Forbidden by Julia Keaton Read Free Book Online

home. None of her efforts were
successful though, and indeed once she started on a new tactic
Damon would invariably find some way to steer the conversation
where he wanted it to be. Some days she found herself resting and
content with Ava before she realized that she’d spent the last two
or three hours giggling at Damon’s antics without once bringing up
the Virginian estate.
    She had to assume that her intentions
were getting to him though because as she’d been watching him one
day as he rode sleeping by the carriage. Ava had screamed her name
in a bid to get her attention. He’d jerked awake immediately, eyes
bloodshot and face pale and looked at her. They’d stared at one
another before, with a snarled curse, Damon had urged Bella on and
out of Jocelyn’s sight. After that the pace had been even more
relentless.
    Jocelyn would have been offended had
his desire to be rid of her not strengthened her own resolve to
leave. The idea of the ship, of the Caribbean, still rode her
strongly, but she hoped that she wouldn’t need to take things that
far. Surely she’d be able to convince him tonight. She knew he
planned on sending Jeremy back once they boarded the ship that
would take them to Barbados. If she hadn’t been able to talk him
out of this madness by now she doubted she’d be able to do it
between now and the morning. So she’d take things in her own hands
and run away. And as they rode up to the last tavern that still had
vacancy’s she believed she’d finally found her chance. Surely now
that they were practically at their goal Damon would relax his
guard and when he did she’d escape.
    The best part about it was that by the
morning she’d be so far ahead that Damon would be reluctant to go
after her, especially after he had pushed so hard to get them here
so quickly. And since Jeremy was headed in her direction the
servant would just have to push the horses to catch up with her, an
easy task once their luggage was removed from them, and after that
they would travel the rest of the way together. The plan was so
perfect in fact that Jocelyn couldn’t help but dance a little jig
as she stepped from the carriage and watched the inn’s stable hands
come and fetch the horses. They stared at her feet for a moment,
stunned until Damon cuffed the youngest to get him moving
along.
    “If I’d known that your sister’s
company was so bad I would have taken pity on you and had you ride
with me a bit more often.” His voice was softly amused as he passed
her and she clenched her teeth as he brushed past her to hook arms
with Ava to lead her into the inn. Her sister frowned at his arm,
but since he was acting the perfect gentleman and Ava rarely
ignored a chance to flaunt how charming she looked on a man’s arm,
she allowed herself to tolerate his company. Together they pranced
their way to the brightly lit building, Ava’s hair swinging and
bouncing along with her hips now that the promise of food and rest
lay just over the horizon. Jocelyn bit down on a flush of
irritation. She knew, deep down that Ava would be safe with this
man despite how badly they got along with one another.
    She didn’t know when she’d come to this
conclusion, but something in his voice as he’d spoken of his sister
Clara and his mother said that even if he didn’t look it he was a
gentle man when it came to the opposite sex. He wouldn’t take
advantage of Ava and should anything threaten her he would keep her
safe if for no other reason than that he was stronger than her and
it was his duty to do so.
    So she had no reservations about
leaving. She just had to pick the right time to do so.

    * * * *

    Damon found himself spending a good
amount of silver on his charges. He wanted them to eat heartily and
they didn’t disappoint. It was a mark of pride to watch little Ava
losing all that cultivated grace to rip into a turkey leg with all
the ferocity of a starving man twice her size. While Jocelyn, for
all her pride and shyness