My Favorite Bride by Christina Dodd Read Free Book Online Page A

leg.”
    â€œAnd refusing to care for her boots as I require. I have told her—told them all—they are to notify me at once when they outgrow their boots, but Mararefuses to speak to me more than the minimum.”
    Samantha didn’t even try to contain her sarcasm. “I wonder why?”
    He moved around the edge of the desk, walked up to her, and stood so closely her skirts brushed his boots.
    She wanted to back up, but she never backed up. Her heart beat more and more loudly. Or maybe it always beat like that, but she was aware of her heart, and her lungs as she breathed in the clean scent of this healthy man, and the fine hairs on her body, which rose in some visceral response that embarrassed and excited her.
    â€œWill next week be soon enough for the material?”
    He enunciated each word carefully, and watched her so shrewdly she knew he knew he’d been manipulated. And he allowed it, although she dared not wonder why.
    â€œI would get it sooner,” he said, “but so few of our governesses last above a few days. A few hours, even.”
    He had challenged her, and she responded. “Colonel Gregory, I will be here to make the girls’ clothing. In fact, I will be here in a year. No child has ever gotten the better of me, and I vow your children will not.” Silently she added, Nor will you.

Chapter Five
    Miss Prendregast strode from the room and snapped the door shut behind her. Standing, Colonel William Gregory went to the window, pulled it open, and waited while Duncan Monroe, the officer he’d met in India—and his loyal friend—climbed through.
    â€œWhat have you got?” William asked.
    â€œCaught another Russian last night.” Duncan dusted off his rough wool trousers and straightened his brimmed peasant cap. “Robbed him of his wallet and sent him on his way.”
    â€œAnything interesting?”
    Duncan emptied his little pull-string bag on the desk. A crumpled wad of pound notes. A pipe. A bag of tobacco. A letter . . .
    William fished out the letter and frowned at the intricate Russian. “I’ll send this on to Throckmortonand see what he can make of it.” He thought nothing of the peculiarity of the relationship between him and Duncan. He played the peacekeeper for the Lake District while Duncan played the role of highwayman, each carefully eluding the other to patrol for English spies, Russian agents, and even the occasional, genuine thief. It was a game they’d worked out between them, and while playing that game they’d managed to uncover a range of information for the Home Office. But they hadn’t been able to uncover why the Lake District was the center of activity.
    Until today. Which reminded him . . . “What in hell are you thinking, rattling the window when I had someone here?”
    â€œSomeone? That was not a someone. That was a beauty.” Duncan fluttered his eyelashes in mock flirtatiousness. “Colonel, I didn’t know you imbibed.”
    â€œImbibed? One cannot imbibe a woman. One can only imbibe a—” William saw Duncan’s grin, and stopped.
    Duncan’s sense of humor was legion, his bravery equally famous, and Mary had called Duncan handsome, but William knew he could wipe away that smirk. “That woman is my children’s new governess.”
    Duncan did a double take that almost snapped his neck and gratified William to no end. “Your children’s governess?” Duncan hooted. “They didn’t make governesses like that when I was a wee lad.”
    â€œShe came highly recommended from a reputable agency. The Distinguished Academy ofGovernesses, in fact.” But William agreed with Duncan. What in the hell was Lady Bucknell thinking by sending such a governess to him? Or rather—to his children. Miss Prendregast had been sent to his children.
    He poured two glasses full of whisky and handed one to Duncan.
    Tall and lithe,