Read Online The Unintended Bride by Kelly McClymer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kelly McClymer
Tags: Fiction
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Her eyes lit on an innocent-sounding title, A Milkmaid's Life . That might pass the time well enough until Arthur accepted that they must wait for rescue, as she had.
CHAPTER SIX
Arthur could find nothing suitable to batter the door, to pierce it, or to pry it. His scholarly Excalibur had worked well enough on the hinges of the smaller door, but there were none to be found on this larger door. And the smaller door itself was too unwieldy to be used as a battering ram in the confined space.
After some time spent assessing the situation, the quiet of the room intruded into his consciousness, and he looked around him in the gloomy semidarkness. Hero was no longer in the larger room with him. Apprehensively, he climbed up the three steps to the smaller room, prepared to find her weeping uncontrollably on the floor.
Instead, he found her curled up against one shelf, reading. Apparently, she had managed to find a book that was suitable for a lady to read. Her face was held close to the page to compensate for the dimming light. She started in surprise when he spoke. "Night is fast approaching. I do not think Mr. Beasley is likely to be back tonight."
She looked up at him from the book she had been reading, closing it over her finger to hold her place. In the dim light, he thought her cheeks might hold a guilty blush. "I confess I came to that conclusion some time ago."
"I will not give up, don't worry. I will not have you reputation soiled by my foolish obsession." Not by either obsession, he added silently — not the one to find Malory's manuscript, or the pressing obsession to take her in his arms and — he closed his eyes against the images that flashed through his mind. A mistake, for they flared to vivid life. He opened his eyes again. Would she hate him for what he had done?
"I'm sorry." Her voice held more sympathy than he thought he deserved. After all, the note had been addressed to him, he had not needed to drag her along with him to the shop. "I'm sorry it was all a hoax."
A hoax. Yes. But a malicious one that had hurt her as well. "I'm sorry that a simple afternoon's outing has turned out so unfortunately for you. Your family will be frantic with worry."
"Yes." She sighed, not nearly as distraught as he had expected she might be. "I am afraid we are destined to spend the night here, unless Mr. Beasley decides to return tonight." Her lips curved into a smile. "No doubt he is now at his dinner."
Arthur wanted to groan at the thought. He wished fruitlessly that he had come alone. A night on a wooden floor trapped here would have served him right for believing in a foolish myth. However was he to see to Hero's comfort, never mind her modesty?
But what choice did he have? He had been the fool to get her trapped up here with him among the finest books in the world — most on the subject of lovemaking. Illustrations and all. "I suppose you are right to be practical, but I will hope to get us free before we come to that extreme."
She shrugged. "I don't mind. It's almost an adventure, don't you think?"
"An adventure?" He would not have imagined that Hero's cheeks would flush, nor that her eyes would sparkle at such an "adventure." Perhaps the shock of their predicament had addled her wits? Or perhaps this Miss Fenster was not quite as different from her sisters as he had supposed. A waning ray of light from the small window had caught in her hair, so that it glinted with coppery highlights.
Demure or not, she did not seem horrified by the type of books in the room, and the shock that had caused her fingers to lose their grip had passed so quickly, he had to wonder whether it was the book itself or simply the unexpected illustration that had made her grip suddenly nerveless.
From nowhere came the quite wicked thought — perhaps, if he asked, she would welcome a kiss from him. After all, if Mr. Beasley was not the most discreet man in London, the gossips would say that they had done more than share a kiss this
CHAPTER SIX
Arthur could find nothing suitable to batter the door, to pierce it, or to pry it. His scholarly Excalibur had worked well enough on the hinges of the smaller door, but there were none to be found on this larger door. And the smaller door itself was too unwieldy to be used as a battering ram in the confined space.
After some time spent assessing the situation, the quiet of the room intruded into his consciousness, and he looked around him in the gloomy semidarkness. Hero was no longer in the larger room with him. Apprehensively, he climbed up the three steps to the smaller room, prepared to find her weeping uncontrollably on the floor.
Instead, he found her curled up against one shelf, reading. Apparently, she had managed to find a book that was suitable for a lady to read. Her face was held close to the page to compensate for the dimming light. She started in surprise when he spoke. "Night is fast approaching. I do not think Mr. Beasley is likely to be back tonight."
She looked up at him from the book she had been reading, closing it over her finger to hold her place. In the dim light, he thought her cheeks might hold a guilty blush. "I confess I came to that conclusion some time ago."
"I will not give up, don't worry. I will not have you reputation soiled by my foolish obsession." Not by either obsession, he added silently — not the one to find Malory's manuscript, or the pressing obsession to take her in his arms and — he closed his eyes against the images that flashed through his mind. A mistake, for they flared to vivid life. He opened his eyes again. Would she hate him for what he had done?
"I'm sorry." Her voice held more sympathy than he thought he deserved. After all, the note had been addressed to him, he had not needed to drag her along with him to the shop. "I'm sorry it was all a hoax."
A hoax. Yes. But a malicious one that had hurt her as well. "I'm sorry that a simple afternoon's outing has turned out so unfortunately for you. Your family will be frantic with worry."
"Yes." She sighed, not nearly as distraught as he had expected she might be. "I am afraid we are destined to spend the night here, unless Mr. Beasley decides to return tonight." Her lips curved into a smile. "No doubt he is now at his dinner."
Arthur wanted to groan at the thought. He wished fruitlessly that he had come alone. A night on a wooden floor trapped here would have served him right for believing in a foolish myth. However was he to see to Hero's comfort, never mind her modesty?
But what choice did he have? He had been the fool to get her trapped up here with him among the finest books in the world — most on the subject of lovemaking. Illustrations and all. "I suppose you are right to be practical, but I will hope to get us free before we come to that extreme."
She shrugged. "I don't mind. It's almost an adventure, don't you think?"
"An adventure?" He would not have imagined that Hero's cheeks would flush, nor that her eyes would sparkle at such an "adventure." Perhaps the shock of their predicament had addled her wits? Or perhaps this Miss Fenster was not quite as different from her sisters as he had supposed. A waning ray of light from the small window had caught in her hair, so that it glinted with coppery highlights.
Demure or not, she did not seem horrified by the type of books in the room, and the shock that had caused her fingers to lose their grip had passed so quickly, he had to wonder whether it was the book itself or simply the unexpected illustration that had made her grip suddenly nerveless.
From nowhere came the quite wicked thought — perhaps, if he asked, she would welcome a kiss from him. After all, if Mr. Beasley was not the most discreet man in London, the gossips would say that they had done more than share a kiss this
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