Bones for Bread (The Scarlet Plumiere) by Muir L.L

Author:Muir, L.L. [Muir, L.L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-07-26T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

“Oh, there ye are, me laird.” Tolly pointed out the obvious and entered Ash’s study the next morning with a salver in one hand and an envelope in the other. At the last moment, he slapped the latter onto the former and held them out—almost within reach.

Ash sat forward and glared at the man, but it was no use. The Scotsman was far too cheerful and oblivious to be running the household staff of the most dangerous gentleman of the ton. He’d never last. One of these days, Ashmoore would find a dungeon in which to toss the old duff and let him contemplate the errors of his ways. It might take years, and thus Ash would no longer be on hand to accept his plethora of apologies.

He took the letter and Tolly walked away without so much as a bow. Then he turned back.

“Oh, and didn’t I forget something else, then?”

“Pray tell,” Ash drawled.

“That Martin Balliol’s here, awaiting yer pleasure.” The man turned to leave again.

“Oh, Tolly. Would you not care to know what I’d like done with the young man?”

“Aye, but of course, me laird. Of course. Forgive an old fool.”

Ash was mollified by the fact Tolly recognized his mistake. He’d never correct it, of course, but at least he recognized it.

“Send Martin to the kitchens where Sarah can make him a meal. I’ll call for him in a while, after I’ve finished my business here.”

Tolly looked around the room as if searching for some hint of what that business was, then he shrugged his shoulders and left. Ash only hoped the man remembered his instructions by the time he found Martin.

Ash opened the letter from Northwick. The man must have written it only days after Ash had left London for it to have arrived so quickly. Why couldn’t his friend just go off and enjoy his honeymoon like every other bridegroom and leave Ash in peace? The last thing he wanted to dwell on—indeed the primary reason he’d left London in the first place—was the acrid smell of love in the air. He’d done his part to bring North and Livvy together, for a more suited pair he’d never seen, but that didn’t mean he wanted to sit ‘round and watch them giving each other moon-eyes.

And he wasn’t about to go shopping the marriage mart for some miss who might be a good match for the devil’s spawn. Good lord what kind of a woman would that be? And just because his friend was happily wed to a suitable woman, did not mean Ash wanted the same fate. Although he had to admit he’d have been tempted by Livvy himself if North would not have fallen for the woman first, and if he were in any way worthy of a woman like her. But thank heavens he was not. Livvy had been suitable, yes, but not typical, and it was the latter trait he admired the most.

But Ash was more interested in being suitable for a certain Scotswoman.

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