difficult when the sound of her gasp met his ears.
George said nothing in reply, but it was clear to Harry that the Duke’s overblown ego made it entirely possible for him to swallow such a preposterous notion.
Sir Anthony was not as easily flummoxed, however. “But I’m persuaded the bullet was meant for you. It came close enough to part your hair!”
“Oh, I do hope the bullet was not intended for you, Bertie!” Lady Crenshaw said, upon which a mortified silence fell over the group.
Harry was absurdly grateful for Lady Crenshaw’s affectionate response and quickly spoke to cover her lack of concern for the life of the Duke. “Marcross is the most important person in the room. There is no doubt the bullet was intended for him, do you not agree?” he asked with a deferential nod in George’s direction whose mulish expression did much to convey his outrage.
“If it were, the gunman was a dashed rotten marksman!”
“Without question,” Harry agreed and allowed his glance to fall for a moment on Mira’s white face with a surge of gratitude that the gunman did indeed miss. “As a result, I felt it best to offer my services as additional protection,” he heard himself say against all reason. It was worth it if it brightened Mira’s expression in response.
Apparently the idea appealed to at least one Crenshaw. “I daresay one can never have too many attendants, can one?” George drawled. “Besides, with you riding I am free to travel within the coach,” he added with a look for Mira that Harry could not like.
“In that case,” Mira said, rising to her feet with a great rustling of skirts, “I suggest we resume our journey in the morning. I have suffered enough abuse for one day, do you not agree,
Bertie
?” she said, her chin a shade higher than normal.
Harry, torn between appreciation for Mira’s spirited response to George’s lewd behavior and fury at himself for his failure to adequately maintain his Bertie persona, did not trust himself to reply. With a sketch of a bow for each, he followed the hastily retreating Mira from the room.
It was only as he was just about to catch her by the elbow that he remembered his promise to Higgins to sleep by day and travel at night. Yet, as wary as he was of bringing danger down on the heads of those he loved most in the world, he couldn’t bear the thought of parting from Mira and leaving her in the clutches of her odious cousin. Somehow he must think of a way to be the beau seated next to her in the traveling coach come morning. More torn in his duty than ever, he remained at the bottom of the stairs watching the red curls bob against the small of Mira’s back until she had shut the door of her room behind her.
There was no denying it now; the fat was well and truly in the fire.
Chapter Five
Mira was persuaded she heard strange sounds during the course of the night. Surely they were mere fancies — the result of having spent the afternoon and evening alone in a small room with naught but her riotous thoughts to keep her company. Unwilling to sup with George, she had bespoken a tray to be sent to her room and retired early but slept ill, fretful over George’s self-assured overtures that were hateful in the extreme, especially since he behaved as if their engagement were a decided fact.
As loathsome as was the thought of spending the better part of a day seated next to George in the carriage, Mira felt a deal more vexation over the problem of Harry. The mercurial changes in his character notwithstanding, there was plenty to mull over with regards to his behavior under the dining room table. What could it mean? More importantly, what did she wish it to mean?
She pondered these things as she lolled beneath the bed coverings in the minutes just prior to the rising of the sun but was startled by an echo of the troublesome noises she had heard in the dark of the night. She had thought perhaps it was a rat though it was more of a thumping than a
George said nothing in reply, but it was clear to Harry that the Duke’s overblown ego made it entirely possible for him to swallow such a preposterous notion.
Sir Anthony was not as easily flummoxed, however. “But I’m persuaded the bullet was meant for you. It came close enough to part your hair!”
“Oh, I do hope the bullet was not intended for you, Bertie!” Lady Crenshaw said, upon which a mortified silence fell over the group.
Harry was absurdly grateful for Lady Crenshaw’s affectionate response and quickly spoke to cover her lack of concern for the life of the Duke. “Marcross is the most important person in the room. There is no doubt the bullet was intended for him, do you not agree?” he asked with a deferential nod in George’s direction whose mulish expression did much to convey his outrage.
“If it were, the gunman was a dashed rotten marksman!”
“Without question,” Harry agreed and allowed his glance to fall for a moment on Mira’s white face with a surge of gratitude that the gunman did indeed miss. “As a result, I felt it best to offer my services as additional protection,” he heard himself say against all reason. It was worth it if it brightened Mira’s expression in response.
Apparently the idea appealed to at least one Crenshaw. “I daresay one can never have too many attendants, can one?” George drawled. “Besides, with you riding I am free to travel within the coach,” he added with a look for Mira that Harry could not like.
“In that case,” Mira said, rising to her feet with a great rustling of skirts, “I suggest we resume our journey in the morning. I have suffered enough abuse for one day, do you not agree,
Bertie
?” she said, her chin a shade higher than normal.
Harry, torn between appreciation for Mira’s spirited response to George’s lewd behavior and fury at himself for his failure to adequately maintain his Bertie persona, did not trust himself to reply. With a sketch of a bow for each, he followed the hastily retreating Mira from the room.
It was only as he was just about to catch her by the elbow that he remembered his promise to Higgins to sleep by day and travel at night. Yet, as wary as he was of bringing danger down on the heads of those he loved most in the world, he couldn’t bear the thought of parting from Mira and leaving her in the clutches of her odious cousin. Somehow he must think of a way to be the beau seated next to her in the traveling coach come morning. More torn in his duty than ever, he remained at the bottom of the stairs watching the red curls bob against the small of Mira’s back until she had shut the door of her room behind her.
There was no denying it now; the fat was well and truly in the fire.
Chapter Five
Mira was persuaded she heard strange sounds during the course of the night. Surely they were mere fancies — the result of having spent the afternoon and evening alone in a small room with naught but her riotous thoughts to keep her company. Unwilling to sup with George, she had bespoken a tray to be sent to her room and retired early but slept ill, fretful over George’s self-assured overtures that were hateful in the extreme, especially since he behaved as if their engagement were a decided fact.
As loathsome as was the thought of spending the better part of a day seated next to George in the carriage, Mira felt a deal more vexation over the problem of Harry. The mercurial changes in his character notwithstanding, there was plenty to mull over with regards to his behavior under the dining room table. What could it mean? More importantly, what did she wish it to mean?
She pondered these things as she lolled beneath the bed coverings in the minutes just prior to the rising of the sun but was startled by an echo of the troublesome noises she had heard in the dark of the night. She had thought perhaps it was a rat though it was more of a thumping than a
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