Artful Deceptions by Patricia Rice

Author:Patricia Rice [Rice, Patricia]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Regency Romance
Publisher: Belgrave House
Published: 1992-09-25T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Arianne put a second kettle of water over the small fire in the grate. When it started steaming, she would remove the empty pot and refill it. She wasn’t at all certain that the small amount of steam generated had a beneficent effect on her mother’s breathing, but the physician said it might help.

She turned to make certain her mother was still sleeping and allowed a small sigh of relief to escape. After the long night of listening to her patient gasp for air, she thought never to rest again. Her own chest ached from the struggle. Quietly she slipped from the room.

Lucinda was keeping the boys occupied in the far end of the house, but out here in the hall Arianne could hear their impatient cries and knew they would not be silent much longer. Pushing straying strands of hair from her face, she wished desperately for a few moments to wash and change and perhaps take a brief nap, but she couldn’t allow the boys to wake their mother. They were too young to understand the need for silence, although Davie had looked grave enough earlier when he had asked if their mother was going to die.

The physician had said it was not so serious as that yet, but Mrs. Richards needed time to rid her lungs of congestion. He had been quite adamant about the need for fresh air—and not just for a few days. Whatever few pounds Arianne might have realized from the painting would never have been enough for a lengthy stay anywhere. Her father would just have to be made to see that one of his collection would have to be sacrificed.

But right now she needed to get the boys out of the house. Even as she thought it, Arianne could hear hushed whoops of excitement from down the corridor. There wasn’t time to do anything but head them off and down the stairs. Ignoring the wisps of hair falling about her face and throat and the fact that she still wore a plain morning gown with only an apron to adorn it, Arianne hurried in the direction of her energetic brothers.

She stopped short at the sight greeting her on the landing. Lucinda was donning her bonnet and talking excitedly to a tall gentleman in high-crowned hat and morning coat while the boys were eagerly striving for his attention by seeing who could whisper the loudest. Arianne’s gaze flew to amused gray eyes, and her stomach lurched unexpectedly. Why on earth was Lord Locke here?

Locke whispered something to Lucinda, who immediately shepherded the boys down the stairs while he remained behind, waiting. Arianne approached him slowly, uncertain of the proper greeting for a gentleman wandering loose in this part of the house without any semblance of decorum. One would think he was part of the family.

“How is she?” Now that they were reasonably alone, Galen lost his air of amusement.

“Sleeping.” Exhaustion was responsible for the sudden appearance of tears in her eyes at

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