Taggert 00 - The Raider by Jude Deveraux

Author:Jude Deveraux
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 0-671-70681-0
Publisher: Pocket Books

Chapter Eleven

Wearily, Jessica threw down a load of fish and lobsters on the big table in the Montgomery common room. Eleanor snapped at Molly to watch what she was doing, then slammed a corn muffin pan into the brick oven. She hissed at the scrawny dog in the cage turning the spit, then gave Nathaniel a dirty look because he wasn't already at work cleaning the fish.

"What's going on?" Jess asked.

"Him." The word was as much seethed as spoken by Eleanor.

Jess looked in question to Nate as he retrieved a lobster from where it had fallen to the floor.

Nick, Nate mouthed, motioning his head toward the doorway.

"What has your Nicholas done now?" Jess asked, taking a corn muffin hot from a pan.

Eleanor turned on her sister with angry eyes. "He's not mine." She calmed herself. "Alexander is ill. He may be dying, for all I know, and that great, hulking, arrogant monster won't let me in to see him. He says Alex wants to see no one."

"That's probably true," Jess said, her mouth full. "He probably doesn't want anyone to see him without one of his rainbow coats." She dusted off her hands. "But he'll see me." She went down the hall and had her hand on the latch to Alex's room before Nick came from another room and saw her.

"He doesn't want to see anyone."

Jess knocked on the door. "Alex, it's me, Jessica. Eleanor is worried about you. Unlock the door and let me in." There was no answer. She looked at Nick. He was a big, thick, dark man who was now looking down his nose at her in a particularly haughty way.

"I want to see him," Jess said, her jaw set

"He is not receiving callers."

Jessica started to say more but then smiled and shrugged. "Just make sure he eats well," she said cheerfully, then turned and went back to the common room. Eleanor looked at her askance and Jess shook her head before leaving the house.

She had no intention of allowing that man to tell her what she couldn't do. She skirted the house, through the weeds and bushes, making her way to Alex's bedroom. She stopped short as she passed Sayer's window. Very calmly, the elder Montgomery looked up from his book.

Jess swallowed hard, but as the older man merely kept looking at her, she gave him a weak, tentative smile and continued on. He was watching her intently when she passed the second window, but he didn't call to her or question what she was doing skulking about his house.

When she reached Alex's window, she was pleased to see the shutters were open. She put one foot inside before someone grabbed her belt and pulled her back out. She looked up at Nicholas Ivanovitch.

"Mistress Jessica," he said in a shaming voice. "I wouldn't have believed this of you. Now run along and don't be sneaking into a gentleman's bedchamber."

Jess's hands made fists at her sides, but she turned on her heel and left. What did she care what had happened to Alexander? All he did was give her trouble anyway.

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