Bertrice Small by Unconquered

Author:Unconquered [Unconquered]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2012-06-25T12:58:32+00:00

Chapter 11

JARED DUNHAM GALLOPED UP THE DRIVE OF SWYNFORD HALL, his heart hammering a joyous refrain: Miranda! Miranda! Miranda! The green English countryside looked marvelous to him after his stay in gray-brown Russia. Eleven months! He’d been gone almost a full year! What had ever possessed him to take on the mission? What had ever possessed him to leave Miranda?

A stableboy ran out to take his horse as he arrived at the front entrance to the hall, and a footman hurried down the building’s steps to greet him.

“We thought you were still in Scotand, m’lord,” he said. “We weren’t expecting you till next week.”

“Where is Lady Dunham?” Jared asked.

A strange look passed briefly over the footman’s face, but before he coud answer, Amanda and a lovely young woman with copper-colored hair appeared and hurried to his side. “Thank you, William,” Amanda dismissed the servant, then turned to her companion. “Which one of them is it?” she asked.

There was not a moment’s hesitation. “It is Lord Dunham, Amanda, not Jon.”

“Jared! Oh thank God! You have Miranda with you?”

Jared thought he’d entered a madhouse. “What do you mean, Amanda? I do not understand you.”

“My lord,” said the other young woman, “I think it would be best to go into the house. Mandy dear, come along. I believe the library will do nicely.”

Once in the library, Jared roared at his pretty sister-in-law, “What the hell do you mean, do I have Miranda with me? Where is my wife?!” Amanda burst into tears, and Jared swore angrily. “Dammit, kitten, this is not the time for weeping! I want an explanation!” But Mandy only wept harder. Defeated, Jared turned to the other woman. “Madam?”

“I am Anne Bowen Dunham, m’lord, your new sister-in-law.”

“What!?”

“Please sit down, m’lord. I’m afraid my explanation is lengthy. Would you like a sherry perhaps?”

Jared looked at her shrewdly. “I have a feeling, Mistress Anne, that I’m going to need something stronger. A whiskey, I think.”

Anne moved serenely to the table where all the decanters and glasses were set up. Carefully choosing a short cut-crystal tumbler, she poured a generous dollop of smoky Scots whiskey into it and handed it to him. Amanda was sniffling on a nearby settee.

He took a deep swallow of the whiskey, and looked levelly at Anne. “Mistress?” he said.

“Were you aware, m’lord, that Lord Palmerston brought your brother Jonathan to England late last autumn to impersonate you?” Jared strongly nodded his head, and Anne continued.

“Lord Palmerston felt that your absence should not be a public fact, and as your sister-in-law Charity had been lost in a boating accident, Jon was free and willing to come and masquerade as you all last winter.”

“Did my wife know?” asked Jared.

“Of course. It was very hard for her, m’lord. She loves you terribly, you know. Being alone during her confinement was especially difficult for her.” His face registered complete amazement at these words. “M’lord!” Anne caught at his hands. “Oh, heavens! Did you not know that, either?” He shook his head weakly. “M’lord,” she said softly, “you are a father.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.