Rogue in My Arms: The Runaway Brides by Celeste Bradley

Author:Celeste Bradley
Format: mobi
Tags: American Light Romantic Fiction, Historical romance, Romance - Historical, General, Romance, Romance: Historical, Historical, American Historical Fiction, Romance & Sagas, Fiction, Fiction - Romance
ISBN: 9780312943097
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: 2010-03-30T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 22

The next morning Pru awoke early and dressed before the other occupants of the room rose. She set out Melody’s clothing, then gently shook Evan’s shoulder.

“Hector will be wanting his breakfast,” she whispered. “Why don’t you get up and help that groom?”

Evan rubbed his eyes and rose slowly but willingly. “That’s Seth,” he whispered back. “He’s a bad ’un. I’ll see to Hector meself.”

Pru very carefully didn’t look at the sleeping Mr. Lambert. Well, other than a quick glance to make sure they hadn’t woken him. All right, she lingered a bit, but it was only because he looked rather appealing with his light hair falling over his forehead like that and she’d never realized that he had a sprinkling of boyish freckles across his nose. It made her feel a bit better about her own.

At any rate, they were downstairs to help Rugg and Olive long before the others. When Pru saw that Lord Ardmore still lay stretched out on the floor of the taproom, she contemplated the justice of that and decided that it was just the place for him.

“I couldn’t carry him up,” Rugg offered as he hefted a bench to his vast shoulder. “Me back, ye know.”

“Oh, no. Of course not.” She turned to Olive. “What can I do?”

Olive set her to picking up the worst of the shards while Evan toted out the bits of shattered benches after he’d returned from visiting Hector in the stable.

They all worked in companionable silence until they saw Lord Ardmore stir.

“Argh . . .” He raised his head, blinking. “What happened?”

Olive swept on next to him, unconcerned. “I think ye had a bit much of my fine ale, milord.”

Lord Ardmore sat up shakily, holding his head. “And you simply left me on the floor, woman?”

Olive continued to work around him, not trying terribly hard to avoid sending the sweepings his way. “Oh, did ye wish a room, milord? Ye didn’t say.”

Lord Ardmore had little option but to curse expertly and attempt to rise. He made it to his hands and knees and stayed there, breathing heavily.

Melody came nimbly down the stairs just then, a little skip in her step. She began to sing a sailor’s song about “seeking buried treasure south of the navel isle.”

Pru bit the smile from her lips and hurried to hush the song. Olive smiled appreciatively at the piping little soprano but Lord Ardmore groaned and clutched his head. “Somebody shut her up.”

Pru stopped in her tracks and let Melody sing on. Furthermore, the battered lord received a faceful of dust from Olive’s broom for his comment.

“Pardon me, milord, but ye might want to get off me floor. I’ll be moppin’ next. Unless ye intend to help scrub, that is.”

Pru saw the man’s face redden with fury, but how could he shout without adding to his own headache? She shared a vengeful grimace with a grinning Evan, who began to clomp about the room in his oversized boots, making a most satisfying racket.

Rugg entered with a bang of his swinging door and began to drag the few functional benches back into place.

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