The Nightingale Legacy by Catherine Coulter Read Free Book Online

belongs, like she’s quite used to doing that sort of thing. Just look at Clorinda over there, all huffy and in a great snit because this one’s trying to steal all her clients. I don’t want no trouble. Clorinda will tear her bleeding hair out and we’ll have screaming and crying and my nerves can’t abide that. Didn’t you see her toss down that ale? What lady would toss down ale like that?”
    “This lady would and did,” Caroline said. “I never tasted it before and probably never shall again. It’s very strong. Is there some law I don’t know about that forbids females to taste ale?”
    “Ha,” said Mr. Tewksberry.
    “So,” the man who was a lordship said, “you’re a Miss Smith?”
    “Not really, but it seemed wise.” She turned and smiled at Mackie. “You must let me go now, Mr. Mackie. I really must fetch a doctor for my brother. Also, I don’t want Clorinda to tear my hair out.”
    “Clorie’s a tough little bird and ’er temper ain’t the nicest. Best let ’er up, Mackie.”
    “We’ll git yer doctor fer ye, missie,” Mackie announced. He lifted her easily and set her on her feet. He rose then and she realized he was the tallest man she’d ever seen in her life. She smiled up at him.
    “Thank you, Mr. Mackie.”
    Mackie gave her a courtly bow, kissed her hand, and said, “Yer a sweet lass. Ye just stay ’ere and keep yer distance from Clorie.” He then gave her another bow, this one a bit more graceful than the first since he’d had that practice. He roared at the other men and all of them lumbered after him from the taproom, like an obedient army troop.
    “Now, see here, missie, I won’t allow you to—”
    “Please hold a moment, Mr. Tewksberry. I wish to speak to Miss Smith. Please fetch her a cup of tea and do tell Miss Clorinda that I will see to it that this young pigeon doesn’t migrate into her territory.” He turned to give her a vague smile. “Would you like to sit on my lap or would a chair do just as well?”
    “You’re not as big as Mr. Mackie. Perhaps you will drop me. I’d best have a chair.”
    He stared down at her a good long time. “You have a ready mouth,” he said at last. “I haven’t met a young lady in a very long time with such a ready mouth.”
    He ushered her over to his table by the fireplace. He held back a chair for her. “Do sit, ma’am. We won’t take chances that I am too weak to hold you properly.”
    “Thank you, sir.”
    He sat down in his former chair and stretched out his legs toward the fireplace. He looked meditative, then he frowned. “How did you do that?”
    “Do what?”
    “Those men. They looked like a devil-may-care lot, well into their cups, but then this Mackie fellow is nearly on his knees to you vowing eternal devotion. How did you do it?”
    “I really don’t know. I liked them, nothing more, really. They reminded me of farm laborers where I live, just men, just drinking to ease their cares. They were very kind, once they realized it was the right thing to be.”
    “I daresay they aren’t all that kind at all to lone females who wander into their preserve, but they were to you. Well, then let it remain a mystery. Ah, the weather, then. The miserable night has become less miserable.”
    “Yes, but I just woke up so I really wouldn’t know as of yet, but at least it’s stopped raining. I do so hate riding in the rain, and it really slowed us down.”
    She clapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide on his face, looking like a loyal soldier who’s just accidentally spilled all his military secrets to the enemy.
    “If your brother is ill,” he said, his voice dispassionate, “then you won’t be riding anywhere tonight.”
    “We got soaked clear through all last night and this morning. I thought a good sleep would keep us healthy. Owen isn’t all that sturdy.”
    “Owen has the weak chin?”
    “So you heard Walt say that, did you? I suppose he does. I believe I will talk him into trying to grow a