Touched by Fire by Kathleen O'Reilly

Author:Kathleen O'Reilly [O'reilly, Kathleen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Tags: Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, General, Love Stories, Historical, England, Historical Fiction, Great Britain, Nobility, Great Britain - History - George III; 1760-1820, Nobility - England
ISBN: 9780515132403
Publisher: Jove
Published: 2001-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

In the end he had no choice. He took her to Sarah’s. If Iris wondered about the propriety of his arriving late at night with a child in tow, she contained her consternation well. Although he did notice she made no effort to curtsy.

“Well, this is certainly not what I expected. You keep surprising me,” Sarah said as she entered the room. She held out her hand to the child and smiled. “Hello, my name is Sarah.” Nancy hid behind Colin and Sarah raised an eyebrow at the gesture.

“I’m not going nowhere with her.” Nancy nodded in Sarah’s direction. “You said I was to stay with you.”

“If that’s what you wish.” He wondered how to deal with this new development, realizing his household was no place for a child.

“Colin, is she a relation of yours?” Sarah studied Nancy, searching for a resemblance, while the young girl tilted her chin and glared daggers at Sarah.

He heard the unspoken question in Sarah’s words and hurried to reassure her. “No, a friend. I remembered what you said about wanting to hire a girl to help in your kitchen.” He stared intently at her, hoping she would understand his meaning.

And of course she did. “Oh! Yes, yes, I see. And you thought Nancy would fit the bill, is that right?” She looked at the girl and then tested the muscles in Nancy’s arm. Slowly she shook her head, and leaned back on her heels. “I don’t know, my lord. She seems so small. I wager she couldn’t lift more than two plates at a time.”

“Two?” It would not do to smile, so he scowled instead. “What are you saying? Nancy, surely she’s wrong. I think we should take that wager, what say you?”

Nancy dismissed Sarah with a haughty toss of her head. “Of course I can lift more than two plates. What do you take me for? Nothing more than a babe? I’m nearly fourteen, you know.”

“Oh.” Sarah stepped back. “Perhaps I should reconsider.”

“No, we won’t have that, will we?” Colin replied easily, quite enjoying himself. “A wager is a wager.

Nancy, should we let her wangle free?” He left the choice to the girl.

Nancy shifted her gaze from Colin to Sarah.

“What’s it to be, her or me?” Colin asked.

That made up her mind easily enough. “I choose you.”

Sarah raised her brow. “Wise girl,” she murmured under her breath.

Nancy tugged at his arm, and Colin bent low. “What are we going to take her for?” Nancy whispered.

Colin thought for only a moment. “A pony.”

“Gor! A pony!” Nancy tilted her head in Sarah’s direction. “You have horses, miss?” Sarah sighed heavily and waved a languid hand. “Yes, and they are so difficult to maintain. All the feeding, watering, grooming, and then,” she put a hand on Nancy’s arm, “after all that, you must ride them.”

“Oh, that sounds miserable.” Nancy’s voice held nothing but awe.

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