Redemption of the Rake by Beacon Elizabeth

Author:Beacon, Elizabeth [Beacon, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2015-02-01T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Even next morning Rowena couldn’t get the sound of James Winterley’s parting words out of her head as she woke up with You still have to marry me echoing in her ears.

‘Never again and certainly not to you,’ she’d argued.

‘Well, that’s told me, hasn’t it? You have no idea how lovely you are, do you?’

‘No, not that it matters,’ she ended, with a fearsome frown and a very firm goodnight.

She lay back against the fine linen and lace-covered down pillows and allowed herself a long sigh. James was a strong man with a deep-down integrity and it was unfair to compare him to Nate. She hated the fact Nate was dead, but at least she didn’t have to be his wife any more. She’d be fifty times a fool to put herself at the mercy of a man again; a hundred times if that man was James Winterley. She was about to spring out of bed and find the mallet she would need to drive the ridiculous idea out of his thick skull when a maid breezed into the room with a cup of chocolate in one hand and a jug of hot water in the other and informed her breakfast would be served in half an hour.

‘I’m Sally, ma’am, and Sir Gideon said I was to help you dress, then guide you to the Yellow Morning Room so you can break your fast. I really don’t know why he got us to get this funny old room ready for you in the first place, though. It’s half a mile from the rest of the family and I had to stop and remember which turn to take a few times and I live here. If we get lost, we can always go down the garden stairs and out into the Old Lord’s Privy Courtyard, then back in, I suppose.’

‘That might be best,’ Rowena agreed absently as the little maid tutted over the crumpled state of her clothing.

She was put in this obscure guest room so James Winterley had easy access to it and nobody would know if he came and went via the very courtyard she bitterly regretted entering the other day, wasn’t she? At any rate Gideon had questions to answer. As for the wretch who had tried to compromise her into marriage last night, he’d best hope one headache had gone before she gave him the next. At least Sally didn’t seem shocked or conscious with her, so whoever saw her and James last night had kept their counsel, so far.

* * *

‘Mr Winterley didn’t disturb you this morning?’ the maid asked and Rowena was glad she had her back turned. ‘Only a message arrived for him at dawn and he’s gone away for a few days. He must have left at sunup and his room is on this side of the house, so I thought you might have heard him go.’

‘I heard nothing,’ Rowena said, wondering why Raigne suddenly seemed empty.

‘He’s took that big stallion none

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