Quick, Amanda by Affair Read Free Book Online Page A

interesting man she
    had ever met,Charlotte admitted to herself. But the same qualities that made him intriguing could also
    make a man dangerous. At the very least, they made him less than pliable.
    She required a man-of-affairs who would take instructions with out argument, not one who would demand constant explanations
    Page 31
    Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    a
    J ifications. She did not think that Baxter would be easily nd 'usti ordered about. At best, he was likely
    to prove difficult. "Perhaps now that Mr. St. Ives has a new post, he will be able to afford a new tailor."
    Ariel chuckled as she carried her plate back to
    the table. "His coat certainly did not fit him very well and his waistcoat was quite plain. Did you notice
    that he was wearing breeches instead of trousers?" "I noticed."
    She would have been blind had she failed to observe the manner
    in which the snug breeches had revealed the sleekly muscled outline of his thighs, she thought. She
    summoned up the memory of Baxter as he sat across from her attired in a rumpled blue coat, unpleated.
    linen shirt, and the conservative breeches and unpolished boots. She frowned slightly. "His clothes were
    of excellent quality." "Yes, but sadly unfashionable, even for a gentleman in his position." Ariel took a bite
    of sausage. "And his neckcloth was tied in a very mundane manner. I fear our Mr. St. Ives has no sense
    of style at all. "
    "One does not look for style In a man-of-affairs." "Precisely." Ariel winked. "Which only goes to prove
    that he is just what he appears to be, a gentleman badly in need of a position. Probably a second son
    from the country. You know how that is."
    Charlottefiddled with her coffee cup. "I suppose so." It was common knowledge that many second and
    third sons of the country gentry who were not in line for the family farm were obliged to make their livings
    as men-of-affairs. "Cheer up," Ariel said. "I'm quite sure stodgy old Marcie would not have sent St. Ives
    to you unless he was suitably qualified."
    Charlottewatched as her sister attacked the eggs and sausages on her plate. Her own appetite was
    normally quite sharp in the mornings but today she was barely able to contemplate the cup of coffee in
    front of her.
    OUNEDIN PUBLIC I Jr.. -.-34
    Amanda Quick
    "I don't know, Ariel. I just don't know." "Really,Charlotte , this mood of gloom is quite unlike you. You
    are usually so much more enthusiastic in the mornings. "I did not sleep well last night."
    That was not the half of it,Charlotte thought. In truth she had barely slept at all. She had tossed and
    turned for hours, caught in the grip of a deeply troubling sense of unease. Ariel was right, her mood was
    indeed dark this morning. "Have you told Mr. St. Ives precisely why you are in need of a
    bodyguard?" Ariel asked. "Not yet. I instructed him to return this afternoon so that I
    could explain the exact nature of his duties."
    Ariel's eyes widened. "You mean he has no notion of why you have employed him?" "No. "
    The truth was, she had needed time to think about the situation. Time to be certain that taking on the
    Page 32
    Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    enigmatic St. Ives was
    the right course of action. There was a great deal at stake. But the more contemplation she gave to the
    matter, the fewer alternativesCharlotte perceived.
    She was, in fact, quite desperate. Ariel put down her fork and gaveCharlotte a direct look. "Per haps he will not want the position once he learns the details."
    Charlottepondered that. She did not know whether to be
    cheered or alarmed by the prospect. "Things might be a good deal simpler if Mr. St. Ives takes to his
    heels when he learns the true
    nature of his responsibilities."
    Mrs. Witty hove to in the doorway of the morning room, a fresh pot of coffee in one broad, work-worn
    fist. "You'd best hope he doesn't run off when he learns what ye want him to do