Destined to last by Alissa Johnson

Author:Alissa Johnson [Alissa Johnson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Histoire
ISBN: 9780843962529
Published: 2010-03-30T04:00:00+00:00

Fourteen

Kate returned to her room with the intention of changing her gown and hiding it in a trunk. With any luck, she could dispose of it once she was back at Haldon without anyone being the wiser.

Luck, it seemed, was in short supply. She opened her door to find Lizzy standing in the middle of the room, folding a blanket at the end of the bed. Lizzy dropped the blanket with a gasp and crossed the floor the second her gaze fell on Kate’s bloody shoulder, which was exactly one second after Kate stepped inside.

“Lady Kate, what happened?”

Kate closed the door behind her. “It’s nothing.”

Lizzy stopped in her tracks and gestured at the bloodstained tear. “Nothing, is it? I’ve eyes, haven’t I?”

“Yes. You also have ears and a mouth, which is why I’m not telling you what happened.”

Lizzy sniffed, rather melodramatically in Kate’s opinion. “I have been known to keep a secret or two.”

“Only when it’s my mother who’s asked it of you.”

“Well…” Lizzy eyes darted away and she began to tug at the ties of her apron. “Well, she asks me doesn’t she? She…”

“She what, Lizzy?”

“She asks for my word.”

Like a Cole, Kate realized, like family. How could she have failed to realize what that would mean to Lizzy? Rather than make an issue out of it, which would only make Lizzy more uncomfortable, she shrugged and spoke casually.

“Well, promise me you’ll not breathe a word of it, and I’ll tell you what’s happened.”

Lizzy gave one solemn nod. “I promise.”

Relating a story to Lizzy was always something of a challenge. The woman asked an inordinate number of questions. But relating a story that involved a broken vase, an injury, a picked lock, and a substantial amount of time locked in a room with a handsome man—whilst simultaneously avoiding any mention of a smuggling operation, and changing her torn gown—was far more than a challenge. It was an event. And one that took the better part of two hours.

It would have taken even longer if a soft knock on the door hadn’t interrupted Lizzy in midquestion.

“Come in,” Kate called, fully expecting a maid to enter with news of tea in the parlor.

What she heard was Hunter’s voice. “It is tempting.”

“Good heavens,” Kate bounded off the bed, flew across the room and threw open the door. After a quick glance down both ends of the hall to be certain no one was about, she grabbed a handful of his waistcoat and pulled him a foot into the room, then thought better of it and pushed him back into the hall. Ignoring his deep chuckle, she stepped out, closed the door behind her, and took his arm to drag him away from her room.

“What were you thinking, coming to my door?” she demanded. “If someone had been about—”

“If anyone had been about, I wouldn’t have come to your door.”

“That’s—”

“The ladies are in the parlor and the gentlemen are in the billiards room, Kate, and I didn’t feel like hunting up a maid to fetch you.

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