Read Online Recklessly Yours by Allison Chase - Free Book Online Page A

tell him?”
    Willow’s giggle carried from the sitting room. “That she loves him! But do hurry, Ivy. The invitation is for ten o’clock, and it would be rude to keep the Ashworths waiting. We must maintain the best of relations with them if we are to benefit from their Ascot connections.”
    Holly couldn’t deny the advantage of being on good terms with the Ashworths. Through them, she and her sisters would have access to virtually all of racing society gathering daily in Ascot for the upcoming races. Neither she nor her sisters quite believed that Colin Ashworth had stolen the queen’s colt, but unless Victoria was mistaken that Prince’s Pride had not yet been taken from the area, the Ashworths would provide the best opportunities to discover the animal’s whereabouts.
    Ivy dipped her pen, her sigh sending Holly to kneel at her side. “Surely nothing is wrong at home?”
    â€œOh, no, it’s not that. Not that exactly.” She tapped the end of the quill against her chin. “I just hope he heeds me.”
    Holly didn’t mean to read her sister’s private thoughts from around her shoulder, but words such as have a care , do nothing rash , and wait for my return leaped off the page at her. She laid her hand on Ivy’s shoulder. “You’re frightening me a little, Ivy-divey.”
    â€œI don’t mean to, honestly, Holly-berry. But you remember Victoria’s stone, the one she had me recover from Simon’s sister last autumn.”
    â€œAs if I could ever forget anything remotely related to the stone or to the events of last autumn. Why, it’s a wonder you are sitting here talking to me at all.”
    Ivy’s skin flushed at the memory that still had the power to make them both tremble. “Simon has the stone back again,” she whispered.
    Holly’s eyebrow shot up in astonishment. “How . . . ?”
    â€œVictoria sent it to him—with Albert’s blessing—as a reward for all he suffered in helping recover the stone. She is allowing him to continue his experimentation with its electromagnetic properties and . . .” She trailed off. Setting down her quill, she turned in her chair and gripped Holly’s hands. “I’m so afraid he’ll blow himself up. He’s so impetuous. So damnably enthusiastic when it comes to scientific advancement. And without me to temper that enthusiasm . . .”
    â€œIvy, dearest, Simon may be a bit rash at times, but he’s also brilliant. And if you ask me, he learned some valuable lessons last fall that he won’t soon forget. Besides”—Holly smiled at her—“he has more reason now than ever to be careful.”
    â€œYes, he does, doesn’t he?” They both glanced at her belly, as yet revealing no indication of the precious secret within. Ivy blinked rapidly and gave a suspicious little sniffle.
    â€œBesides, I realized something yesterday,” Holly said.
    â€œWhat is that?”
    â€œI need you for this mission. Victoria and I both need you here, and as more than a chaperone. Colin Ashworth . . . Oh, how do I put this? He is far more forthcoming with you, and with Willow, too, than he’ll ever be with me.”
    â€œI can’t think why you say that. Surely you don’t believe Victoria’s suspicions concerning Colin could be true. Do you? I know him to be the most sincere and honorable of men.”
    Holly didn’t know how to reply, but Willow saved her from having to by appearing in the doorway. “Ivy and Holly Sutherland, how are we to ever find Victoria’s elusive colt if you two idle away the entire day?”
    Some fifteen minutes later, Holly gazed out the carriage window at the gently rolling vista of Masterfield Park. The property was all she might have expected of a duke’s estate, and perhaps more. The house was sprawling but graceful in its proportions, with an ingenious seaming of