Read Online Never Turn Away (Kellington Book Six) by Maureen Driscoll - Free Book Online

yards, he could have caught him. 
But, alas, Smithton reached Lady Evelyn before him.
    “It is a good thing there were no villains
threatening Lady Evelyn,” said Smithton with a grin.  “You might want to pick
up the pace next time, Inspector.”
    Stapleton once again considered the expediency of
the snowball and this time was not so swift to reject the idea.
    Perhaps reading his mind, Lady Evelyn said, “I took
the liberty of making plates for you two.  I imagine a glass of cider would be
most refreshing right now.”
    Joseph took his glass gratefully, purposely letting
his fingers brush against Evelyn’s.  Her color heightened and he liked to think
it was not just because of the cold.
    Smithton, in the meantime, was expounding on his
daily regime of exercise.  “In the summer, I run through the fields, before
swimming in the lake.  It is most invigorating.  I also keep a few fence posts
on hand to lift in order to keep my muscles in shape.  Do you do anything
similar, Inspector?”
    “Unfortunately, there is a dearth of fence posts in
Cheapside, but I do a great deal of walking and running with my job, with some lifting
at night as I work on my house.”
    “What are you doing with your house?”  Evelyn asked.
    He hadn’t wanted to reveal quite that much about his
life.  He rarely spoke to anyone of his world outside of Bow Street, save for a
few friends.  “It is nothing, really.”
    “Yet, I would like to hear it.”
    It was one more difference between them, the fact
that he was personally doing much of the work to fix up his three-story home in
Cheapside.  He could afford to have someone do the work, but he chose not to. 
“I have been refurbishing my home.  While I need assistance with some of it, I
enjoy carpentry.  There is something soothing about knowing what task lies
ahead of you, then doing it to completion.  So often in my work at Bow Street,
there is no such closure.”
    She was silent for a moment and he was afraid she
did not know what to say to someone working with their hands in such a way.
    But then she spoke.  “I can imagine it to be a very
fulfilling experience.  Creating something from start to finish.  Nurturing it
along the way.  I daresay you appreciate it much more when you have toiled to
bring the changes to fruition.”
    Just like that, Lady Evelyn summed up his thoughts
on the subject. 
    Just like that it was like she’d visited his mind. 
    Just like that, Joseph knew it would be impossible
to judge her potential suitors with an unbiased mind when he wanted her so much
for himself.
    *                    *                    *
    At that moment, the servants of Jasmine Manor were
also sitting down to nuncheon, but without having had to engage in athletics
prior to doing so.
    “I have high hopes for our Joseph,” said Mrs.
Keegan.  “From the very first moment when he saw the duke and duchess, I knew
he was a right one.”
    Her husband nodded.  “His grace does not trust
others easily.  His closest friends have always been his brothers and sister,
along with the Marquess of Riverton.  We knew right away that if Joseph was his
friend, he was a good man.”
    “But how can we ensure that he and Lady Evelyn form
an understanding?” asked Oates.  “I am afraid he’ll oppose the match because he
is not of her class.”
    “I don’t think her ladyship would feel that way,”
said Logan.  “From what I hear from her servants…”
    “I hope you were not gossiping about his grace’s
guest with her ladyship’s servants,” admonished Mr. Keegan.
    “Indeed, that would be most inappropriate,” agreed
his wife.  “What did they say?”
    Logan lowered his voice to a whisper.  “They said Lady
Evelyn took special care while dressing yesterday.”
    “That is a good sign,” said Oates.  “But perhaps it
was in anticipation of seeing Mr. Kensington, though that is a lowering
thought, indeed.”
    “Bah!” said Mrs.