Patricia Veryan - [Sanguinet Saga 08] - Sanguinet's Crown Read Online Free Page A

the remains of his jacket.
    Charity thought, "He doesn't want Best to see his back." She
reached around to assist him. "I chanced upon a duel," she exclaimed.
    "A duel!" Dropping to one knee beside the injured man, Best
moaned, "Oh, I knowed as I shouldn't have gone off and left ye, miss!
Were there no seconds, sir? No surgeon?
    Charity frowned, wondering why she hadn't thought of such
questions.
    Mitchell answered a curt, "No. "He turned to Charity. "I am
most grateful for your… assistance, ma'am."
    He did not look grateful. He looked haughty and vexed.
Therefore, she responded with deliberate double entendre, "I am only
glad that I reached you when I did."
    His lips tightened, and he turned to Best and requested the
aid of his arm.
    The groom, who had watched this small exchange in some
bewilderment, at once helped the injured man to his feet. Mitchell
seemed dazed, and with no little reluctance, Charity suggested that
they proceed to her brother's house so that he could rest.
    "Thank you, ma'am. But I am already late. "He whistled, and
the mare that had been grazing nearby trotted over. Best guided
Mitchell's left foot into the stirrup, then provided cupped hands to
receive the right foot and boost him into a clumsy but successful
mount. "My," Best murmured, stroking the mare's glossy neck admiringly,
"she do be a prime bit o' blood, sir. Arab?"
    "Obviously," said Mitchell, taking up the reins. "Now, could
you direct me to a house called Strand Hall?"
    Charity's heart dropped into her shoes, and Best looked at her
in surprise.
    Turning from one to the other, Mitchell drawled a sardonic,
"It
does
still stand, I presume?"
    "It did two hours since," Charity replied. "Strand Hall is my
brother's principal seat, Mr. Mitchell. Please collect my belongings,
Best, and then we can take—"
    "If you will rather be so good as to direct me," Mitchell
interpolated. "As I have said, I'm in something of a hurry."
    How insufferable he was! Charity was very tempted to inform
him that no one at Strand Hall waited in breathless impatience for his
arrival, but it dawned on her that Tristram might be expecting him.
''In that case,'' she said in her calm way, "I shall ride with Mr.
Mitchell, Best. You will not object, sir, if my groom takes the time to
aid me to mount?"
    Mitchell scowled and did not respond to this deliberate
provocation. His irritation communicated itself to the mare, and she
danced about nervously so that for a few minutes he had to place all
his concentration upon staying in the saddle. When he glanced up, the
girl was mounted and waiting, a look of saintly resignation on her
face. He didn't want her. Thanks to her confounded interference, his
chance to identify the man who'd sent the murderous trio after him had
been foiled. Besides, he felt like hell, and the dread of toppling from
the saddle and again being forced to submit to her martyred airs,
scourged him. If Whisper would just behave herself for once! He yanked
on the reins with unnecessary violence. It was not a touch Whisper
knew, and she snorted and stood trembling. "You damned gudgeon!"
thought Mitchell remorsefully, "now see what you've done!" But before
he could comfort his beloved mare, Miss Prim was saying in her soft and
confoundedly sanctimonious voice, "You will spoil her mouth if you
treat her so, Mr. Mitchell."
    "Mr. Mitchell!" The foolish chit didn't even know his name!
And choosing to forget that his own halting words had given her the
wrong impression, he snapped, "Might we perhaps start today?"
    Without another word, Charity guided her horse down the hill
and across the meadows towards the belt of woodland that marked the
start of the Strand preserves. She set a steady but not fast pace and,
ignoring Mitchell's smothered mutterings of impatience, waited for him
to fall from the saddle.
    She was still waiting half an hour later when they followed
the winding drivepath up the slope and stopped in front of the Hall. A
stableboy sprinted to take the