Lady X by Claudy Conn Read Free Book Online

frowned.
    “Aye, no sense at all, lass, but Jerry has it in his head to drive the coach, and means to do so.”
    “Can he…er…drive this coach. I think the job takes skill and…he seems to be driving it a bit faster than it should go. Reckless, I call it.” Exerilla put her hands on the seat to steady herself.
    “Aye, so it is lass, so it is, but I promise ye I won’t let ye come to any harm,” he answered soothingly.
    The body of the coach creaked and seemed to object as X heard wheels scraping stone as the pace of the cumbersome coach took on speed. The vehicle had obviously never been designed to take the road at much more than a slow trot.
    Exerilla’s brows were up as she chewed her lips when she was suddenly thrown as though she were no more than a satchel of feathers across to the long seat facing her. She caught herself, and pushed herself back into position she turned and grimaced as she said, “Oh yeah, nothing shall happen to me, you’ll make sure of that. Yeah right !” Her words were no sooner out when the coach lurched precariously around a bend in the road and as she landed in her companions lap. Once again, a spark shot through her. She was sure he must have felt the same thing, like static electricity, but he gave no sign of it. She glared disapprovingly at him and scrambled back onto her seat.
    He regarded her oddly and said, “I am sorry, lass, but I am hoping he will tire of this soon enough and we can get on with our journey and let ye be.”
    “If he doesn’t overturn us first,” she answered irritably.
    He regarded her curiously and asked, “Are ye American then?”
    “Born and bred,” she answered without thinking and then realized that even so, she was in another century. Manners , her mother had warned her, you must watch your speech as well as your actions. Yeah well, she didn’t think these guys were very mannerly, taking over a stagecoach at gunpoint just because they wanted to. She was about to tell him so while her mind went about the business of rebuilding itself when the coach swerved badly, tilted onto one side and came down hard on all four wheels as they took yet another turn in the road at a speed she was certain was going to exhaust the big cob horses.
    Exerilla’s arms went out and a slight scream escaped her as she was thrown from her seat with some violence. She found herself caught and steadied by sure hands and was aware of a pair of muscular arms around her as the Scotsman balanced her more on his lap than not.
    “There love,” he grinned playfully. “I’ve got ye, so doona worry yerself.”
    “Thank you, but, I can manage from here,” she said as she tried to clamor out of his embrace and right herself while changing to take the seat across from him. Getting out of his arms and off his lap was more of a challenge during the bumpy ride than she had imagined and as she grunted and groaned, while his smile broadened.
    “Och aye, but I think ye would do better to stay right where ye are,” he said softly.
    “You could help me get resituated, you know,” she grimaced at him.
    “Now why would I be wanting to do that, when I like ye right where ye are,” he said and his blue eyes were alight with mischief.
    She eyed him and thought, he may not have magic, but he was way different than any of the men she knew from her century. She suppressed a smile and said, “Arrogant rogue! Is that what you call it, seeing that no harm comes to me? Ha.”
    “Well, it wouldn’t be the first time someone has called Hunter MacTorry an arrogant rogue,” he said with a grin.
    “Hunter MacTorry, I find your Scottish manners lacking. In addition to that you appear to be pleased to wear the title of rogue.” She managed to resituate herself in spite of him and turned her head away to stare without seeing out the window at the quickly passing countryside.
    Her first week in the year 1815 had proved complicated and unsatisfactory. She was stuck in another century, without