Inherited as the Gentleman's Bride by Carol Arens

Author:Carol Arens
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2021-11-30T19:20:35+00:00

* * *

William lay upon his bed, staring at the ceiling. If he could call back his words about Elizabeth being ‘his dear’, he would. Not because they were not true, but because ‘his dear’s’ reaction to them had been to withdraw even further from him.

At first, he’d had in mind to flirt with her, coax and cajole her out of her anger. He was accomplished at such manoeuvres with women, after all. When he came down to it, he found he could not. As his wife, she did not deserve to be manoeuvred. Besides, she was a woman not easily manoeuvred.

Not being reared in polite society she was more immune to vain compliments than a socialite would be. Ladies of his acquaintance would accept compliments as their due; fluff and preen over them. Elizabeth, being grounded in what was practical, was more suspicious of vain flattery. Truthfully, calling her ‘my dear’ had not been vain flattery, but had sprung from his heart.

Winning back her affection was not going to be an easy thing because what he’d said about her being stubborn was true. Unless he claimed to come around to her way of thinking on the rail spur, she might not get past the rift between them. Since he would not do so, he faced a great challenge.

Nothing in his past had prepared him for such a serious matter in regard to a woman. And yet, here he was, an emotional mess without ever having kissed his bride. It would be an easy thing to fall in love with her.

Tossing off the bed covers, he went to the window to gaze out at the night and think about the direction his mind was taking. He was not sure he had the pluck to give his heart to a woman who seemed not to want it. Lost in thought, he took bare notice of the rain having moved on.

Then suddenly his vision focused and his chest cramped on a sucked-in breath. One of the stables was on fire! Windows pulsed with a red glow. The ground beyond the open door was tinted orange. There was no mistaking this blaze for a campfire.

On the run he grabbed his shoes off the chair and shoved his feet in. Dressed only in trousers and shoes he was indecent for going out, but no matter that.

Dashing down the corridor, he crossed the invisible line that separated his half from his wife’s. He banged on her door and shouted, ‘Fire!’ Without waiting to discover if she had heard the alarm, he fairly flew down the stairs, then out of the house.

Oscar was in that stable! He had left the pup there this one night to keep company with the lambs. He went cold inside, fearing that harm might have come to his small friend.

Closer to the stable he spotted moving figures. A few of the animals were already in the yard, dashing about in fright. Mr Adams appeared in the doorway, framed in an awful red glow.

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