Move Heaven and Earth

Move Heaven and Earth by Christina Dodd Read Free Book Online Page A

Book: Move Heaven and Earth by Christina Dodd Read Free Book Online
Authors: Christina Dodd
Betty whispered, “He couldn’t hear us talking, miss.” Then, louder, she said, “The master’ll need help getting up the stairs. Best bring around your helpers.”
    Jasper hastened to obey, and Sylvan said, “If you would, Betty, tell the family to play some cards, settle with a book, and greet Rand casually. He’ll not like it if he’s treated like a conquering hero for such a measly feat.”
    “Do you think he’ll fancy having the family treat it casually, after months of having them jump at his every wish?” Betty demanded.
    “Perhaps not.” Sylvan smiled. “But I prefer he be angered by lack of attention, not more.”
    Betty placed her hands on her hips and looked Sylvan up and down. “Is nursing anything more than just common sense, miss?”
    “No, but common sense isn’t that common, is it?”
    “We’re going to get along fine, miss.” Betty bustled toward the house. “Just fine.”
    Jasper and his crew reached Rand before he had wheeled himself across the drive, but with violent gestures he ordered them back. Sweat glued the strands of his dark hair together and dripped off his heavy eyebrows. It ran in trickles along the grooves of his frown and shone off his chest.
    He ignored his state with imposing determination as he pushed himself across the driveway and to the bottom of the stairs. There he stopped and let Jasper and the footmen lift him. They carried the chair up to the terrace, then on his order, set it down in front of Sylvan.
    If anything, his bitterness of spirit seemed to have deepened, and she would have sworn he hated her when he said, “I hope you’re happy, woman. You’ve proved me to be a coward, too.”

3
    Mortification burned like a live coal in his soul.
    He’d been too gutless to push himself off the edge of the cliff.
    As if he had anything to live for! A helpless deranged cripple. What further proof did he require of his own uselessness, his own madness?
    That prissy little woman sat on the terrace, eating cakes and sipping tea and examining him as if he were an oddity.
    Carefully, Sylvan blotted her lips with her napkin and stood. “You’ve taken a remarkable amount of air. I’m sure it exhilarated you. We’ll do it again tomorrow.”
    “Tomorrow?” Rand’s voice hit a high note he’d never reached before. “To—”
    But his rage proved no match for his exhaustion. He was just too damned tired to throw another tantrum.
    He removed her pelisse from his lap and viciously threw it in her face. Her teacup toppled when the sleevehit it, and he had the pleasure of watching her scramble out of her chair to avoid the stream of dark liquid. Then he pushed his chair toward the door of the manor. Toward sanctuary. He rolled over the threshold, into the entry, and looked around.
    Where was his mother? His brother? James, even Aunt Adela? Where were the people who cared about him, protected him?
    Hearing voices, he wheeled his way to the study—and saw them.
    His wonderful family, always so concerned about him, were playing cards. Chips were strewn across the table. Aunt Adela sat on the edge of her chair, and Lady Emmie held her cards with haphazard care. Garth struggled to loosen his already rumpled cravat, and James rearranged his hand as if that would change the spots.
    To judge by their disheveled appearance, they had been playing the whole time he was gone.
    “What the hell are you doing?” Rand boomed.
    Everyone jumped as if his arrival startled them.
    “By Jove, Rand, why don’t you take over for this numskull?” James asked. “He’s as slow at cards as he is at marriage.”
    Garth reached over and cuffed his cousin. “At least I understand trump.”
    With a restrained smile, Aunt Adela said, “Such unsportsmanlike conduct just because the ladies are winning.”
    “La! A pleasure to win,” Lady Emmie said, then everyone bent to the cards once more, concentrating on everything but Rand.
    Resentment boiled inside him. While he was struggling up the

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