Chance the Winds of Fortune by Laurie McBain Read Free Book Online Page A

far too familiar with your servants,” Wesley retorted, grimacing as he wrung out his dripping cravat. “And I have noticed on occasion that you are too lenient with them, not to mention that mischievous brother of yours. If he were my brother, I’d have—”
    â€œBut he is not your brother, Wesley,” Rhea Claire interrupted him with growing impatience. “And thank goodness for that, for I dare say you’d crush him with your ponderous sense of humor.”
    â€œJust because I do not find falling into a lily pond overly amusing, you accuse me of having no sense of humor. There is a time and place for everything, m’dear, and you would do well to develop a more appropriate sense of decorum,” Wesley advised stiffly, missing the glint in her eye as he squeezed water out of his sleeve.
    â€œIndeed, sir,” Rhea Claire said mockingly, “then I should advise you to go and change, for ’tisn’t I who is standing here looking the fool.”
    Lord Rendale’s lips thinned ominously under her sarcasm. “With no thanks to that brother of yours. And,” he added with rising indignation as he directed his full wrath at Lord Robin Dominick’s small head, “where on earth did he get that creature? It’s one of them damned Scots ponies, isn’t it? Barbaric place and people,” he muttered contemptuously.
    â€œThat creature, Wesley,” began Rhea Claire with a smile of anticipation for what she was about to say, “happens to be a gift from my uncle Richard. You do remember him? He lives in Scotland, on the ancestral estate of my great-grandfather, who”—she paused for effect—“happened to fall at Culloden while fighting for Bonnie Prince Charlie. We are part Scots, or had you forgotten that?” she asked sweetly, her eyes full of devilish amusement.
    â€œOh,” Lord Rendale said weakly, a flush of painful embarrassment staining his cheeks as he realized he’d committed an unforgivable faux pas. “Lady Rhea Claire, please, do forgive me. I shouldn’t have said what I did, i-it was truly unforgivable, but I had forgotten about your uncle, the marquis, and that he lived in Scotland. Although why he should wish to live in such a godforsaken place is beyond me. The place is so deso—” He broke off, flushing an even brighter hue of red. “Lud, but my cursed tongue, I could cut it out.”
    â€œYes, Wesley, I should advise you to do that before you dig your grave any deeper,” Rhea Claire said with an indulgent smile, for she was not one to stay mad at anyone for long, and Wesley was, after all, a rather harmless, if at times stuffy, gentleman.
    â€œUh, yes, well,” Lord Rendale began, his soggy spirits lifting when he caught the flash of a smile beneath the wide brim of her silk hat and knew he’d been forgiven. “No more shall be said of this unfortunate incident. I shall spare Lord Robin any further embarrassment, and,” he continued magnanimously, “I shall forgive you, m’dear, for laughing.”
    â€œHow very generous of you, Wesley,” Rhea Claire declared, struggling to keep her mouth from twitching as she waved him toward the house. Her smile broke free as she watched him trudging along, his progress hampered repeatedly by his stockings refusing to stay rolled up and, instead, curling around his ankles.
    â€œYou may come out now, my Robin Goodfellow,” Rhea Claire called softly into the shrubbery.
    The branches in question trembled, then parted to reveal a curly black head and a heart-shaped face with huge, violet eyes framed by long, black lashes. The impish slant of those eyes belied the sweetly curving mouth, which had fooled many an unfortunate person incautious enough to have tweaked a cheek. But they had never fooled Rhea Claire, who was wise to her brother’s ways.
    Lord Robin Dominick, now at the advanced age of ten, threw caution to the