Noble Hearts 03 - The Courageous Heart by Merry Farmer Read Free Book Online Page B

that’s all you can think about? Who may or may not be warming my bed?”
    “That’s not what I-”
    “I’ll have you know that I got over that kind of foolishness years ago.” Ethan lowered his head . “I have far better things to do with my time than worry about bedfellows . Aubrey and Crispin depend on me. They’ve given me responsibility in Derby and at Windale.” Ethan’s eyes flickered up at the mention of home. “ They need my help! Their lives are at stake! And you want to know about my love life? ”
    “No, I never should have-”
    “No you shouldn’t!”
    She stood so fast that the corner of her kirtle caught on a rough patch of wall. The seam ripped at the pocket. The bundle of Toby’s letters that she carried with her at all times tumbled onto the grass. Ethan reach ed for it.
    “Don’t touch that!” Joanna shouted. Meg burst into wails. Joanna was forced to bounce and pat her in an attempt to keep her calm. She was anything but calm herself.
    Ethan ignored her order and touched the sacred letters anyhow. He had the nerve to look at the writing on the topmost letter. His sheepish expression tumbled into flat-out misery.
    “This is Toby’s handwriting,” he said, voice a ghostly whisper.
    She freed a hand and snatched the bundle away from him. “I’ll thank you to keep yourself to yourself ! ”
    His gaping mouth snapped shut and his grief flashed to bitterness. “He was my friend,” he told her in a harsh whisper.
    “He was my brother.” The ache in her chest was more than she could bear. “And it’s your fault he’s dead! ”
    Ethan flinched as if she’d struck him. Guilt hung off of every part of him. A ghost of pity threaded around Joanna’s heart, but she fought it off. She would not feel sorry for him.
    Ethan turned to go but only made it a few steps.
    “Ah, Dunkirke!” The jovial man Ethan had introduced as David strode towards them from the stable, arms wide and welcoming. “I see everything is settled.” Joanna fought to hold her tongue. Things were as far from settled as they could possibly be. “And now I would like to be properly introduced to your beautiful friend.”
    “David, this is Joanna,” E than managed, his voice rough.
    Joanna’s heart squeezed so tightly she thought it would burst out of her chest. “Thank you for your hospitality, sir,” she clipped her greeting, adding a short curtsy and shifting Meg in her arms as an excuse not to meet his eyes.
    “Any friend of Dunkirke’s is a friend of mine,” David smiled. His sharp eyes darted between her and Ethan. “How is your red-headed friend?”
    Ethan cleared his throat. “Rebecca is seeing to her upstairs.”
    “I see, I see. She’s in good hands then.” David paused. Neither Joanna nor Ethan filled in the silence. He arched an eyebrow. “Well, miss Joanna, you are welcome to stay at The Stag Hunt for as long as you’d like. Provided we have room, that is. These are busy times for innkeepers in London.”
    “Thank you, sir, but we won’t be staying,” Joanna said. “My master and mistress need me.”
    “Where are you planning to go?” Ethan challenged her. “You can’t go back to the Tower.”
    How dare he tell her what to do at a time like this! “ We’ll go anywhere that you aren’t .”
    Her barb had an immediate effect. “Madeline is ill.” Ethan crossed his arms , misery stirred to anger . “The others are imprisoned. Tower guards are looking for you. Just where do you think you’ll be safer than right here?”
    “Don’t you dare order me around like a servant , Ethan Windale!” Joanna railed. David’s eyebrows rose.
    “What does it matter?” Ethan barked in reply. “You never listened to a word I said anyhow!”
    “I never listened because you never spoke a word of sense in your life!”
    “You wouldn’t know sense if it rode up to you on a white horse with banners flying !”
    “The only banner I’ve ever seen flying was that garish monstrosity you force d