Laurie Brown by Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake

Author:Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake [Rake, Hundreds of Years to Reform a]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Josie fought the drowsiness caused by the swaying coach, monotonous view, and boring company. By her reckoning three hours had passed and the horses had not slowed significantly at any point. If she was going to have a chance to escape, she would have to make it happen.

“Hey, Hargrave,” she said.When he continued to snore, she poked his foot a couple of times with the parasol that had been thrown in behind her along with her bonnet and shawl.“Hargrave.”

He raised his hat and glared at her.“What?”

“Is there an inn on this godforsaken road? I’m starving.”

He sat up, put his feet on the floor, and twisted in his seat to open a panel behind his head, revealing a small storage compartment. He took out a half loaf of bread and a chunk of cheese and threw them on the seat next to her. Right where his dirty boots had been.

She wrinkled her nose.

“Have you ever seen Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew?Yes? Then you should take the bard’s advice to heart.” He again tipped his hat over his eyes.

He’d obviously missed the whole point of the play and the fact that it was supposed to be a comedy, not a blueprint of admirable behavior. He was no Petru-chio, and she was no Katharina, but she was willing to play the part of a shrew.

“Hargrave.”

“What?” He didn’t bother to remove his hat.

“Do you also have a chamber pot in there? I have to pee.”

He sat up.“My, my. Such a fine example of delicate womanhood. After we’re married I expect you to watch your language.”

She bit her tongue.

He knocked on the panel behind him, and immediately the carriage began to slow. If she’d known that was all it took, she would’ve done it hours ago.

“I could do with a bit of leg stretching myself,” he said.

The carriage stopped at the side of a deserted road, the coachman opened the door, and Hargrave alighted first. He stepped away, waving his arms and doing knee lifts. Josie was left to clamber down as best she could. As she sidled around the back of the carriage, she noted the coachman was already busy seeing to the horses. If she could just get out of sight in the woods, she could take off. Surely she would come across some sign of civilization sooner or later.

“Stay with the horses,” Hargrave said to the coachman. “And keep your eyes to yourself.We have private business.”

She glanced back and saw her captor unwinding a length of rope.

“Can’t have you going too far away,” he said to her.

She ran. But the hours seated in the carriage had not been kind, and her leg muscles protested the sudden activity. An imminent cramp burned down the back of her leg. She continued to hobble as fast as she could.

Hargrave grabbed her. Even though she stomped on his toes and kicked his shins, her dainty shoes had little effect on his thick, knee-high boots. He soon had her immobile, her right arm wedged against his side and his left arm wrapped over her shoulders.

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