Mrs. McVinnie's London Season by Carla Kelly Read Free Book Online Page A

as
she could in the morning. But what a pity she could not take Edward
with her. “Now, run along to bed before your aunt and uncle return.
Think of the trouble you would be in if someone found you
here.”
    Edward nodded, opened
the door, and tumbled into Captain Summers’ arms.
    “ Good
heavens!” Jeannie said.
    Captain Summers held
Edward out at arm’s length. The boy had gone quite pale.
    “ I
thought I heard someone talking.”
    Summers lifted Edward
off the ground and looked him directly in the eyes. “You were at
Vauxhall Gardens tonight, you little wharf rat, weren’t you?”
    Bereft of speech,
Edward could only nod.
    Terrified, Jeannie
looked at the captain and beyond him. She could hear people coming
up the stairs. She put her hand on the captain’s arm and tugged on
his sleeve like a little child. “Oh, please, sir, if his aunt
catches him, think of the trouble.”
    She couldn’t be sure,
but she thought she saw that little twinkle in the captain’s eyes
again. He set Edward on his feet, turned him about, and pushed him
in the direction of his own room.
    “ Run,
boy! You and I will settle this in the morning. And now, Miss
McVinnie—or whoever you claim to be at this hour—I also have no
desire to be caught standing in this companionway. Kindly step
aside and close the door, for God’s sake.”
    Smiling in spite of
herself, Jeannie did as he said and closed the door behind
them.
    “ This
is highly irregular,” she said finally when Larinda and her aunt
walked down the hall, stood arguing for a moment, and then slammed
the doors to their own rooms.
    The captain did not
reply. Jeannie looked around. He was standing by her bed, looking
down on Clare, who lay in peaceful sleep, her hands flung wide
across the pillows, her curly hair tumbled about her face. As
Jeannie watched, he carefully pulled the hair away from her mouth
and touched her cheek with the back of his hand. He stood there a
moment more and then directed his gaze at her again.
    “ Well?
What is this?”
    “ Captain, she was crying, and that harridan of a nursemaid
wouldn’t do a thing about it.”
    “ You
certainly are a managing female,” he said, and then straightened up
until he was poker-stiff again. “My sister tells me that children
should not be indulged.”
    “ Your
sister is a fool,” Jeannie snapped. She gasped and put her hand to
her mouth. “Oh, I do apologize.”
    The captain touched
Clare’s cheek again. “No need. You are exactly right.” He came
closer to her. “Are you beginning to understand why I summoned
Jeannie McVinnie?” He bowed. “And you are Jeannie McVinnie. Pringle
met me at the door with the glad tiding.” He bowed again. “I can
only regret my rudeness, but you must own, Mrs. McVinnie, that I
was expecting someone rather more stricken in years.”
    “ I
can’t help that,” she said sensibly. “And I will not stay in this
house beyond tomorrow morning.”
    Summers went to the
door and opened it. “A wise choice. I wouldn’t stay here either, if
I weren’t under the damnedest set of orders from the First Lord of
the Admiralty, who, I regret to say, is the little brother of my
sister’s late husband. Lord Smeath was only too happy to summon me
from the blockade to oblige his sister-in-law. That way he doesn’t
have to play the escort.”
    He stepped into the
hall. ‘‘So, you see, I have no choice, Mrs. McVinnie.” He came back
into the room. “The way is clear. If you will permit me. ” He went
to the bed and picked up Clare, who stiffened for a moment and then
relaxed against his shoulder. He smiled at her and then looked
Jeannie in the eyes. “Yes, I can smile.”
    “ I
wasn’t thinking that,” Jeannie faltered.
    “ Oh,
yes, you were.” He came closer and whispered in her ear. “It’s just
that I don’t waste them, Mrs. McVinnie. Good night.”
    “ Good
night,” she said softly. A sudden thought assailed her. “But tell
me, Captain, is—”
    “ Clare
my