Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas Read Free Book Online

neglected shell to a thriving, happy home, all because one family had cared. It was a crime that the Hathaways would be displaced by a pair of women who had invested nothing in it, through what amounted to nothing more than a legal sleight of hand.
    Swearing beneath his breath, Leo dragged his hand through his hair. “I want to have a look at the ruins of the old manor home,” he said. “Merripen, what’s the best way to reach it?”
    “I’m not certain,” Merripen admitted. “I rarely go out that far.”
    “I know,” Beatrix volunteered. “Miss Marks and I have ridden there to sketch the ruins. They’re very picturesque.”
    “Would you like to ride there with me?” Leo asked.
    “I’d love to,” she said.
    Amelia frowned. “Why do you want to visit the ruins, Leo?”
    He smiled in a way he knew would annoy her. “Why, to measure for curtains, of course.”



Chapter Six

    “Thunderbolts,” Beatrix exclaimed, entering the library where Leo had been waiting, “I can’t go with you to the ruins after all. I’ve just checked on Lucky, and she’s about to have her babies. I can’t leave her at such a time.”
    Leo smiled quizzically, replacing a book on a shelf. “Who’s Lucky?”
    “Oh, I forgot you hadn’t met her. She’s a three-legged cat who used to belong to the cheesemaker in the village. The poor thing got her paw caught in a rat trap, and it had to be amputated. And now that she’s no longer a good mouser, the cheesemaker gave her to me. He never even named her, can you imagine?”
    “Given what happened to her, the name ‘Lucky’ is something of a misnomer, isn’t it?”
    “I thought it might improve her fortunes.”
    “I’m sure it will,” Leo said, amused. Beatrix’s passion for helping vulnerable creatures had always worried and touched the other Hathaways in equal measure. They all recognized that Beatrix was the most unconventional person in the family.
    Beatrix was always sought after at London social events. She was a pretty girl, if not classically beautiful, with her blue eyes, dark hair, and tall, slender figure. Gentlemen were attracted by her freshness and charm, unaware that she showed the same patient interest to hedgehogs, field mice, and misbehaving spaniels. And when it came time for active courtship, men reluctantly left Beatrix’s engaging company and turned to more conventional misses. With each successive season, her chances at marriage diminished.
    Beatrix didn’t seem to care. At the age of nineteen—nearly twenty—she had yet to fall in love. It was universally agreed among the Hathaways that few men would be able to understand or handle her. She was a force of nature, unhampered by conventional rules.
    “Go take care of Lucky,” Leo said gently. “I don’t expect to have any difficulty finding the ruins by myself.”
    “Oh, you’re not going alone,” she told him. “I arranged for Miss Marks to accompany you.”
    “You did? And she was willing?”
    Before Beatrix could answer, Catherine entered the library, her slim figure dressed in riding clothes, her hair pulled back in a tight braided chignon. A sketchbook was clasped beneath her arm. She stopped short at the sight of Leo, who was wearing a gentleman’s riding coat, close-fitting breeches, and well-worn boots.
    Her wary gaze went to Beatrix. “Why haven’t you changed into your riding habit, dear?”
    Beatrix replied apologetically, “I’m sorry, Miss Marks, I can’t go after all. Lucky needs me. But it’s just as well—you can show Leo the way even better than I.” Her sunny smile encompassed them both. “It’s a fine day for riding, isn’t it? Have a good outing!” And she left the library in her long, lithe stride.
    Catherine’s slender brows rushed downward as she looked at Leo. “Why do you want to visit the ruins?”
    “I just want to look at them. Hang it all, do I have to explain myself to you? Just refuse if you’re afraid to go somewhere alone with