Read Online Noble Hearts 03 - The Courageous Heart by Merry Farmer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Merry Farmer
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front of her.
He braced himself and reached for the broom. “Did you sleep well?”
She gasped, one elbow slipping off the table. Her eyes were bloodshot w ith dark circles under them. “N o, I did not,” she replied, voice thick.
In spite of the canker of shame in his heart, he smirked. Her drawn face was a dead giveaway. He’d seen Joanna hung-over before. “Too much of David’s good ale?”
“Mind your own business,” she mumbled.
As soon as his eyes shifted to the letter on the tabletop Joanna swiped it away. He art a mess, he pretended not to care, sweeping the floor with dedication. She kissed the letter, slipped it in to her pocket and stood to leave.
“Where are you going?” He swept his way to intercept her.
“I’ve go t things to do,” she answered.
“What things? You’re a guest here.”
She crossed her arms and glared at him. “I have to find clothes.” Her voice was barely more than a growl. “Ours are still with our carriages, wherever they are. And I have to figure out how to have Crispin, Aubrey, and Jack freed from the Tower.”
He stopped sweeping and fixed her with an ironic grin. “Clothes I can understand, but just how do you think you’re going to free that lot?”
“I don’t know.” Her eyes came to life as her temper flared. “I’ll think of something.”
She pushed past him into the hallway. Ethan tossed his broom against the wall and followed her. She stormed into the kitchen then paused. The maids were hard at work. Bess glanced up at her from the counter where she chopped vegetables.
“Good morning, miss. I’ll have something for you to break your fast in a bit.”
“I just need some water,” Joanna replied. Ethan could see the effort she put into being civil.
“ Speaking of which…. Dunkirke!” Ada snapped from her station near the window. “What are you doing dragging your heels and sniffing around the guests? I asked you to fetch me water!”
Joanna bristled at his side over Ada’s order . Ethan didn’t have to see her face to know the look of hell’s wrath she wore . Her obvious ire lit a spark of satisfaction deep in his gut.
“Yes, miss. Sorry, miss.” He bowed his head to Ada and rushed through the kitchen and into the garden.
As he’d hoped, Joanna stomped into the garden several beats after him.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” she accosted him, hugging herself to keep out the chill of London fog.
Ethan kept his face turned away. “I’m fetching water,” he told her.
Several buckets sat beside the well. He hooked one onto the rope dangling over the dark mouth and lowered it.
“That’s not what I mean and you know it.” Joanna pushed her way through the dewy grass to his side. “What are you doing slouching around some third-rate inn in the middle of London looking like a mangy dog? And what do you think gives you the right to use my brother’s name as your own? ”
The bucket splashed at the bottom of the well. Ethan let it fill then pulled it up. He focused on his work, not answering her. He could feel Joanna watching him with all the intensity of the sun burning off the mist. He leaned into the well to tote the full bucket up over the side. Still not answering , he set it on the ground and repeated the process with a second bucket.
Joanna huffed in frustration. “Don’t I deserve an answer to a few simple question s ?”
He brought the second bucket up, gripped it with one hand, and bent to pick up the first. “You do if you’ve asked simple question s .”
“By God, Ethan, you are the most frustrating man in England!”
She s pun to tramp away from him. For half a heartbeat his lips twitched to an impish grin. Joan na hadn’t changed a bit.
Grief clamped around his heart. He had.
Alarm pushed even the grief away as Joanna marched not towards the kitchen but towards the street.
“Joanna, come back!” He left the buckets and chased after her.
She stopped and faced him, arms crossed. “What
He braced himself and reached for the broom. “Did you sleep well?”
She gasped, one elbow slipping off the table. Her eyes were bloodshot w ith dark circles under them. “N o, I did not,” she replied, voice thick.
In spite of the canker of shame in his heart, he smirked. Her drawn face was a dead giveaway. He’d seen Joanna hung-over before. “Too much of David’s good ale?”
“Mind your own business,” she mumbled.
As soon as his eyes shifted to the letter on the tabletop Joanna swiped it away. He art a mess, he pretended not to care, sweeping the floor with dedication. She kissed the letter, slipped it in to her pocket and stood to leave.
“Where are you going?” He swept his way to intercept her.
“I’ve go t things to do,” she answered.
“What things? You’re a guest here.”
She crossed her arms and glared at him. “I have to find clothes.” Her voice was barely more than a growl. “Ours are still with our carriages, wherever they are. And I have to figure out how to have Crispin, Aubrey, and Jack freed from the Tower.”
He stopped sweeping and fixed her with an ironic grin. “Clothes I can understand, but just how do you think you’re going to free that lot?”
“I don’t know.” Her eyes came to life as her temper flared. “I’ll think of something.”
She pushed past him into the hallway. Ethan tossed his broom against the wall and followed her. She stormed into the kitchen then paused. The maids were hard at work. Bess glanced up at her from the counter where she chopped vegetables.
“Good morning, miss. I’ll have something for you to break your fast in a bit.”
“I just need some water,” Joanna replied. Ethan could see the effort she put into being civil.
“ Speaking of which…. Dunkirke!” Ada snapped from her station near the window. “What are you doing dragging your heels and sniffing around the guests? I asked you to fetch me water!”
Joanna bristled at his side over Ada’s order . Ethan didn’t have to see her face to know the look of hell’s wrath she wore . Her obvious ire lit a spark of satisfaction deep in his gut.
“Yes, miss. Sorry, miss.” He bowed his head to Ada and rushed through the kitchen and into the garden.
As he’d hoped, Joanna stomped into the garden several beats after him.
“Just what do you think you’re doing?” she accosted him, hugging herself to keep out the chill of London fog.
Ethan kept his face turned away. “I’m fetching water,” he told her.
Several buckets sat beside the well. He hooked one onto the rope dangling over the dark mouth and lowered it.
“That’s not what I mean and you know it.” Joanna pushed her way through the dewy grass to his side. “What are you doing slouching around some third-rate inn in the middle of London looking like a mangy dog? And what do you think gives you the right to use my brother’s name as your own? ”
The bucket splashed at the bottom of the well. Ethan let it fill then pulled it up. He focused on his work, not answering her. He could feel Joanna watching him with all the intensity of the sun burning off the mist. He leaned into the well to tote the full bucket up over the side. Still not answering , he set it on the ground and repeated the process with a second bucket.
Joanna huffed in frustration. “Don’t I deserve an answer to a few simple question s ?”
He brought the second bucket up, gripped it with one hand, and bent to pick up the first. “You do if you’ve asked simple question s .”
“By God, Ethan, you are the most frustrating man in England!”
She s pun to tramp away from him. For half a heartbeat his lips twitched to an impish grin. Joan na hadn’t changed a bit.
Grief clamped around his heart. He had.
Alarm pushed even the grief away as Joanna marched not towards the kitchen but towards the street.
“Joanna, come back!” He left the buckets and chased after her.
She stopped and faced him, arms crossed. “What
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