Read Online The Battling Bluestocking by Amanda Scott - Free Book Online Page B

Jessica long to slap him. But his nearness was having its usual effect upon her, as well, and the mixture of feelings was confusing. She glared at him.
    “I don’t know what you accomplished,” she retorted, “except to delay whatever violence that man is capable of. I would not have let him hurt that poor girl, so you did nothing more in that respect than I’d have done myself. You just led him to believe you might be able to help him. He’ll be angrier than ever when he discovers you’re no more than another mine owner.”
    “He knows who I am,” Sir Brian said.
    “Well, then he must have seen that he was outnumbered, because I can’t believe he thinks he can get any help from another such as his own master.”
    Sir Brian made no further attempt to convince her, merely giving her a straight look that added to her discomfiture before handing her back into the carriage. Then, pausing only long enough pay his respects to Lady Gordon, he mounted his horse and rode off after Andrew and Miss St. Erth. Jessica watched him go, then nearly snapped off poor Lady Gordon’s nose a moment later for remarking that Sir Brian’s arrival had been most timely.
    It was not until some time later, when she was safely alone in her own bedchamber, that Jessica allowed herself to consider the episode more objectively. Very few moments of thought were necessary before she came to the conclusion that Sir Brian had indeed defused an explosive situation. Remembering how easily Hayle’s aggressive attitude had fired her own quick temper, she realized that at the very least an undignified shouting match would have arisen from their confrontation. At the worst there might well have been violence. Instead, Sir Brian had managed to effect a peaceful outcome. Of course, there might still be trouble if he could do nothing to help Hayle, but he had at least seen to it that Miss St. Erth would say nothing to her father about being accosted. That had been rather clever of him, she thought.
    She had more than one reason to think about Sir Brian in the weeks ahead, for both he and his nephew became frequent visitors at Gordon Hall, and even accepted an occasional invitation to dine, a fact which gratified Lord and Lady Gordon rather more than it pleased Jessica. She had expected to find her first meeting with Sir Brian after the business with Hayle to be a trifle strained, but it was not. Sir Brian was perfectly affable, soon putting her at ease with his charming ways.
    Miss Sutton-Drew was rapidly becoming convinced that Sir Brian had indeed determined to fix her interest in himself, and she was wary of him as a result. He certainly did not seem to be the sort of worshipful puppy she had met so often before, nor—which would have been much worse—was he a fool. Still, she had long since convinced herself that she was destined to be a spinster, and she tended to question the motives of anyone who appeared to encourage her in the pursuit of any other course. As a consequence she kept her distance as much as she was able to do so. Nonetheless, she was aware of Sir Brian no matter how many other people were in the room when he was present. He stirred something within her, and she seemed to have no defenses against whatever it was.
    She heard nothing further about Miss St. Erth or the man Hayle, and finally, when her curiosity could bear it no longer, she asked Andrew if he knew anything about the matter. He had begun treating Gordon Hall nearly as a second home, just as though he had never had the temerity to hold up his lordship’s carriage, and that afternoon he had come alone, complaining that there was nothing to do at home because his uncle was busy with the assizes. Jessica bore him off to sit upon a stone bench on the windward side of the tall yew hedges, where they could watch the waves roll in on the beach far below, before she put her question to him.
    “Oh, Uncle Brian took care of that business,” Andrew replied glibly. “Sir