A Madness in Spring Read Online Free Page A

happily eating their feed and growing their wool. He could visit family for a month. Or two.
    Although now that he was well into his third month, he was really going to have to consider heading back soon – likely within the next few days. There were things to do.
    But not today. Not on a rare, gorgeous early spring day with fish that needed catching.
    “Although, they don’t seem to be biting,” Bertram said.
    “Yes, I fear I came back from London to sleeping fish,” John grumbled.
    “How is it that you have your own trout stream and you’ve never learned the point of fishing?” Adam cried, pulling himself up to seated and checking on his own line. Nothing.
    “I thought the point was to catch fish. To eat.”
    “You’ve positively become a killjoy, John. And I refuse to allow any joy-killing on the last few days of my tenure here.”
    “Then you best not turn around,” John said, and of course, Adam had to swivel around.
    Sturridge Manor stood in the distance, and at that moment, three people were emerging out onto the back lawn. Three people in dresses. That would imply it was his sister-in-law Francesca, Miss Gage by her height, and…
    “Oh, hell,” Adam grumbled.
    “What?” Bertram, too, turned in his seat. Following Adam’s gaze he asked, “Miss Leonard? What about her?”
    “Nothing,” John offered. “She and Adam tend to be at odds.”
    “Why?” Bertram asked. “She seemed like a very amiable young lady to me.”
    “Yes,” Adam replied. “To you.”
    “Don’t mind him,” John offered. “It has to do with a long ago bowls game. One where Adam was soundly beaten and proved a bad sport about it.”
    “I was twelve,” Adam said. “And I made my apologies and offered to play cards with her after. I was refused.”
    “Sounds like you still are twelve,” Bertram said under his breath, and John guffawed.
    Adam just rolled his eyes. If he was still twelve, he would have stalked off with anger, but as an adult he could easily recognize that he’d been an impulsive twelve-year-old, appalled to have lost to girl of nine who had walked up to them and declared herself good. He remembered thinking she was a pretty, sad little thing, too – until she started playing, that is.
    But over time, what should have faded away as a childish spat had just compounded. Every time he saw her after that, she would always find something wrong with him. When he came home during school holidays, or before he headed out to the continent in his red coat. Or when he’d first gone up to not-Scotland.
    Granted, at some point he perhaps began needling Belinda, to see how far he could push her exasperation. So far, he had reached no limit.
    And to be honest, it was getting a bit exhausting. But it was their way.
    Let’s see… he was wearing his trousers rolled up. God knows she’d mock him for that. If they were further away he might roll them down, just to avoid an argument in mixed company, but then he decided there was something delightful about watching Belinda have to hold her tongue in front of others.
    “Hello, darling!” Francesca called out, and John rose to greet her with a kiss on the cheek. “Have you caught anything?”
    “Not a bite,” John replied, then turned to the others. “Miss Gage, Miss Leonard. Lovely to see you.”
    “Not too cold, Georgie?” Bertram asked.
    “I have two shawls on,” Miss Gage replied with a patient smile. “Miss Leonard gave me hers and it is quite warm.”
    “Thank you Miss Leonard,” Bertram smiled, turning to Belinda, who graced him with a smile in return. Funny, Adam had no idea she
could
smile. He hadn’t seen it in… ever. “I fear my sister is always a little too eager to cast off her illness, even before it’s willing to go.”
    “One can never be too careful – especially in the spring. The weather can be so changeable. We want it to warm up so desperately we throw aside caution.”
    Her eyes flicked to Adam’s trousers – or rather to his