Read Online The Reluctant Reformer by Lynsay Sands - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Lynsay Sands
Ads: Link
soaking wet, muddy, cold, and miserable. Such were the results of her grand plan of escape.
Heaving out an irritated breath she peered at the surrounding woods, searching for something that might show her back the way she had come. Unfortunately, nothing looked familiar. She had not thought to note landmarks in her mad dash.
Her gaze rose to the trees surrounding her, and she briefly considered climbing one. Perhaps at its leafy summit she might glimpse the towers of Ramsey manor and, in that way, get her bearings. But the accident escaping her balcony was enough to change her mind; shewas in no shape to climb trees anymore, was more likely to break her neck than anything.
She took a moment to wallow in self-pity, then forced herself to straighten her shoulders, stand, and get on with her escape. She had no intention of just sitting still until death by starvation or exposure overtook her. She wasnât the sort for such foolishness. Besides, wasnât she perfectly capable of taking care of herself? Else she would have sold off her brotherâs home and moved to the country, as any other woman would have done in her circumstances. Instead, she had taken up her brotherâs job and set about trying to support his home and servants. She could overcome any difficulty. She would simply head north until she came across something. Butâ¦which way was north?
Maggie pondered briefly, fairly sure she had heard that moss grew on the north side of treesâ¦or was it the south? West? Oh, dear . Sighing, she decided she needed another manner of determining directions. Didnât the sun rise in the east and set in the west? Or was it the other way around? Oh, this was damnably irritating. She really should have paid more attention to such things.
At last, she simply decided that she would move toward the sun; in that way she could at least avoid walking in circles. The plan might have been a good one, if the combination of tree branches and gray clouds overhead had not obscured any possibility of finding the bloody sun.
It was beginning to appear that she was well and truly lost. Of course, it was all Lord Ramseyâs fault. The ass . Had he not decided to stick his nose in her business and kidnap herâ¦well, she wouldnât be here!
Satisfied that she had laid the blame firmly where it belonged, she wasted a moment attempting to shake some of the mud off her skirts, then straightened her shoulders and marched onward. If she simply kept moving, she would come across something. Eventually.
Much to Maggieâs amazement, she hadnât been walking very long when the sound of rushing water caught her ear. Pausing, she listened to see which direction it came from, then moved toward it. Relief poured through her as she found herself stepping out onto the bank of the river. She had found it! Even better, she had come upon the waterway at a spot where it twisted and narrowed, one edge jutting out farther than normal and flat rocks making something of a path across. Some of her optimism returning, Maggie started over the stones, moving cautiously from rock to rock, until at last she leaped to the opposite side.
Buoyed by her success, she paused to debate her next move. Should she follow the river back to the land, back to where the Ramsey estate was in sight, then continue from there? Or should she simply move steadily away from the river and hope she came across the main road that led to Ramseyâs drive?
The cautious side of her suggested that returning along the river was the smartest move, but that seemed to entail the loss of a great deal of time, and it was already beginning to grow darker. She had already wasted a good stretch.
The daring side of Maggie, that which had encouraged her to take such risks as donning the persona of G. W. Clark and visiting brothels or other unsavory spots in search of stories, was urging her to simply continue forward, away from the river.
She would likely come to the
Heaving out an irritated breath she peered at the surrounding woods, searching for something that might show her back the way she had come. Unfortunately, nothing looked familiar. She had not thought to note landmarks in her mad dash.
Her gaze rose to the trees surrounding her, and she briefly considered climbing one. Perhaps at its leafy summit she might glimpse the towers of Ramsey manor and, in that way, get her bearings. But the accident escaping her balcony was enough to change her mind; shewas in no shape to climb trees anymore, was more likely to break her neck than anything.
She took a moment to wallow in self-pity, then forced herself to straighten her shoulders, stand, and get on with her escape. She had no intention of just sitting still until death by starvation or exposure overtook her. She wasnât the sort for such foolishness. Besides, wasnât she perfectly capable of taking care of herself? Else she would have sold off her brotherâs home and moved to the country, as any other woman would have done in her circumstances. Instead, she had taken up her brotherâs job and set about trying to support his home and servants. She could overcome any difficulty. She would simply head north until she came across something. Butâ¦which way was north?
Maggie pondered briefly, fairly sure she had heard that moss grew on the north side of treesâ¦or was it the south? West? Oh, dear . Sighing, she decided she needed another manner of determining directions. Didnât the sun rise in the east and set in the west? Or was it the other way around? Oh, this was damnably irritating. She really should have paid more attention to such things.
At last, she simply decided that she would move toward the sun; in that way she could at least avoid walking in circles. The plan might have been a good one, if the combination of tree branches and gray clouds overhead had not obscured any possibility of finding the bloody sun.
It was beginning to appear that she was well and truly lost. Of course, it was all Lord Ramseyâs fault. The ass . Had he not decided to stick his nose in her business and kidnap herâ¦well, she wouldnât be here!
Satisfied that she had laid the blame firmly where it belonged, she wasted a moment attempting to shake some of the mud off her skirts, then straightened her shoulders and marched onward. If she simply kept moving, she would come across something. Eventually.
Much to Maggieâs amazement, she hadnât been walking very long when the sound of rushing water caught her ear. Pausing, she listened to see which direction it came from, then moved toward it. Relief poured through her as she found herself stepping out onto the bank of the river. She had found it! Even better, she had come upon the waterway at a spot where it twisted and narrowed, one edge jutting out farther than normal and flat rocks making something of a path across. Some of her optimism returning, Maggie started over the stones, moving cautiously from rock to rock, until at last she leaped to the opposite side.
Buoyed by her success, she paused to debate her next move. Should she follow the river back to the land, back to where the Ramsey estate was in sight, then continue from there? Or should she simply move steadily away from the river and hope she came across the main road that led to Ramseyâs drive?
The cautious side of her suggested that returning along the river was the smartest move, but that seemed to entail the loss of a great deal of time, and it was already beginning to grow darker. She had already wasted a good stretch.
The daring side of Maggie, that which had encouraged her to take such risks as donning the persona of G. W. Clark and visiting brothels or other unsavory spots in search of stories, was urging her to simply continue forward, away from the river.
She would likely come to the
Similar Books
