Read Online To Tempt A Rogue by Adrienne Basso - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Adrienne Basso
Ads: Link
the raw, untamed beauty of the land.
The landscape was soaring and austere. Due to the season, there was only the barest hint of green to be seen. It was as if the land had survived, even triumphed, despite the harsh obstacles Mother Nature had tossed in its path. Kate declared the terrain bleak and unwelcoming and whined for the flat roads and warmer temperatures of home.
Yet even though she had to constantly tighten the lap rug spread across her knees to find more warmth, Harriet found this rugged country strangely moving. She did however feel sorry for the coachman and footman who rode outside the carriage, exposed to the harsh elements.
Kate often remarked at the amount of drink the men consumed at each stop, but Harriet did not begrudge them their warmed cider and mugs of ale. They must be nearly frozen from the cold.
âWell, âtis not the most respectable place Iâve ever seen, but I imagine itâs the best one weâll find.â
Harriet caught sight of the small inn they were approaching and silently agreed with Kateâs assessment. The establishment looked little more than a large hut, with a thatched roof, a small orchard, and several chickens running about loose in the yard.
It was nestled in a small valley, surrounded by much larger mountains and as she stepped down from the coach, Harriet was glad those granite boulders protected them from the relentless cold winds. There were no other guests inside the common room and for a brief moment Harriet worried that they had stumbled upon a private home.
But the suspicious, cold reception from the surly innkeeper changed the moment he saw the color of the coin John Coachman flashed as he made arrangements for the care of the horses and a meal for the travelers. They dined on thick slices of hot shepherdâs pie and mugs of home-brewed ale. Inquiries about the specific location of Hillsdale Castle brought more good news. It was no more than fifteen miles away.
After leaving the inn they at last began traveling in the highest mountains that days ago had appeared so far and distant. Harriet re-entered the coach in good spirits, buoyed with the knowledge that this long journey was finally nearing an end. However, her good mood was sorely tested within the hour as Kate gave several drawn-out bored sighs and began picking at a thread on the index finger of her wool gloves.
Harriet bit her bottom lip hard to keep silent. She had been lecturing the maid for days to cease this most annoying habit, but had been unsuccessful in making her stop. Once again she recited a silent prayer, asking Providence to deliver her to the castle before Kateâs dreary conversation and endless fidgeting drove her mad.
Realizing it was fruitless to waste her breath on another lecture, Harriet leaned back, wedged her head comfortably in the corner of the coach and closed her eyes. She drifted in a trance-like state between sleep and wakefulness for most of the afternoon.
A sudden, sharp jolt of the coach brought Harriet fully to her senses. She could feel the team of horses strain and stumble on the slick, winding road. She sat anxiously forward in her seat, steadying herself with a tight grip on the leather hand loop. Glancing out the window, Harriet watched the light from the sinking sun begin to fade.
The poor conditions of the road had slowed their progress once they had left the inn. Hopefully there would be a bright full moon appearing soon, for if they did not reach their destination before nightfall, they would surely become lost in this desolate land.
The increasingly steep climbs and lowering dips of the hills and valleys had brought the coachâs progress to barely a crawl. The cold also contributed to the difficulty, freezing sections of the gravel road, making it treacherous going for the horses.
The deep ruts were another worry, especially when following the winding path. On the left side stood a solid wall of rock, with soil and bare tree
The landscape was soaring and austere. Due to the season, there was only the barest hint of green to be seen. It was as if the land had survived, even triumphed, despite the harsh obstacles Mother Nature had tossed in its path. Kate declared the terrain bleak and unwelcoming and whined for the flat roads and warmer temperatures of home.
Yet even though she had to constantly tighten the lap rug spread across her knees to find more warmth, Harriet found this rugged country strangely moving. She did however feel sorry for the coachman and footman who rode outside the carriage, exposed to the harsh elements.
Kate often remarked at the amount of drink the men consumed at each stop, but Harriet did not begrudge them their warmed cider and mugs of ale. They must be nearly frozen from the cold.
âWell, âtis not the most respectable place Iâve ever seen, but I imagine itâs the best one weâll find.â
Harriet caught sight of the small inn they were approaching and silently agreed with Kateâs assessment. The establishment looked little more than a large hut, with a thatched roof, a small orchard, and several chickens running about loose in the yard.
It was nestled in a small valley, surrounded by much larger mountains and as she stepped down from the coach, Harriet was glad those granite boulders protected them from the relentless cold winds. There were no other guests inside the common room and for a brief moment Harriet worried that they had stumbled upon a private home.
But the suspicious, cold reception from the surly innkeeper changed the moment he saw the color of the coin John Coachman flashed as he made arrangements for the care of the horses and a meal for the travelers. They dined on thick slices of hot shepherdâs pie and mugs of home-brewed ale. Inquiries about the specific location of Hillsdale Castle brought more good news. It was no more than fifteen miles away.
After leaving the inn they at last began traveling in the highest mountains that days ago had appeared so far and distant. Harriet re-entered the coach in good spirits, buoyed with the knowledge that this long journey was finally nearing an end. However, her good mood was sorely tested within the hour as Kate gave several drawn-out bored sighs and began picking at a thread on the index finger of her wool gloves.
Harriet bit her bottom lip hard to keep silent. She had been lecturing the maid for days to cease this most annoying habit, but had been unsuccessful in making her stop. Once again she recited a silent prayer, asking Providence to deliver her to the castle before Kateâs dreary conversation and endless fidgeting drove her mad.
Realizing it was fruitless to waste her breath on another lecture, Harriet leaned back, wedged her head comfortably in the corner of the coach and closed her eyes. She drifted in a trance-like state between sleep and wakefulness for most of the afternoon.
A sudden, sharp jolt of the coach brought Harriet fully to her senses. She could feel the team of horses strain and stumble on the slick, winding road. She sat anxiously forward in her seat, steadying herself with a tight grip on the leather hand loop. Glancing out the window, Harriet watched the light from the sinking sun begin to fade.
The poor conditions of the road had slowed their progress once they had left the inn. Hopefully there would be a bright full moon appearing soon, for if they did not reach their destination before nightfall, they would surely become lost in this desolate land.
The increasingly steep climbs and lowering dips of the hills and valleys had brought the coachâs progress to barely a crawl. The cold also contributed to the difficulty, freezing sections of the gravel road, making it treacherous going for the horses.
The deep ruts were another worry, especially when following the winding path. On the left side stood a solid wall of rock, with soil and bare tree
Similar Books
