Cherished Enemy by Patricia Veryan

Author:Patricia Veryan
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781250101259
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

11

Never in her life had Rosamond experienced such total despair. Her sole coherent thought was ‘he has come to arrest me!’ She was so frightened that it was as much as she could do not to spring up and run away, and her pulse fluttered at such a rate that she could scarcely breathe. In that moment of stark terror, she turned to Victor. His eyes held hers in a calm, level look. He stood then, as did the other gentlemen, to greet the newcomer, but he turned slightly from them and gave her a sly wink, the corners of his mouth quirking into his mocking grin. Inexplicably, she was strengthened and she drew a deep shuddering breath and fought to control her nerves.

Neat and brisk as always, Holt advanced to shake the colonel’s hand, pay his respects to the ladies, and acknowledge Charles and the doctor. He apologized profusely for calling at such an hour, but had, he said, been in the vicinity and “decided to look in, being concerned for Miss Albritton’s health.”

Mrs. Porchester beamed at him. “But how very kind in you. Ain’t that kind, Albritton? Especially since we met but once in Paris, and once by purest chance on the way here.”

“It is indeed kind,” rumbled the colonel, motioning this new guest to a chair and giving Charles a terse nod, although that courteous young man had already started towards the credenza to pour a glass of Madeira for Holt.

“You will be thinking me a fine dunce of a father, to let my females trot about alone,” the colonel went on. “The truth is that one of my Parisian nephews was escorting ’em, but he’s of a delicate constitution and was laid low by a choppy crossing. Victor here, being a friend of the family, was good enough to take his place, but you may be sure I appreciate your concern.

The captain voiced a polite response and said that Miss Albritton appeared to be none the worse for her mishap despite the taxing journey home. “I trust your wound is healing nicely, ma’am?”

Inwardly very conscious of both his bland smile and her sense of extreme danger, Rosamond managed to keep her voice steady as she thanked him and said she was “as good as new.”

Mrs. Porchester interposed, “My dear niece is a brave gel and makes light of her injuries. The truth is that she is not quite as good as new, but she is doing well, Captain. Both our wounded are mending, in fact.”

Rosamond’s nerves twanged taut again. Charles Albritton’s hand jerked very slightly, but Victor’s smile was unshaken.

Holt’s keen gaze slanted to each of the young men. “I—ah, did notice some marks of battle…” he murmured.

The colonel chuckled. “Oh, nothing to that, sir—’twas merely a rough and tumble. My sister-in-law refers to the cut in Victor’s arm.”

Rosamond’s breathing seemed to have been shut off. She sat as if frozen, while Holt’s mild voice echoed and re-echoed in her ears.

“You have hurt your arm, Doctor?

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