A Mistress for Major Bartlett by Annie Burrows

Author:Annie Burrows
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-09-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

‘What am I to do?’ she said. ‘What can I do? It’s all my fault. All my fault.’

‘Now you stop that right now.’ He cursed Robbins soundly and colourfully under his breath. ‘If Colonel Randall was really as dangerously ill as Robbins implied, surely Miss Endacott would have written to inform you before? She knows how much you care about your brothers. She was with you when you found him near the battlefield, wasn’t she?’

The wild, desperate look faded from Sarah’s eyes.

‘You really think so?’ She looked at Tom in confusion. ‘But then why...?’

‘Robbins is extremely loyal to the Colonel. Your brother inspires that in the men. Gutter rats, who’ve never had anyone to look up to. Anyone they can trust. Until he showed them that a man in authority isn’t necessarily going to stamp on them, just because he can.

‘I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if Robbins is trying to ease the Colonel’s worries by making you feel guilty enough to run back to him and stay where he can keep an eye on you.’

Her eyes filled with tears.

‘No! Surely he wouldn’t?’

‘Oh, I think he would.’

‘Oh!’ She sat up a little straighter. ‘What a mean, dirty, low sort of trick to play on me.’

‘That’s the way the Rogues work, Sarah. And, to be fair to Robbins, he probably thinks he’s doing you a favour, too. Getting you away from me.’

Her mouth firmed into a tight line.

‘I wish everyone would stop trying to organise my life the way they think is best for me, without even asking me what I want.’

She wriggled off his lap, got back on to the chair, and looked down at Mary’s note again.

‘Do you know, I think you may be in the right of it. Mary doesn’t say anything about it being my fault. Not at all. Which I’m sure she would if she thought it. She doesn’t like me very much. With just cause, I may add. I—’ She bit on her lower lip, then took a deep breath, lifted her chin and looked him straight in the eye.

‘I tricked her into going with me to the Duchess of Richmond’s ball, you see. Gussie was too poorly to take me and I was desperate to find Gideon. Because he’d been—’ She broke off. ‘Well, I knew I couldn’t attend without a chaperon. And I couldn’t think who else to ask. I thought she was the one person I might be able to persuade, because she was bound to want to see Justin one last time before they all went off to fight, just the way I wanted to see Gideon.

‘Only Gideon wasn’t there, so it was a waste. No—’ she sighed and shook her head ‘—it was worse than that. Justin ripped up at her. Accused her of stealing his lucky sword and insinuating herself into my good graces so she could get her hands on his title... Oh, all of it was so unjust. And it was all my fault. If I hadn’t made her take me, none of it would have happened.

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