Jessie explained. “They find a poor soul just as upset, and they two have it out.”
“ It is called a fair fight,” Keith explained.
“ A fair fight?” Sarah asked. “Were they as big as you and Mr. MacGreagor?”
“ Well…” Alistair started. He was still not sober enough to think quickly and Sarah was giving him that look -- the look he was beginning to grow fond of. It appeared she might favor him, and he hoped so.
Prescot quickly interrupted. “Bigger.”
Sassy wasn’t sure she believed that, but she let it pass. There was a wonderful lunch to be had and she was determined not to leave a crumb of cornbread on her plate.
“ What needs to be done yet today?” Blanka asked.
“ Well, we best finish sweeping all the empty rooms. The rugs will
Similar Books
