Read Online Scandalous by Candace Camp - Free Book Online Page A

didn’t pay attention to it. It seemed rather minor compared to the fact that I don’t know who or where I am.”
    â€œWell, I do know where you are. The village of Elverton, in Dorset, England, where you obviously are not a native. Of course, you could be some other sort of colonial, but I think not. I met an American once, a colleague of my father’s, and he had that same sort of flat speech.”
    â€œAmerican,” he repeated thoughtfully. After a moment, he shook his head. “It doesn’t spark a memory. Boston, New York, Philadelphia…none of them make me think of home.”
    â€œPerhaps not, but it proves my point,” Priscilla pointed out excitedly. “You’re obviously more familiar with those cities than I. Their names came immediately to your tongue. You must be from the United States.”
    â€œThen what am I doing here? In…what did you say? Elverton?”
    â€œYes. My supposition is that you were merely passing through, perhaps going to or coming from a port in Cornwall, say. If anyone here had been expecting a visitor from the U.S., I would have heard all about it at least three times over. This is probably just where they happened to waylay you. But if you were in Elvertonany time in the last few days, you will have been seen and speculated on, and I shall hear all about you within three minutes of calling on the vicar’s wife.”
    He frowned. “I still don’t like your walking about unprotected.”
    â€œWhy would those men attack me?”
    â€œThey obviously suspected that I had come here, or they wouldn’t have been knocking on your door last night. Perhaps this is the only house close to where I escaped. Or maybe they followed my trail here. God knows, I crashed through enough brush and stumbled through enough creeks to leave a track anyone could see.”
    â€œThat’s true,” Priscilla mused. “They may still be suspicious of this house. But if that is the case, then it is you, here, who are in danger, not me. They would be trying to get into the house and seize you again, not pounce on me going to the vicarage.”
    â€œDon’t worry about me,” he replied. “Give me that pistol you were brandishing last night, and I’ll stand firm against them.”
    â€œDoubtful. It hadn’t any shot in it, you see. It’s one of a pair of my great-grandfather’s, and Papa only keeps them for sentimental reasons. I doubt they would fire, and we haven’t any balls and powder for them, anyway.”
    â€œSo you bluffed me.” Again a smile played about his lips.
    Priscilla shrugged. “I didn’t think you intended to harm me, anyway.”
    â€œStill, I was a stranger, and out of my head. What if I had called your bluff?”
    Thinking of what he had done while he was out ofhis head, Priscilla had to blush. His eyes went to her cheeks, and color tinged his face, too. She wondered, wretchedly, if he remembered kissing her.
    She glanced quickly away. There was a long, awkward silence, and finally, he began, “I—I hope I did nothing untoward last night in my fever. I—My memories are blurred, you see. I am not sure what I dreamed and what happened.”
    â€œNothing happened,” Priscilla assured him hurriedly, and hoped that he believed her. “You were out of your head and said a few things. Most of them I couldn’t even understand.”
    â€œThat’s all?” His voice sounded doubtful.
    â€œOf course. What else could there be?” Priscilla gave him a brief, impersonal smile to back up her words. Let him think it was all a dream. That would be the easiest way to deal with it.
    He smoothed a hand across his face in a weary way. “Good. I wasn’t sure. The dreams were so vivid….”
    â€œâ€™Tis often that way in a fever, I think. Now, I think you should go back to sleep. You are looking rather tired.”
    â€œYes,