Read Online One Touch of Magic by Amanda Mccabe - Free Book Online

Ransome looked at Sarah wryly, one golden brow arched. Sarah turned away to hide a laugh.
    “Er—thank you, Mrs. Hamilton,” he answered, a hint of laughter in his own voice. “And may I wish you much happiness in your new marriage?”
    “And charming, too,” Mrs. Hamilton cooed. She stepped closer to lay a lace-gloved hand on his sleeve.
    Lord Ransome’s wry look turned to one of alarm, and Sarah decided she really ought to rescue him. “I fear Lord Ransome was just leaving us,” she said. “Perhaps Mary Ann could take you both to the house for tea, and I will join you after I have walked with him to his horse?”
    Mrs. Hamilton pouted prettily. “Oh, no! Must you go, Lord Ransome, when we have only just arrived?”
    Neville finally took some action, and stepped forward to take his wife’s arm and draw her away. “We mustn’t keep Lord Ransome from his duties, Emmeline.”
    “I came here today to invite Lady Iverson and Miss Bellweather to a supper party at Ransome Hall on Friday,” Lord Ransome said. “Perhaps you could both join us?”
    “Oh, yes!” Mrs. Hamilton cried. “How very delightful! Only here one day and we are invited to a soiree.”
    She was still rhapsodizing about Lord Ransome, soirees, and the world in general as Mary Ann led her and Neville toward the hunting box.
    Sarah watched them go before turning back to Lord Ransome. He appeared a bit—dazed. He shook his head slightly, and smiled at her.
    “Mrs. Hamilton is very, er, lively,” he said.
    “Indeed, she is,” Sarah answered. Lord Ransome offered his arm, and she took it to walk with him back to where his horse was tethered. “Well, now you have met our entire party here. It was very good of you to invite them to your supper. I hope it will not make it too crowded?”
    “Not at all. I’m sure they will be very charming additions.” He unlooped the reins from the tree branch. “I look forward to seeing you— all of you, of course.”
    Sarah found she looked forward to it, too. Very much.

Chapter Seven
    “Lord Ransome is a handsome gentleman, is he not?”
    “Hm?” Sarah did not even look up from the book she was perusing, but inside she smiled at Mary Ann’s words. Lord Ransome was indeed handsome—more than handsome. It was simply too bad that he was not an antiquarian, did not even show interest in becoming one.
    Or perhaps it was all for the best. For if he was as interested in history as she was, then he would be quite perfect. And she had no time right now for such distractions—or for becoming better acquainted with Lord Ransome, not when he could pull her work out from under her at any moment.
    Mary Ann, who was curled up next to the fireplace with her sketchbook, repeated, “I said Lord Ransome is very handsome, for an older gentleman.”
    Sarah laughed aloud at that. “He is hardly old, Mary Ann! Though I must say he is probably bit too old for you, if that is what you are thinking of.”
    “Oh, so now you think I am transferring my ‘infatuation,’ as you call it, for Mr. Hamilton onto Lord Ransome!” Mary Ann said indignantly. “Well, I am certainly not. I was never infatuated with Mr. Hamilton, and I am not so with Lord Ransome, either. I merely said that he was handsome. It was just an observation.”
    Sarah gave her sister a conciliatory smile. “I am sorry if I sounded condescending, dear one. I did not mean to imply that you had any sort of feelings for Lord Ransome. And you are right, he is handsome. Quite so. Just remember, handsome is as . . .”
    “. . . handsome does,” Mary Ann finished, in a perfect imitation of their mother’s “lecturing” voice. “So Mother always says, and she must mean it, since she and the Dowager Lady Lyndon are always giggling like school-girls over old Colonel Webster, and he is in no way outwardly handsome.”
    “And very old, too, eh?” Sarah teased.
    Mary Ann gave an embarrassed little laugh. “Oh, all right, so Lord Ransome is not so very old. Not