Harlequin Historical March 2020--Box Set 1 of 2 by Bronwyn Scott

Author:Bronwyn Scott
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2020-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

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Downstairs he pulled out a stool at the bar, watching as the governess elegantly climbed up and perched on the edge. He should have guessed about her upbringing earlier—there was a grace to Miss Salinger that seemed to be bred into ladies of a certain social class. She glided rather than walked, stood completely still without even the slightest hint of a fidget when the occasion arose and had perfect posture.

‘What can I get you, my lady?’ He gestured to the array of spirits behind the bar.

‘Brandy,’ she said decisively.

‘A woman after my own heart,’ he murmured.

He chose the good stuff, a deep rich colour, strong and fragrant, and poured two generous measures out into the glasses. Placing the bottle down on the counter, he came and joined her on the other side, pulling up a stool so his legs were almost touching hers.

Miss Salinger sighed as she took a sip of the brandy, closing her eyes for a moment and allowing her head to loll back, revealing the length of her delicate neck peeping out from the much-too-large nightgown.

‘It has been quite a day,’ he agreed. ‘Not what I envisaged when I agreed to this trip to the seaside.’

‘Until the very end I think it was a success,’ Miss Salinger said slowly. He saw the exact moment she remembered their kiss as she recalled the events of the day, saw her cheeks pinken in that delightful way he was becoming so accustomed to.

‘A success,’ he agreed, raising his glass in toast to her.

She bit her lip, worrying it for a few seconds before raising her eyes to meet his.

‘It is certainly a day I won’t ever forget,’ he said.

‘This…what happened today must be nothing compared with your adventures in India.’

‘There have been one or two little scrapes. A walk through the jungle being stalked by a man-eating tiger, being chased from a village after being accused of doing magic and a rather hairy encounter with a great king cobra with a body as wide as a tree trunk.’

‘A little downpour and a minor carriage accident must seem dull in comparison.’

He looked at her, tilting his head to one side. He had enjoyed the day, disasters and all. When he had agreed to take his nieces to the seaside it had felt like an obligation. Although he was determined they wouldn’t grow up in the same stifled, unhappy environment he had, he still wasn’t sure how much to leave to Miss Salinger. His goal was to be fun, to be present, but not to be an essential feature in his nieces’ lives. All too soon he would have to leave, but in the meantime he was struggling to know how involved to be.

‘Not dull,’ he said, his eyes skimming over her. ‘Never dull.’

Matthew felt a bubble of desire starting somewhere deep inside of him and working its way past his common sense to the surface. He wanted to reach across and unlace the oversized nightgown, to push it from her creamy shoulders and reveal the body underneath.

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