Part 31 (2/2)
”A ring is always welcome.” Sorcha glanced at Strath, who chuckled.
”Soon, my love,” he murmured as he tucked her hand in the crook of his arm. ”We will go to London this week and you can select one.”
At the door, Alexsey looked back at Lady Malvinea. ”She is at Ackinnoull?”
She nodded.
Sorcha added, ”She was to come with us but she never came down, and we couldn't keep Sir Henry's coach waiting.”
Lady Malvinea winced. ”Actually, I locked the door to her room.”
”Mama!” Sorcha's eyes widened. ”Why would you do that?”
”Because if she'd been here, we'd have never gotten the prince away from her long enough to enact our plan.”
At Alexsey's dark look, Tata said defensively, ”We couldn't just tell her to stay away from you. You can't tell a strong woman not to do something. That's the same as-”
But Alexsey was already gone.
Gentle readers, love is elusive, but worthwhile. So, so, so worthwhile.
-The Black Duke by Miss Mary Edgeworth Alexsey galloped up the drive to Ackinnoull and was halfway out of the saddle before the horse had even stopped. He threw the reins over an iron ring and then slammed his hand against the door.
No one answered.
He banged louder.
Still no answer.
He was debating kicking in the door when he heard Mrs. Pitcairn's frantic voice behind the house.
Bronwyn. He ran to the rear of the house and found the cook standing under a large oak tree, one hand covering her mouth.
”Mrs. Pitcairn! What's wr-”
She let out a wailing cry and threw herself upon him. ”Ye have to save her! Ye must!”
His heart thudded sickly as he looked around. ”Where is she?”
Mrs. Pitcairn burst into tears and pointed up.
Confused, Alexsey looked up . . . and saw Bronwyn high in the oak. She stood on one limb, her skirts hooked on another branch, a great tear in her sleeve, and her hair falling down about her face. As he looked, the branch on which she stood gave a crack and dropped down an inch, bouncing Bronwyn madly.
”Her skirts are caught,” Mrs. Pitcairn said, wiping tears from her eyes. ”She was climbin' oot the window to escape, and her skirts got caught upon a branch and now she canno' move.”
”Are you injured?” he called to Bronwyn.
She cast a startled glance down. ”Lovely,” she muttered. ”The one time I want to look composed, and what does the a.s.s do but show up as if he's some knight in-”
”I can hear you.”
There was silence, and then, ”Oh.”
”Are you injured?”
”Only my pride, but that is quite bruised.”
The humor in her voice should have calmed him, but didn't. ”Stay where you are.”
”As if I had a choice,” she returned. ”My spectacles fell. Could you-”
”They are not important. Mrs. Pitcairn, there's no way to climb this tree; the bottom branches are well over my head. How do I reach the window nearest Miss Murdoch?”
”Follow me.” She stopped to yell, ”Hang on, miss! His Highness is comin' fer ye!”
Bronwyn muttered something that Alexsey was fairly certain was inappropriate for a woman of good birth, but he couldn't blame her.
He followed the cook up stairs upon stairs until they reached the top floor.
”Oh, look!” Mrs. Pitcairn pointed to the key in the lock. ”Tha' is why she climbed oot. Someone locked her in.”
Alexsey opened the door, and Walter and Scott bounded upon him. ”Down, you pestilent pups!” he growled, pus.h.i.+ng past them to the open window.
Bronwyn was several branches below him, and he could see where her skirt had twisted around a knot well over her head. She was short a shoe, too.
”Don't move,” he ordered. It took him a few minutes, but with care, he climbed out the window and into the tree, and slowly worked his way to her side, careful not to disturb the branch upon which she stood.
She let out her breath. ”I can't believe this. I never slip, but I was in a hurry.”
To see him. ”You shouldn't have been in a hurry, lyubovnitsa; I would have waited. And now, you've torn your gown and lost your spectacles and your shoe.”
”I can do without the crticisms. I'm well aware of my precarious situation.”
”Good. Hopefully, you are done with climbing.” He placed his foot securely on a thick branch and wrapped an arm about another. Finally, he could reach her.
”You didn't complain when I climbed the trellis to your room,” she pointed out in a fair voice.
”That was different.” With his free hand, he bent down, slipped an arm about Bronwyn's waist, and lifted her up.
She clung as he lifted her level with him. As her feet found purchase, she loosened her ferocious grip from his neck. ”Whew! I was quite frightened. Thank you so much for your help. Mama locked me in my room and- Do you already know about that?”
”I will help you back into your window, and then we'll discuss all of the evening's events. Unless you wish to do it here. This is quite comfortable, but I cannot kiss you properly without endangering our lives.”
She turned a pleased shade of pink but almost immediately shook her head, regret clouding her eyes. ”We will wait.”
He bent down to carefully untangle her skirt from the broken branch. ”This reads like one of your novels.”
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