Patricia Veryan - [Sanguinet Saga 06] - The Noblest Frailty by Patricia Veryan Read Free Book Online Page B

memories were
of a great estate standing deserted and lonely in the vastness of its
own grounds. An estate crying out for its owner, seeking to entrap him
into remaining there until he also became deserted and alone… How
foolish that such juvenile imaginings still caused him to avoid his
heritage. Yet even now, he could not discuss his reaction to
Devencourt; not with anyone. Especially not with Yolande! Still, she
was quite in the wrong of it when she named him a here-and-thereian.
Not so! He'd had his fill of adventuring, with Tristram Leith last
year. He'd been lucky to escape France with his life, and if Claude
Sanguinet had had his way, would not have done so. No, when he was wed
he would be quite content to settle down to a peaceful and respectable
existence divided between town and country, with nothing more exciting
to anticipate than the arrival of two or three little Devenishes.
    He shifted uneasily in the saddle. Sounded devilish dull… He
dismissed the thought hurriedly. The bitter fact was that he was being
treated by the Drummonds as though he were a complete stranger! Was it
possible that they had received a more flattering offer for Yolande's
hand? Surely not! But he glared angrily at Miss Farthing's ears and
thought that it would serve them right if Yolande rejected him only to
choose some rank ineligible—such as that curst circus acrobat this
morning! Blasted encroaching mushroom! The way the fellow had looked at
her was alone cause enough to have grassed him! For all his mercurial
temperament, however, Devenish was a fine sportsman, and it had already
come to him that he had been less than fair to Mr. Winters. The fellow
had meant no harm with that splendid jump; he had afterwards most
certainly saved Yolande's life and been given precious little credit
for it.
    He shrugged his shoulders. The Canadian was far away by this
time. The thing now was to get back to Aspenhill as quickly as possible
and discover whether his Tyrant had also been aware of Yolande's
proposed jaunt to Scotland. By God, if
that
wouldn't be the outside of enough!
    He touched his spurred heels gently to Miss Farthing's sides,
and she sprang eagerly into a gallop that took them rapidly across lush
meadow and through shady copse until they reached the last hill beyond
which sprawled the Tyndale preserves and the welcome of Aspenhill.

Chapter 3
    Colonel Alastair Tyndale looked up in mild surprise when his
nephew unceremoniously flung open the study door and strode in. Leaning
back in his chair, Tyndale laid down the letter he had been reading and
said, "I'm glad you came back, Dev. Your—"
    "I was at Park Parapine," Devenish interpolated. "Sir, did you
know that Yolande is going away?"
    The Colonel pushed back his chair and came to his feet,
standing very straight so that although the desk was between them,
Devenish had to look up at him. "We can discuss that, together with
your—ah—unfortunate manners, later," he said. "I must tell you that
your cousin has arrived."
    "Oh. Well, can the brat wait awhile, sir? What I would like to
know is—"
    "And," Tyndale continued inexorably, "had you not burst in
here at such a rate, you might have noticed that he is sitting behind
you."
    "Eh?" Devenish swung around to meet his small and unwanted
cousin. "I say, I apologize if—" The words died abruptly. He gasped,
"The devil!"
    The Canadian who sprawled in the chair behind the door may
have been unwanted. Small, he was not. Mr. Craig Winters' long, booted
legs were outstretched, his chin propped on the knuckles of one hand,
while his amused eyes took in Devenish's stark horror. He came lazily
to his feet and drawled, "The Colonial looby—at your service, cousin…"
His bow was deep, flourishing, and decidedly mocking.
    Devenish spun to face his uncle. "Sir! This is a confounded
hoax! This beastly fellow ain't a little boy! Nor is he related to us!"
    The Colonel's keen blue eyes drifted from tall, derisive
Canadian to slender, fuming