Read Online The Stranger She Married by Donna Hatch - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Donna Hatch
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had destroyed Armand. How could she leave without causing a scene?
Hannah touched her hand, her brows raised in concern and inquiry.
Elizabeth's father, Mr. Hancock, cleared his throat. In response, the talking died down. Mr. Hancock greeted his guests and invited them to enter the dining room. As the guests began to file into the dining room according to precedence, a footman hurried in and whispered urgently into Mr. Hancock's ear.
Mr. Hancock listened, nodded, and beckoned to Alicia. “Miss Palmer. Will you come with me, please?"
Alicia turned to Hannah. “I'll join you in a moment."
Hannah looked petrified at the prospect of dining without her, but Mr. de Champs gallantly offered his arm. “If I may?"
Alicia smiled in gratitude at Mr. de Champs before following Mr. Hancock out of the room.
In the hallway, Mr. Hancock turned to her. “Robert has fallen and hit his head.” Before she uttered a word, Mr. Hancock held up a hand. “It does not appear to be serious, but we've sent for the doctor. I assume you'd wish to see him."
"Thank you, sir."
She followed him down a paneled hallway to an open door. Cigar smoke hung heavy over the billiards room. Robert lay sprawled on a sofa pressing a cloth to his forehead. Alicia sprang forward and picked up his limp hand.
"Robert?"
He opened his eye and grinned crookedly at her.
"You're foxed,” she accused.
"Good thing. Prob'ly would've ‘urt much worsh if I weren't."
She dropped his hand with a frown. “You wouldn't have fallen if you weren't."
"Ah, Lishie, you'll make shome man a perfect wife one day. You've got the nagging down jusht right."
She let out her breath. He wouldn't be needling her if he'd been truly hurt. He removed the cloth from his head, but the bleeding resumed with a vengeance. Alarmed by the sight of so much blood, Alicia grabbed his hand and pressed it and the cloth back over the wound.
"You've ruined everything, Robbie."
"Alwaysh manage to."
"I want to go home. Lord Amesbury is here."
Robert cursed and tried to sit up.
Alicia pushed him back down. “You're in no condition to go anywhere now, you idiot."
He closed his eyes and slurred, “Shorry, Lisshie. Should've talked Armand out of accepting that challenge to duel. But I was so hot to shee him humiliate that arrogant viscount. Should've shtopped ‘em."
"Hush, Robbie, it's not your fault. Lord Amesbury should never have issued the challenge."
When the doctor arrived, he ushered Alicia out. While she paced the floor outside the room, a footman motioned to her. “Dinner is still being served, Miss."
Alicia nodded. She might as well eat as it would be some time before Robert would be in any condition to move. Shyness had probably paralyzed Hannah without Alicia beside her.
She halted. Lord Amesbury was in there.
"This way, Miss,” the footman urged.
She gathered her courage. Dinner. She could face dinner with him. And she would do it without falling apart. Hannah counted on her. Alicia found her courage and entered the dining room with her head high.
Instead of one long table, smaller round tables dotted the dining room. Hannah looked up when Alicia came in, worry touching her face.
Alicia leaned down and spoke into her ear. “It's all right. Robbie fell, but it's just a little bump. The doctor is looking in on him as a precaution."
Hannah nodded and Alicia took the empty seat between Mr. de Champs and Mr. Hawthorne. To her dismay, Lord Amesbury had been seated between Marie and Catherine, which put him directly across from her. She tried to keep her eyes off him, but they seemed drawn to him.
How deceived she had been by his pleasing face and form, his charming manners, his dry wit. She had failed to see the heartless monster that lurked beneath. The kindness he displayed must have been an act. She had little experience with men, and Lord Amesbury hid his thoughts so effectively that she could be sure of nothing. Yet, he had seemed not only gallant, but compassionate
Hannah touched her hand, her brows raised in concern and inquiry.
Elizabeth's father, Mr. Hancock, cleared his throat. In response, the talking died down. Mr. Hancock greeted his guests and invited them to enter the dining room. As the guests began to file into the dining room according to precedence, a footman hurried in and whispered urgently into Mr. Hancock's ear.
Mr. Hancock listened, nodded, and beckoned to Alicia. “Miss Palmer. Will you come with me, please?"
Alicia turned to Hannah. “I'll join you in a moment."
Hannah looked petrified at the prospect of dining without her, but Mr. de Champs gallantly offered his arm. “If I may?"
Alicia smiled in gratitude at Mr. de Champs before following Mr. Hancock out of the room.
In the hallway, Mr. Hancock turned to her. “Robert has fallen and hit his head.” Before she uttered a word, Mr. Hancock held up a hand. “It does not appear to be serious, but we've sent for the doctor. I assume you'd wish to see him."
"Thank you, sir."
She followed him down a paneled hallway to an open door. Cigar smoke hung heavy over the billiards room. Robert lay sprawled on a sofa pressing a cloth to his forehead. Alicia sprang forward and picked up his limp hand.
"Robert?"
He opened his eye and grinned crookedly at her.
"You're foxed,” she accused.
"Good thing. Prob'ly would've ‘urt much worsh if I weren't."
She dropped his hand with a frown. “You wouldn't have fallen if you weren't."
"Ah, Lishie, you'll make shome man a perfect wife one day. You've got the nagging down jusht right."
She let out her breath. He wouldn't be needling her if he'd been truly hurt. He removed the cloth from his head, but the bleeding resumed with a vengeance. Alarmed by the sight of so much blood, Alicia grabbed his hand and pressed it and the cloth back over the wound.
"You've ruined everything, Robbie."
"Alwaysh manage to."
"I want to go home. Lord Amesbury is here."
Robert cursed and tried to sit up.
Alicia pushed him back down. “You're in no condition to go anywhere now, you idiot."
He closed his eyes and slurred, “Shorry, Lisshie. Should've talked Armand out of accepting that challenge to duel. But I was so hot to shee him humiliate that arrogant viscount. Should've shtopped ‘em."
"Hush, Robbie, it's not your fault. Lord Amesbury should never have issued the challenge."
When the doctor arrived, he ushered Alicia out. While she paced the floor outside the room, a footman motioned to her. “Dinner is still being served, Miss."
Alicia nodded. She might as well eat as it would be some time before Robert would be in any condition to move. Shyness had probably paralyzed Hannah without Alicia beside her.
She halted. Lord Amesbury was in there.
"This way, Miss,” the footman urged.
She gathered her courage. Dinner. She could face dinner with him. And she would do it without falling apart. Hannah counted on her. Alicia found her courage and entered the dining room with her head high.
Instead of one long table, smaller round tables dotted the dining room. Hannah looked up when Alicia came in, worry touching her face.
Alicia leaned down and spoke into her ear. “It's all right. Robbie fell, but it's just a little bump. The doctor is looking in on him as a precaution."
Hannah nodded and Alicia took the empty seat between Mr. de Champs and Mr. Hawthorne. To her dismay, Lord Amesbury had been seated between Marie and Catherine, which put him directly across from her. She tried to keep her eyes off him, but they seemed drawn to him.
How deceived she had been by his pleasing face and form, his charming manners, his dry wit. She had failed to see the heartless monster that lurked beneath. The kindness he displayed must have been an act. She had little experience with men, and Lord Amesbury hid his thoughts so effectively that she could be sure of nothing. Yet, he had seemed not only gallant, but compassionate
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