Read Online Napoleon's Woman by Samantha Saxon - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Samantha Saxon
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prodded.
Sarah sighed. "My brother is not the same man that left England. You know Aidan--elegant, meticulous, generous, controlled." She shook her head, knowing she was not making any sense. "But now, he is temperamental, agitated…I don’t know—unhappy." Felicity stroked her arm and tears welled in Sarah’s eyes. "He has lost a stone of weight, if not more." She covered her mouth with her napkin and swallowed a sob.
"Have you spoken with him," Juliet asked, always the pragmatist.
"Yes, but all he says is that he is well, and he won’t speak with Gilbert because he knows Gilbert will relay the information to me."
"What about Christian?" Felicity asked. "I’m sure that Lord St. John would be more than happy to help."
Juliet clicked her tongue. "Christian is not capable of handling a serious situation such as this." She turned to Sarah. "No, better to talk to Daniel. I spoke with his brother Monday last and he said that Viscount DunDonell is due back from Scotland any day."
"Yes," Sarah smiled as she thought thinking of her childhood companion. "Daniel would deal with Aidan’s melancholy. The viscount is quite determined when he wishes to be."
"Determined!" Juliet blurted. "The man is the most stubborn Scot to wander the highlands in the last century!"
"Juliet, don’t be unkind. Persistence can be a virtue." Felicity pointed out.
"Well, when next I see DunDonell I shall have to tell him that he is the most virtuous man that I have met."
"Oh, that reminds me," Sarah said, looking at Juliet as she dabbed at her red nose. "I’m having a dinner party Saturday evening, and you are both invited."
"That sounds lovely," Juliet turned to her cousin. "Doesn’t it, Felicity?"
"Yes, it does. However, I am afraid I have accepted an invitation to a Soiree that---"
"Oh, Felicity, no one will notice if you are not there." Juliet turned to Sarah for assistance.
"Please, Felicity. Aidan will be coming to dinner and I want to surround my brother with friends that will support him during this difficult time."
Felicity’s eyes softened to the color of chocolate mixed with a generous amount of cream. She leaned forward. "Of course I shall come, Sarah. It is my honor to dine with such a distinguished hero of the Peninsular campaign."
"Eight?" Juliet asked, smiling in satisfaction but trying to conceal it behind her lemon icy.
"Yes, eight." Sarah glanced at the cousins, thankful for such loyal friends.
***
Viscount DunDonell, Daniel McCurren, had been in town for no more than two hours when he received a visit from his lifelong friend, the Duchess of Glenbroke. The beautiful duchess conveyed her concern for her brother’s well-being and begged Daniel to speak with him to discover the cause of Aidan’s distress.
Alarmed, Daniel dashed off a note to his closest friend, informing Aidan of his return from Scotland and requesting his company at their club later that evening.
So, here he sat with a brandy in one hand as he stared with apprehension at the black lacquered doors, mulling over the disturbing information Sarah had confided in him.
"Another," he said a passing footman, holding up his now-empty glass.
Aidan Duhearst was by far the strongest of them all; he had always been a voice of reason for both Christian and himself. But Sarah had said the war had affected his friend, hardened the once-sanguine Earl of Wessex.
Even the loss of their father, and Sarah’s tumultuous relationship with the Duke of Glenbroke had not affected him like this, had not changed him as war had. Lord DunDonell sighed, hoping that the blithe Aidan he had once known was not lost to them.
Daniel was absorbed with his own thoughts when the door opened on a small gust of wind. He saw the familiar dimpled grin of Aidan Duhearst, and for a moment everything was as it had been. They clasped hands and pounded each other on the back in a masculine embrace.
"Where ya been, ya bastard. I’m the one that’s always late," Daniel’s thick
Sarah sighed. "My brother is not the same man that left England. You know Aidan--elegant, meticulous, generous, controlled." She shook her head, knowing she was not making any sense. "But now, he is temperamental, agitated…I don’t know—unhappy." Felicity stroked her arm and tears welled in Sarah’s eyes. "He has lost a stone of weight, if not more." She covered her mouth with her napkin and swallowed a sob.
"Have you spoken with him," Juliet asked, always the pragmatist.
"Yes, but all he says is that he is well, and he won’t speak with Gilbert because he knows Gilbert will relay the information to me."
"What about Christian?" Felicity asked. "I’m sure that Lord St. John would be more than happy to help."
Juliet clicked her tongue. "Christian is not capable of handling a serious situation such as this." She turned to Sarah. "No, better to talk to Daniel. I spoke with his brother Monday last and he said that Viscount DunDonell is due back from Scotland any day."
"Yes," Sarah smiled as she thought thinking of her childhood companion. "Daniel would deal with Aidan’s melancholy. The viscount is quite determined when he wishes to be."
"Determined!" Juliet blurted. "The man is the most stubborn Scot to wander the highlands in the last century!"
"Juliet, don’t be unkind. Persistence can be a virtue." Felicity pointed out.
"Well, when next I see DunDonell I shall have to tell him that he is the most virtuous man that I have met."
"Oh, that reminds me," Sarah said, looking at Juliet as she dabbed at her red nose. "I’m having a dinner party Saturday evening, and you are both invited."
"That sounds lovely," Juliet turned to her cousin. "Doesn’t it, Felicity?"
"Yes, it does. However, I am afraid I have accepted an invitation to a Soiree that---"
"Oh, Felicity, no one will notice if you are not there." Juliet turned to Sarah for assistance.
"Please, Felicity. Aidan will be coming to dinner and I want to surround my brother with friends that will support him during this difficult time."
Felicity’s eyes softened to the color of chocolate mixed with a generous amount of cream. She leaned forward. "Of course I shall come, Sarah. It is my honor to dine with such a distinguished hero of the Peninsular campaign."
"Eight?" Juliet asked, smiling in satisfaction but trying to conceal it behind her lemon icy.
"Yes, eight." Sarah glanced at the cousins, thankful for such loyal friends.
***
Viscount DunDonell, Daniel McCurren, had been in town for no more than two hours when he received a visit from his lifelong friend, the Duchess of Glenbroke. The beautiful duchess conveyed her concern for her brother’s well-being and begged Daniel to speak with him to discover the cause of Aidan’s distress.
Alarmed, Daniel dashed off a note to his closest friend, informing Aidan of his return from Scotland and requesting his company at their club later that evening.
So, here he sat with a brandy in one hand as he stared with apprehension at the black lacquered doors, mulling over the disturbing information Sarah had confided in him.
"Another," he said a passing footman, holding up his now-empty glass.
Aidan Duhearst was by far the strongest of them all; he had always been a voice of reason for both Christian and himself. But Sarah had said the war had affected his friend, hardened the once-sanguine Earl of Wessex.
Even the loss of their father, and Sarah’s tumultuous relationship with the Duke of Glenbroke had not affected him like this, had not changed him as war had. Lord DunDonell sighed, hoping that the blithe Aidan he had once known was not lost to them.
Daniel was absorbed with his own thoughts when the door opened on a small gust of wind. He saw the familiar dimpled grin of Aidan Duhearst, and for a moment everything was as it had been. They clasped hands and pounded each other on the back in a masculine embrace.
"Where ya been, ya bastard. I’m the one that’s always late," Daniel’s thick
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