The Spark of a Feudling by Wendy Knight Read Free Book Online Page A

are, sister. We’re glad to see you’re feeling better.”
    â€œWhat do you mean are you still welcome here? Have you lost your mind?” Ada bellowed, seeming to forget the manners Christian’s mother had drilled into her every day for the last eight years — a lady does not raise her voice.
    Christian grinned.
    â€œI don’t know. That’s why I’m asking.” Charity looked small and lost. Ada hurried over and slipped a hand around her waist. Christian remembered her carrying Charity to him the night before, just like that. Luckily, this time Charity was able to stand on her own.
    â€œCharity, I don’t care if you completely lose your mind and start singing the praises of sheep dressed in the finest dresses found in Paris. You will still be welcome wherever I am.”
    Charity gave her a tremulous smile, a bit shaky, but a real smile. “What have I missed? Anything exciting?” she asked.
    Ada leaned her cheek against Charity’s. “No, darling. Nothing at all.” But those dark, dark eyes found Christian across the clearing and he could read them as clearly as if she’d spoken. Her father was hiding something, and he knew Ada was going to find out what it was.
    ****
    Ada had lived in fear of her father her entire life. She’d been hit by too many of his weird little spells. She’d been yelled at and belittled, and the only time he was ever proud of her was when she killed things like a ruthless assassin instead of a highborn lady. Despite all that, she lived and breathed for his praise and acceptance. Ada, you are a confused girl. Very, very confused.
    But she had made a promise to Charity eight years ago. She would protect her. And if her friend was in trouble, Ada had to do something about it. Which meant she had to swallow her fear of the Duke of Adlington.
    Or sneak behind his back.
    Since that seemed the less frightening method, Ada chose that route first. Her father had a rigid schedule, and Ada knew it by heart — learned as a necessity for staying out of his way and away from his cruel spells since she was old enough to wander the estate alone. So she knew that he went riding with Harrison and Davis every morning when the sun came up.
    She grabbed her cloak, which was more for comfort than actual need, and swung it across her shoulders. The castle, even at this early hour, was bustling, and the flurry of activity made it hard to creep unnoticed, through the castle. She pulled her hood up and clung to the shadows near the wall. His study was up three flights of stairs, and Ada sprinted them, cursing the colored-glass window in the roof that illuminated the entire staircase. “Why has no one invented a spell for hiding oneself?” she muttered breathlessly as she reached the landing. The hallways to either side of her were silent — even her father’s steward wasn’t allowed here without Richard present.
    Ada could only imagine what he would do to her if he found her. She trembled so violently that her hood fell back, but she refused to leave. She had to protect Charity — even if it meant protecting her from Ada’s own father.
    Glancing quickly over her shoulder, Ada wrapped her cloak tight in her fists and hurried down the hall, grateful that her leather slippers were silent against the stone floor. One, two… three, Ada counted silently in her head, pausing before the third door. She pushed against it in the vain hope that Richard had forgotten to lock it, but, of course, he had not. She swore under her breath, using Christian’s favorite word. She liked the way it rolled off her tongue.
    She had hoped the door would be unlocked, but she had planned on not being able to get in that easily. Reaching into the deep folds of her cloak, she withdrew the steward’s keys. Her hands shook badly enough that the keys clanked, echoing in the silent hall. She had studied them for several minutes the night