The Major and the Pickpocket by Lucy Ashford

Author:Lucy Ashford [Lucy Ashford]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
ISBN: 9781408916186
Publisher: Harlequin Mills & Boon Ltd.

She didn’t notice the two horsemen until they were almost at the house. But Will had seen them, because they were swinging their big horses round to block his path. ‘Now, who the devil—?’ muttered Will. Tassie peered round from behind Will’s shoulder. They wore long greatcoats, with their collars turned up against the rain that was driving in from the hills…

Marcus, and Hal. Her heart gave a little warning jump. Hal looked the same as ever, but as for Marcus, she had forgotten how formidable he was, with his strong jaw and his glinting dark grey eyes and his long black hair drawn back from his face. And as she swiftly slid off the back of Will’s horse, she saw that Hal was looking sheepish, almost embarrassed, while Marcus, why, Marcus looked absolutely furious…

Standing there, in her wet shirt and breeches, she lifted her chin defiantly, though her heart sank to the bottom of her boots, which were already half-full of water. God’s teeth. What had she done wrong now? ‘Well, Marcus,’ she began with feigned cheer, ‘this is a surprise—’

Marcus leaned forwards, towering over her from the saddle of his big roan. He said, flatly, ‘Tassie. I think you’d better get inside, don’t you? And get changed—straight away.’

Will protested, ‘Sir. Sir, she was only tryin’ to help—’

It was Tassie who cut in swiftly. ‘It’s all right, Will. I don’t need you to defend me. Don’t you think, Marcus, that you ought to find out exactly what’s going on, before you start acting as if you owned us all?’ She swept back her wet curls as the rain poured down relentlessly.

‘It’s quite plain to me what’s going on,’ said Marcus. ‘And unfortunately your behaviour—careering around the countryside like a gypsy girl—doesn’t surprise me in the least.’ His expression was so hard, so grim, that Tassie, who hardly ever cried, felt an unbearable ache well up in her throat. She’d wanted so much to surprise him, with everything she’d done! But he was glaring down at her with narrow, disapproving eyes as if she was the stupidest creature on earth, and she wasn’t going to explain now how she’d actually gone out to save his precious godfather’s cows from being lost for good…

She swallowed hard, her eyes over-bright, and lifted her chin defiantly. ‘I’ll go in and get changed as soon as I’ve thanked Will properly for giving me a ride back.’

‘You’ll go inside this minute and make yourself decent, my girl!’

Will rode off quickly. She couldn’t blame him. Biting her lip, Tassie walked with as much dignity as she could muster into the house. Then she ran blindly up the stairs to her little room under the eaves, where she flung herself face down on the bed, heedless of her wet hair, her soaking clothes.

She hated Marcus Forrester. He was arrogant, and cruel, and stupid; she must have been mad to agree to all this. She lay there in the darkness and felt as if her heart would break.

She

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