The Rebel by C.J. Archer

Author:C.J. Archer
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Historical Romance
Published: 2013-11-14T06:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 12

The Larkham men left early, thank goodness. For some reason, their presence disturbed Lucy. Perhaps it was all their talk of murder, or perhaps it was simply her melancholic mood, but she was glad to see the dust kicked up by their horses' hooves as they rode off. Let them continue their search for their alderman's killer elsewhere. Cowdrey Farm was well rid of them.

She shivered and hugged herself as she turned to walk back inside. She met Nick near the kitchen entrance.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She nodded. Her throat was too tight to talk. She hadn't expected to see him this morning, not after their strange liaison the night before. What should she say? Why did you kiss me as if it were the last one?

He too seemed suddenly awkward. His gaze didn't quite meet hers, and he scuffed the ground with the toe of his boot. "I'm going to help the lads in the barn," he said.

"You can't! Your injuries."

The corners of his mouth quirked then flattened, as if he'd liked hearing her protest but didn't want to show it. "I'll do light duties only."

"What about the lad who wandered in yesterday? Surely you're not needed as well as him."

"Your brother took him into the fields, and the other two grooms don't know much about the plow. It's not working as well as it should and I told Henry I'd take a look at it." He shrugged. "I seem to have some knowledge of farm equipment, so we'll see how far my instincts extend."

"Will that require you to do anything strenuous?"

"I doubt it."

"Ensure that it doesn't. I won't patch that thick head of yours again if you insist on undoing all my work."

He grinned. "Yes, ma'am."

She narrowed her eyes at him but was relieved his good humor had returned. She couldn't abide the awkwardness. They may not be able to return to the intimacy she so desperately wanted just yet, but at least they could remain friends until then.

"You don't need to do this," she said.

He gazed over her head to the barn. "I have to earn my keep somehow."

"You don't owe us, Nick."

He nodded once. "It's not only that." The smile he gave her was filled with the same melancholy that encased her heart. She understood—he needed to keep himself occupied, somewhere away from her.

She too needed to take her mind off him, or she'd go mad wondering what it was his dream had revealed. It must have been something unpleasant enough that he wanted to protect her from it. She only hoped it could be resolved quickly so that he would return once more to where he belonged—with her.

***

Nick knew Lucy was in the bakehouse helping to sift the flour. He knew because he'd looked up from the plow he was inspecting just as she'd gone inside the bakehouse. He always knew when she was near. Instincts again. He seemed to have a few well-honed ones.

With the Larkham men gone, Nick could breathe easier.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.