The Portrait of Lady Wycliff by Cheryl Bolen

Author:Cheryl Bolen [Bolen, Cheryl]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Regency romance
Publisher: Harper & Appleton
Published: 2018-05-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

As he had done the day before, Harry awakened Louisa with a cup of hot tea. "Sit up, sleepy head."

She sat up and stretched and gratefully picked up the warm cup and drank. "I declare, I have never been so cold in my entire life."

Harry nodded. The blasted cold had awakened him several times during the night — which was no wonder since Louisa had pulled the blankets from him and wrapped herself in them. All of this, of course, occurred while she slept. Being a gentleman, he could hardly remove the blankets from her. So he had gotten up and fully dressed, and anxiously waited for the first light of dawn so he could go downstairs and stand before a fire.

He watched with satisfaction now as Louisa curled her hands about the warmth of the cup.

"Let me have a look at your knee," he said when she finished.

She obliged him by swinging both legs over the side of the bed and lifting the hem of her woolen gown until both her knees were revealed.

Her lack of womanly modesty surprised him. This was, after all, the same woman who grew crimson at the mention of bosom. He dropped to one knee and visually examined her swelling first. Then he flexed her leg, first down then up. "You've made great improvement in one day," he told her. "The swelling's half what it was yesterday."

"Does that mean you'll allow me to walk downstairs by myself?"

"It does not," he said. "The worst thing you could possibly do is to negotiate stairs." He reached to pull her gown back down, surprised at what an intimate gesture it seemed. "I shall carry you."

He got to his feet and announced, "I'll tell Mrs. Winston you're ready for breakfast."

After she had dressed, he rejoined her, lifted her into his arms, and proceeded to carry her down the stairs, then placed her in a dining room chair.

The cheerful Mrs. Winston, wearing a white apron and carrying a tray of scones, entered the dining room and proudly laid the table with food. "I hope your room wasn't too cold last night," she said.

"The quantity of blankets compensated for the room's chill," Louisa said.

Harry coughed.

Louisa picked at her food, and after a few moments turned to Harry. "I've been wondering about something."

"Yes?"

"Where does your coachman sleep and eat while our physical needs are being met?"

Harry finished slathering the clotted cream on his scone. "Last night he slept in the barn where there were horses and cattle and a wide assortment of blankets to keep him warm — which is what he's used to in London. As far as his meals are concerned, he ate in Mrs. Winston's kitchen not half an hour ago."

"What about when we stay at an inn?" she queried.

"I pay for his night's lodgings, same as ours," he said with mock outrage. "Surely you don't expect that I would not make arrangements for his accommodations."

There was indignation in her voice when she answered. "Of course I didn't think you would forget the man.

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.