With This Ring Read Online Free Page B

was a firm grip.
    “ It’s a long trip back to officer’s
country, lads,” she heard him say behind her. “If you don’t
mind ….” In the corner of her vision, she saw one of the more
lightly wounded men move to another cot and make room for the
officer. He sat down heavily on the cot directly across from her.
“I’m going to keep an eye on you, miss,” he said, his lips tight
again. “That man’s my gunnery sergeant.”
    As he sat hunched over, bleary-eyed,
looking older than her own grandfather, she heard a commotion from
the little knot of ladies and gentlemen whose presence she had
almost forgotten. She looked over in time to see her sister settle
into a graceful faint in the arms of another Bond Street pattern
card. Drat you, Kitty, she thought.
    In a moment, another of the young
gentlemen was approaching her, moving warily through the rows,
careful not to brush up against anything that looked like it
wouldn’t wash off, and holding a handkerchief to his nose. One of
the men sitting close to her snickered, and the young gentleman
stopped, confused.
    “ It’s all right, sir,” she said
calmly, not releasing her grip on the dying man. “They fed them
this morning, and they won’t bite.”
    He blinked at her and raised his
quizzing glass with a shaking hand, which made the snickering and
elbow-poking around her increase. “Miss … ah,
Miss ….”
    “ Perkins,” she replied. “It appears
that my sister Kitty has fainted.”
    “ Yes, Miss Perkins. Lord Harwell and
I would like to return her to your home.”
    You fop, she almost said. You
thought to come here and amuse yourself, but it is not a pleasant
sight. “Oh, so kind of you,” she replied. “But I shouldn’t think
that task will require two of you, sir. You may stay and help
here.”
    “ Oh, no! I mean … well, I
mean ….”
    Someone clucked like a chicken, and
the gentleman blushed as he backed up into a slop jar and the
contents dribbled onto his shoes. “Please come with us, Miss
Perkins. This is no place for a lady.”
    “ Yes, by all means, go,” the major
said, leaning forward as if attempting to alleviate the pain.
“You’ve had sufficient diversion to qualify as a regular angel of
mercy, Miss Perkins, is it?” He spoke softly enough, but the
challenge was unmistakable. His men looked at each other, as if as
surprised as she was. No one snickered.
    She thought a moment, then shook her
head. She looked up at the gentleman, who was staring down at his
pants in real dismay. “Sir, if you and Lord Harwell will please
take Kitty home in our carriage, I will be grateful to you. Tell my
coachman to return for me in an hour or two.” Provided Mama isn’t
so furious that she makes me walk, she thought.
    “ You heard the lady,” the major
said. “Make yourself useful and scarce.” The order was delivered
firmly, as though the major spoke to one of his privates, and not a
bright one, at that.
    Without a word, the gentleman
retreated down the row. He gathered up the others like chickens
before a storm, and herded them toward the foyer. The major turned
himself enough to watch them go. “Men, I think that will end our
exhibition visits.” He wrinkled his nose. “Sterling, have we you to
blame for that slop jar? Do move it somewhere before Miss Perkins
changes her mind and declares us past redemption.” His last words
came out in a gasp, and she was grateful to see one of his men
motioning for the surgeon.
    “ I’m not going anywhere,” she
assured them all as she clung to the dying man’s hand.
    “ Then, Miss Perkins, I think you’ll
do,” said the major as he closed his eyes against the pain. “You’ll
do.”
     
     

Chapter Two
    H e let one
of his soldiers swing his legs up, and another soldier help him lie
carefully on his side. He closed his eyes. “Mind you hold on to my
gunner,” he murmured.
    She did as he said, holding tight to
the man as she wiped his face again and looked around for more
water. One