Intriguing Lady by Leonora Blythe Read Free Book Online Page A

most people shy away from, and certainly not one that is discussed in many drawing rooms today.”
    “I’m afraid my ignorance on that matter leaves me little else to say,” Sir Nicholas murmured, and closed his eyes as though he were too weary to continue the conversation. The truth was that he knew a lot more than Roberta. However, he’d best be prudent, and so maintained his silence. If he allowed himself to inform her just what was being done to ease the plight of the poor, and his involvement in these plans, it would lend a lie to the image of his being a roué that he had striven so hard to give.
    Roberta looked at him with disdain for a moment, and then resumed her study of the countryside. She should have known better than to try to conduct a serious conversation with a man of such rakish persuasions, she thought ruefully, and then followed his example and closed her eyes.
    She was soon fast asleep, and only woke when Williams stopped and announced that they had arrived at Bethune, where they were to spend the night.

C hapter 5
    By the time the party was ensconced in the carriage the next morning, it was evident that Roberta’s ill humor concerning Sir Nicholas had evaporated. It appeared that her only concern was whether the comte was following them.
    “You appear to have a certain knowledge of his character, Sir Nicholas. Is it likely that he would give up his search for you so easily?” she inquired.
    “He has probably decided that he has a better chance of finding me if he watches every boat that leaves Calais, instead of searching every carriage that passes through Le Cateau bound for Calais.”
    “So we might not have seen the last of him, then?” she pressed.
    “Anything is possible, Miss Rushforth, but once we are aboard the packet, we can safely assume that he won’t bother us again.”
    “Then I pray we accomplish that without mishap,” Mrs. Ashley said fervently, “for I have no desire to meet this man.”
    Her prayers were answered late in the afternoon, for they boarded the boat without delay. Williams managed to persuade the captain to assign his party three of the best staterooms, and settled them in before he went off to superintend the unloading of the carriage.
    From her porthole, Roberta viewed the bustle on the quayside with interest. Young boys, staggering under the weight of large trunks, scurried up the gangplank, while the owners of the luggage stood about in small groups, waiting until the last possible moment to board. No one, it seemed to Roberta, was in a hurry to leave France. No one, that is, except Sir Nicholas.
    Strong male voices, shouting directions, penetrated the thin walls of her cabin, and finally she heard the noise of the heavy chain anchor being weighed. The gangplank was drawn in, and all activity on the quayside seemed to stop. They were off at last, and she sighed in relief.
    Suddenly a loud shout broke the silence, and Roberta saw a man hidden under a black-and-gold cape of hideous design trying to attract the captain’s attention. Seconds later, the gangplank was lowered, and the man boarded. The packet then left the safety of the harbor and was soon plying its way over the choppy waters of the English Channel.
    Darkness had fallen by the time boredom drove Roberta from her cabin. Mrs. Ashley was prostrate on her bunk with seasickness, moaning her misery for anyone who cared to hear. There was nothing Roberta could do to help the poor woman, so she wandered up onto the top deck and held the rail for support. A full moon cast its luminous light over the boat. The North Star was bright, and she stared upward, trying to identify the constellations.
    “It is an awesome sight, mademoiselle, n’est ce pas? ”
    The familiar voice of the comte caused a shock wave to ripple through her body, and she gripped the rail tightly. What a fool she had been to leave the safety of her cabin. And how stupid to think they had escaped him!
    “It is Mlle. Rushforth, isn’t