Magic Man by Patricia Rice

Author:Patricia Rice
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: 0
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Sixteen

H alfway to the inn, they met the Earl of Ives galloping toward them, the capes of his greatcoat flying.

Aidan signaled the stableboys to stay behind and brought his own mount to a prancing, impatient halt. It seemed even Gallant felt his unease at letting Mora leave.

He had no other choice. He could not court her properly under these conditions. He had heard the love of hearth and home in her voice when she spoke of his crumbling keep. Would she despise him for losing it?

She seemed to disapprove of him more often than not, trying to scare him away with her talk of voices. He didn’t scare easily, but he needed time to change her opinion of him.

He did not have time. He must take his mother’s notes to his attorney and hope the names could be traced in a register somewhere, even if it meant admitting he was a wretched Malcolm.

“Have you come to claim your straying maiden?” Aidan called, challenging his half brother to an argument. A good rousing fight might make the parting easier.

The earl brought his winded steed to a halt and regarded him with his usual impassive expression. Drogo was not one to wear his heart upon his sleeve, or his thoughts upon his noble face.

“Felicity has gone into labor, and the ladies insist that they need Miss Abbott’s aid.”

Aidan watched Mora grow pale, and firmly kept his mouth shut. He had wanted her to leave so he could fight for his home alone. Drogo had just sealed the matter.

“Is she not well?” Mora asked, letting her mare dance forward. “Lady Ives is a healer, not me. I had not thought I would be missed….”

The earl gestured with the discomfort of one lost to understanding. “Ninian tells me that Felicity went into labor while she was reading one of their blasted journals. I had not thought her interested in architecture and cannot imagine how stones would affect childbirth, but they’re all too frantic to make sense.”

“Did they perchance mention keystones?” Aidan asked dryly.

Drogo narrowed his eyes and studied him. “They did. If you have some understanding of it all, then you had best come with us. In his anxiety Ewen has climbed the chimney and may not come down.”

“Climbed up from the inside, no doubt,” Aidan grumbled, knowing Ewen’s penchant for inventing problems to solve when he was under stress.

He watched as Mora let her mare proceed to the earl’s side. It wrung his heart to watch her go, but her place was with the ladies, while his was in his empty castle where he could rattle the rafters with his fury and perhaps disturb a few lawyers while he was at it.

Drogo offered a ghost of a smile. “I’ve tried to tear down the chimneys in my time. Be grateful you have never suffered the experience. Will you explain the meaning of keystones while we ride?”

“The lady understands better than I. I still have that matter we discussed to deal with. The court date is only ten days away.

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