Read Online While You Were Spying (Regency Spies Book 0) by Shana Galen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Shana Galen
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woman in a dark mantle and worn blue dress, the vast expanse of Hampshire spreading behind her—“different.”
He wanted to say beautiful , but that wasn’t quite right. She wasn’t beautiful, not what he considered beautiful. But something about her, something intense and haunted in her eyes, attracted him.
“Different?” she said, those cocoa eyes flashing. “I shall add that to my journal tonight under the Compliments section, right below Good Teeth.”
Ethan winced.
“Good day, Lord Winterbourne.”
She spun away from him and marched down the hill toward the estate. He took two steps, caught her arm, and twisted her around.
“Release me!” She jerked her arm, but he tightened his hold.
“I would accompany you. I intend to have a few words with your father.”
She stopped struggling. “Concerning?” Her forehead creased, worry clouding her eyes.
“Come.” Ethan, still holding her arm in one hand, grasped Destrehan’s reins with the other and started down the hill. He pulled her along, her resistance irrelevant on the downward slope of the terrain. But her protests would have been futile in any case. As he’d said, he’d carry her kicking and screaming if he had to. He wanted to know what kind of father permitted his daughter to wander about the countryside without an escort or even a chaperone.
She continued to pull away from him, showing no signs of giving up, until they reached the hill’s nadir.
“My father’s not at home.” Her voice wavered. “He rode into Selborne this morning.”
He led the way through a pasture, avoiding the manure piles as best he could. The south front of the house rose before them, and as they came closer, the girl ceased her struggles.
“Let go of my arm,” she hissed at him.
Ethan skirted an ornery-looking goat and ignored her request. The matter was settled.
“Let go! I must put my hair to rights and straighten my clothes before we step inside.” She sounded almost frantic, and Ethan spared a glance at her, halting when he saw her. She looked windblown, wrinkled, and wild.
Wild and...ravishing.
He had no idea where the word had come from, he’d never thought of a woman in those terms before, but the description fit her. Fit her so well that he realized it had been on his tongue half a dozen times since he’d first seen her this morning. He’d simply been too preoccupied to notice her.
Hardly a trace of the girl he’d been introduced to at Harcourt’s ball was visible in her now. Her hair flowed halfway down her back in rich, dark curls, and the dangling red ribbon illuminated them like a streak of fire. Her eyes, large and chocolate brown, were fringed with thick black lashes and framed by gracefully arched dark brows. Against her creamy white skin, those eyes gave her an intense, passionate look Ethan knew he would have remembered if it had been in her expression when they’d first met. A man didn’t easily forget the intensity of eyes like hers. Intensity like that could be turned to passion in the right lover’s hands.
His gaze touched briefly on her other features. She had smooth, unfreckled skin, a small straight nose, and lips the color of faded roses. He wondered if her mouth looked as full when she smiled, if her lips turned dusky pink or wine-red when she’d been thoroughly kissed.
Without a word, he released her hand.
“Thank you,” she muttered and took two steps away from him. “If you would force us to make a grand entrance, I shouldn’t look as though I’ve been rolling in the bushes.”
He almost smiled, but his lips froze when she scooped her thick mass of curls into a tail and tied it back with the dangling scarlet ribbon. Turning half to the side, she straightened her cloak and the pale blue frock she wore underneath. Her movements were clumsy and hurried, her cheeks tinted a honey color. She was obviously uncomfortable under his gaze and scrutiny.
But Ethan didn’t look away. His attraction to her surprised
He wanted to say beautiful , but that wasn’t quite right. She wasn’t beautiful, not what he considered beautiful. But something about her, something intense and haunted in her eyes, attracted him.
“Different?” she said, those cocoa eyes flashing. “I shall add that to my journal tonight under the Compliments section, right below Good Teeth.”
Ethan winced.
“Good day, Lord Winterbourne.”
She spun away from him and marched down the hill toward the estate. He took two steps, caught her arm, and twisted her around.
“Release me!” She jerked her arm, but he tightened his hold.
“I would accompany you. I intend to have a few words with your father.”
She stopped struggling. “Concerning?” Her forehead creased, worry clouding her eyes.
“Come.” Ethan, still holding her arm in one hand, grasped Destrehan’s reins with the other and started down the hill. He pulled her along, her resistance irrelevant on the downward slope of the terrain. But her protests would have been futile in any case. As he’d said, he’d carry her kicking and screaming if he had to. He wanted to know what kind of father permitted his daughter to wander about the countryside without an escort or even a chaperone.
She continued to pull away from him, showing no signs of giving up, until they reached the hill’s nadir.
“My father’s not at home.” Her voice wavered. “He rode into Selborne this morning.”
He led the way through a pasture, avoiding the manure piles as best he could. The south front of the house rose before them, and as they came closer, the girl ceased her struggles.
“Let go of my arm,” she hissed at him.
Ethan skirted an ornery-looking goat and ignored her request. The matter was settled.
“Let go! I must put my hair to rights and straighten my clothes before we step inside.” She sounded almost frantic, and Ethan spared a glance at her, halting when he saw her. She looked windblown, wrinkled, and wild.
Wild and...ravishing.
He had no idea where the word had come from, he’d never thought of a woman in those terms before, but the description fit her. Fit her so well that he realized it had been on his tongue half a dozen times since he’d first seen her this morning. He’d simply been too preoccupied to notice her.
Hardly a trace of the girl he’d been introduced to at Harcourt’s ball was visible in her now. Her hair flowed halfway down her back in rich, dark curls, and the dangling red ribbon illuminated them like a streak of fire. Her eyes, large and chocolate brown, were fringed with thick black lashes and framed by gracefully arched dark brows. Against her creamy white skin, those eyes gave her an intense, passionate look Ethan knew he would have remembered if it had been in her expression when they’d first met. A man didn’t easily forget the intensity of eyes like hers. Intensity like that could be turned to passion in the right lover’s hands.
His gaze touched briefly on her other features. She had smooth, unfreckled skin, a small straight nose, and lips the color of faded roses. He wondered if her mouth looked as full when she smiled, if her lips turned dusky pink or wine-red when she’d been thoroughly kissed.
Without a word, he released her hand.
“Thank you,” she muttered and took two steps away from him. “If you would force us to make a grand entrance, I shouldn’t look as though I’ve been rolling in the bushes.”
He almost smiled, but his lips froze when she scooped her thick mass of curls into a tail and tied it back with the dangling scarlet ribbon. Turning half to the side, she straightened her cloak and the pale blue frock she wore underneath. Her movements were clumsy and hurried, her cheeks tinted a honey color. She was obviously uncomfortable under his gaze and scrutiny.
But Ethan didn’t look away. His attraction to her surprised
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