A Kiss for Lady Mary by Ella Quinn Read Free Book Online Page B

understanding Eunice might have with the rector before now. “And you and Mr. Doust?”
    “No matter how I feel about him, I’m afraid it cannot be.” Eunice heaved a sigh. “The dear rector would be scandalized by our ruse. Even I cannot come up with a story he would accept. No, I’m afraid I must think of him as a lovely flirtation.” Her lips twisted into a wry smile. “Until we began to make friends here, I did not understand your concerns.”
    It was a little late for remorse now. Mary repeated Eunice’s words back to her. “Everything will work out for the best.”
    It had to.

CHAPTER FIVE
    K it and his small group of servants had stayed the night in Alnwick and got a late start in the morning. It would not do to arrive at Rose Hill too early. After luncheon should be time enough.
    God knew he didn’t want to spend any more time than was necessary under the same roof with the female pretending to be his wife. He’d had a great deal of time over the past week to plan how he would arrive. In the end, he decided to do so in as impressive a way as possible. That ought to convey to the woman that he was serious about recovering his property. All his life he had worked hard to avoid scandal, and he refused to have one touch him or his family now. He would give no quarter. If she would not willingly pack her bags and leave by morning, he’d help her out the door.
    He glanced at his pocket watch again. For the past half hour he had been waiting on the outskirts of Rosebury for Piggott to catch up with him. Finally he spied a carriage being led by his father’s coachman. Of all the bad luck. The wheeler had gone lame. At least it wasn’t one of his father’s horses. Since they’d left York, he’d been on his own for cattle. He’d have to get the poor animal looked after. He hoped that Rosebury would have a decent hostelry. He would be damned if Dent had to lead the carriage all the way to Rose Hill.
    “Sorry, sir,” Robins, the coachman, said as he approached. “He threw a shoe. Shouldn’t be too bad once we get it fixed.”
    “There’s nothing you could have done to prevent it, but time is of the essence. We’ll have to find a replacement.”
    After they made their slow way to the center of the town, Kit located the blacksmith, while Dent went off to ask about a stable where he could board the horse and hire another.
    Kit stepped into the large stone smithy, peering through the dim light until he located a figure. “Good day. I have a horse that’s thrown a shoe. Can you help me?”
    A large, middle-aged man with coal-black hair materialized from the dark interior. “Aye, gimme time t’finish here.” He retreated back into the darkness, and the next sound was the sizzle of hot iron being put in water. “Passin’ through?”
    “Here on business. Name’s Featherton.”
    The smith stopped what he was doing and turned. “Be ye the Featherton what owns Rose Hill?”
    Kit smiled. “I am.”
    The other man scowled. “See here, ya not plannin’ on causin’ trouble for our Lady Mary, are ya?”
    Good God, what had that blasted female been doing? He wondered if Mary was even her real name. “Not at all. I’m just making sure she is doing well.”
    Not exactly a lie.
    “We don’t hold wi’ wife beatin’ here aboots.”
    “Why would I want to . . . ? No, of course not. I don’t know who would. Can’t a man visit his wife?”
    Why the hell had he said that? He should not have given credence to her lie.
    “Took yer sweet time,” the smith said in an only slightly less belligerent tone.
    Kit opened his mouth to respond in kind, then thought better of it. He had no wish to continue this conversation. “When you’ve finished, my groom will be outside.”
    What the devil had he walked into? Had that fraud been slandering him? He paced impatiently as he waited for the man to appear.
    Five minutes later Dent ambled toward Kit with a sour look on his face.
    “No horses?” Kit asked.
    “Nah,