Read Online Miss Mischief - A Regency Romance by Kate Harper - Free Book Online
Authors: Kate Harper
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predicament.
‘It’s very good of you,’ he said unenthusiastically. ‘I would love to stay for tea.’
‘You can clean up inside,’ Miss Claybourn said in a kindly voice that made him want to swat her. He followed on as a groom was summoned to take Hermes. Miss Claybourn took Marcus’ arm and gave him a sidelong glance from beneath those wickedly long lashes. ‘I know it is the last thing you wish to do but I would hate you to go off without a proper expression of gratitude. On two counts,’ she murmured, ‘One for saving me from bandits and the other for not telling my father the true story.’
‘And this is how you repay me?’ he hissed back indignantly.
‘Good heavens, it is not the end of the world. It will only take an hour. You can meet the other guests and say good afternoon to my grandmother.’
‘Oh, joy,’ he muttered, unable to stop himself. He heard a quick, hastily muffled gurgle of laughter. This is what a fellow gets for helping out a damsel in distress, he thought glumly. No good deed goes unpunished. I should have let those two cretins rob her, or pretend to. Hugo could have ridden to the rescue and I would not be preparing to fumble my way through what is sure to be a damnably uncomfortable hour…
They ascended the stairs, Sir Antony talking all the while. There were three well-dressed individuals; two gentlemen and a lady, standing with the servants. One of them, a young fellow, stepped forward impetuously.
‘Miss Claybourn, I was so worried -’
‘Hello James,’ she said, tone repressive. ‘Did you come for tea? I suppose your mother and your sister are here as well?’
‘What? Oh… yes, of course. They are inside. I would have gone looking for you as well but -’
‘But there was absolutely no need,’ Miss Claybourn said firmly. ‘As you can see, I am quite all right.’
‘Not entirely.’ The other gentleman, a fair-haired fellow, was surveying Johanna Claybourn with lazy amusement. ‘For you are, my dear girl,’ he drawled, ‘in something of a state. Took a tumble, did you? That mare of yours is rather high-spirited. You had your father in quite a state. What a naughty creature you are, running off in such a way.’
There was something about that voice and the mocking intonation beneath the words that caused Marcus’ hackles to rise instinctively. He took a closer look at the man’s face and saw what might be missed if one was not looking; faint lines of dissipation around the mouth, the beginnings of pouches beneath the blue eyes… Marcus had seen more than enough of the world to recognize the signs of dissolution. The fellow must have been working on his from quite an early age for he did not look all that old. He sensed, rather than felt, the girl stiffen beside him.
‘Papa is prone to excitability,’ she said coolly. ‘As you can all see, my lord, I am perfectly well.’ The change in her voice when she addressed the man was marked. With the lad she had called James she had been all patient civility but a note of ice had crept into her voice the moment she spoke to the other, older man.
One hardly had to be an intellectual to tell that Miss Claybourn did not care for him in the least and Marcus eyed the fellow thoughtfully, wondering what he was doing there.
‘Are you sure you took no hurt, my dear?’ the woman, tall, slim and with the same golden hair as the gentleman and who shared enough facial characteristics as to surely indicate a relationship, cooed the words in mellifluous tones although, even as she spoke, her eyes were accessing Marcus. ‘You had us dreadfully worried.’
‘Really Mrs. Gordon? How odd.’
This was also said in somewhat frosty tones, leaving Marcus in no doubt that Miss Claybourn did not like the female any more than the male. In fact, the words were barely courteous but the woman did not take offence, but continued to smile her cool smile. ‘But how could we not be. Your father is forever telling us how reckless his
‘It’s very good of you,’ he said unenthusiastically. ‘I would love to stay for tea.’
‘You can clean up inside,’ Miss Claybourn said in a kindly voice that made him want to swat her. He followed on as a groom was summoned to take Hermes. Miss Claybourn took Marcus’ arm and gave him a sidelong glance from beneath those wickedly long lashes. ‘I know it is the last thing you wish to do but I would hate you to go off without a proper expression of gratitude. On two counts,’ she murmured, ‘One for saving me from bandits and the other for not telling my father the true story.’
‘And this is how you repay me?’ he hissed back indignantly.
‘Good heavens, it is not the end of the world. It will only take an hour. You can meet the other guests and say good afternoon to my grandmother.’
‘Oh, joy,’ he muttered, unable to stop himself. He heard a quick, hastily muffled gurgle of laughter. This is what a fellow gets for helping out a damsel in distress, he thought glumly. No good deed goes unpunished. I should have let those two cretins rob her, or pretend to. Hugo could have ridden to the rescue and I would not be preparing to fumble my way through what is sure to be a damnably uncomfortable hour…
They ascended the stairs, Sir Antony talking all the while. There were three well-dressed individuals; two gentlemen and a lady, standing with the servants. One of them, a young fellow, stepped forward impetuously.
‘Miss Claybourn, I was so worried -’
‘Hello James,’ she said, tone repressive. ‘Did you come for tea? I suppose your mother and your sister are here as well?’
‘What? Oh… yes, of course. They are inside. I would have gone looking for you as well but -’
‘But there was absolutely no need,’ Miss Claybourn said firmly. ‘As you can see, I am quite all right.’
‘Not entirely.’ The other gentleman, a fair-haired fellow, was surveying Johanna Claybourn with lazy amusement. ‘For you are, my dear girl,’ he drawled, ‘in something of a state. Took a tumble, did you? That mare of yours is rather high-spirited. You had your father in quite a state. What a naughty creature you are, running off in such a way.’
There was something about that voice and the mocking intonation beneath the words that caused Marcus’ hackles to rise instinctively. He took a closer look at the man’s face and saw what might be missed if one was not looking; faint lines of dissipation around the mouth, the beginnings of pouches beneath the blue eyes… Marcus had seen more than enough of the world to recognize the signs of dissolution. The fellow must have been working on his from quite an early age for he did not look all that old. He sensed, rather than felt, the girl stiffen beside him.
‘Papa is prone to excitability,’ she said coolly. ‘As you can all see, my lord, I am perfectly well.’ The change in her voice when she addressed the man was marked. With the lad she had called James she had been all patient civility but a note of ice had crept into her voice the moment she spoke to the other, older man.
One hardly had to be an intellectual to tell that Miss Claybourn did not care for him in the least and Marcus eyed the fellow thoughtfully, wondering what he was doing there.
‘Are you sure you took no hurt, my dear?’ the woman, tall, slim and with the same golden hair as the gentleman and who shared enough facial characteristics as to surely indicate a relationship, cooed the words in mellifluous tones although, even as she spoke, her eyes were accessing Marcus. ‘You had us dreadfully worried.’
‘Really Mrs. Gordon? How odd.’
This was also said in somewhat frosty tones, leaving Marcus in no doubt that Miss Claybourn did not like the female any more than the male. In fact, the words were barely courteous but the woman did not take offence, but continued to smile her cool smile. ‘But how could we not be. Your father is forever telling us how reckless his
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