Read Online Thunder and Roses by Mary Jo Putney - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mary Jo Putney
Tags: Fiction, Historical fiction, General, Romance, Historical, Love Stories, Wales, Wales - Social Life and Customs - 18th Century
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careful, I might start to think that you have a sense of humor. A wicked one.”
Rhonda slowed, and Clare realized that she was pulling at the reins again. Merciful heaven, but Nicholas could be charming. Seeking a safer subject, she said, “Is it true that you brought some unusual animals back from your travels?”
He grinned. “A few. Come along and I’ll show you.”
He swung his horse to the right and led her toward a higher, rockier section of the estate. They passed through another gate, this one in a high wall that looked newly built.
After closing the gate, Nicholas tethered his horse at the edge of a grove of sycamores, then went to assist Clare from her mount. “We’ll go the rest of the way on foot.”
Once again putting a light hand on her lower back, he guided her into the woods. Uneasily she recognized how pleasant it was to feel that she was being guarded and protected. That she was not alone …
Even though she jumped in surprise, it was a relief when the silence was shattered by a raucous, braying sound. The initial bellow triggered a chorus of similar cries. A little disappointed, she said, “It sounds like a herd of donkeys.”
He smiled. “Wait.”
They emerged from the woods by a small lake set in a rocky cup of ground. Clare stopped and blinked, not believing what her eyes were reporting. “What on earth?”
Waddling along the shore of the lake were a dozen or so of the strangest creatures she had ever seen. Perhaps two feet high, the black and white beasts walked upright like men, but seemed to have no feet at all. Their waddling gait was so irresistibly comic that she began to laugh.
Braying like a donkey, one creature got into a squabble with one of its fellows. After a brief tussle, the second ran squawking to the lake, then dived in headfirst and vanished.
“Clare, meet the penguins. Penguins, this is Clare.” Nicholas took her hand and helped her through the rocks onto the pebbled beach. Though several penguins retreated into the high grass, the rest didn’t seem to mind the intrusion. A few stood as still as statues with their black beaks held arrogantly high. Others scurried about as if the humans weren’t there, tugging tufts of grass and stacking pebbles.
One ambled over and pecked hopefully at Clare’s boot. Disappointed, it fixed her first with one beady eye, then tilted its head so it could see her with the other. She began laughing again. “I’ve read about penguins, but I had no idea they were so delightful! My children would love to see them. Could I bring my school here?”
When the earl quirked a brow, she remembered that the school was no longer hers, at least not for the next three months. But he said, “I don’t see why not, as long as your students don’t upset them.”
Clare bent and touched the sleek head of the penguin that was still investigating her. The black feathers were short, stiff, and bristly. “I thought penguins only lived in very cold lands. Might Britain be too warm for them?”
“These are black-footed penguins from islands near the Cape of Good Hope, where the climate is more like Wales.” He tossed a pebble. A penguin investigated, then collected it for its nest. “They seem to be thriving, though it was difficult getting them here. I had to fill a ship’s hold with ice packed in straw and keep them there for the hottest weeks of the trip.”
“They’re amazingly clumsy.”
“Only on land. They do their flying in the water, where they are as sleek and graceful as fish. Watch those two as they go into the lake.”
Clare followed the direction of his gesture and saw how the bodies that were chunky and awkward on land became miraculously swift and sleek under the water. The penguins disappeared from view for long periods of time, then would rocket above the surface so swiftly that she could hardly see them before they vanished again. “I could watch for
Rhonda slowed, and Clare realized that she was pulling at the reins again. Merciful heaven, but Nicholas could be charming. Seeking a safer subject, she said, “Is it true that you brought some unusual animals back from your travels?”
He grinned. “A few. Come along and I’ll show you.”
He swung his horse to the right and led her toward a higher, rockier section of the estate. They passed through another gate, this one in a high wall that looked newly built.
After closing the gate, Nicholas tethered his horse at the edge of a grove of sycamores, then went to assist Clare from her mount. “We’ll go the rest of the way on foot.”
Once again putting a light hand on her lower back, he guided her into the woods. Uneasily she recognized how pleasant it was to feel that she was being guarded and protected. That she was not alone …
Even though she jumped in surprise, it was a relief when the silence was shattered by a raucous, braying sound. The initial bellow triggered a chorus of similar cries. A little disappointed, she said, “It sounds like a herd of donkeys.”
He smiled. “Wait.”
They emerged from the woods by a small lake set in a rocky cup of ground. Clare stopped and blinked, not believing what her eyes were reporting. “What on earth?”
Waddling along the shore of the lake were a dozen or so of the strangest creatures she had ever seen. Perhaps two feet high, the black and white beasts walked upright like men, but seemed to have no feet at all. Their waddling gait was so irresistibly comic that she began to laugh.
Braying like a donkey, one creature got into a squabble with one of its fellows. After a brief tussle, the second ran squawking to the lake, then dived in headfirst and vanished.
“Clare, meet the penguins. Penguins, this is Clare.” Nicholas took her hand and helped her through the rocks onto the pebbled beach. Though several penguins retreated into the high grass, the rest didn’t seem to mind the intrusion. A few stood as still as statues with their black beaks held arrogantly high. Others scurried about as if the humans weren’t there, tugging tufts of grass and stacking pebbles.
One ambled over and pecked hopefully at Clare’s boot. Disappointed, it fixed her first with one beady eye, then tilted its head so it could see her with the other. She began laughing again. “I’ve read about penguins, but I had no idea they were so delightful! My children would love to see them. Could I bring my school here?”
When the earl quirked a brow, she remembered that the school was no longer hers, at least not for the next three months. But he said, “I don’t see why not, as long as your students don’t upset them.”
Clare bent and touched the sleek head of the penguin that was still investigating her. The black feathers were short, stiff, and bristly. “I thought penguins only lived in very cold lands. Might Britain be too warm for them?”
“These are black-footed penguins from islands near the Cape of Good Hope, where the climate is more like Wales.” He tossed a pebble. A penguin investigated, then collected it for its nest. “They seem to be thriving, though it was difficult getting them here. I had to fill a ship’s hold with ice packed in straw and keep them there for the hottest weeks of the trip.”
“They’re amazingly clumsy.”
“Only on land. They do their flying in the water, where they are as sleek and graceful as fish. Watch those two as they go into the lake.”
Clare followed the direction of his gesture and saw how the bodies that were chunky and awkward on land became miraculously swift and sleek under the water. The penguins disappeared from view for long periods of time, then would rocket above the surface so swiftly that she could hardly see them before they vanished again. “I could watch for
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