The Stolen Bride by Jo Beverley Read Free Book Online Page A

they seemed more like squabbling siblings. She suspected she had not been invited to a sinecure after all.
    When Jane came to sit beside her she said as much.
    “It is worrying,” said Jane. “Sophie adores Randal and I’d swear he feels the same way and yet they are so awkward together.... But then,” she said with a teasing look at her friend, “they are not the only ones who have me in a puzzle. You’re the first person I’ve heard say a cross word to Verderan.”
    Beth blushed. “And I should not have done so,” she said firmly. “I’ll ask you not to put me between the two most notorious men at table again, young lady.”
    “But, Beth, I was sure you could handle them,” said Jane, laughing. “And Verderan does present a problem. Lady Stanforth has taken against him because of her child’s misguided devotion. Sophie is inclined to flirt with him, which I think dangerous. The dowager can manage him very well but she wanted to sit by Mortimer and discuss some matter of genealogy. I thought you managed wonderfully. And Verderan will behave himself now, you know. He does keep his word. As long,” she added with a frown, “as he doesn’t lose that dreadful temper, that is.”
    “Is he so bad?”
    Jane shrugged. “He’s supposed to have taken a whip to someone recently and half killed him, but no one will tell me what for. I really don’t know what to make of him. He certainly has women and there have been duels. Randal swears they were honorable, though, and even the men he killed deserved to die. You know men,” said Jane, who a few short months ago had not known men at all. “Even David has been out, though he’s never injured anyone seriously.”
    “I wouldn’t want to have much to do with Mr. Verderan,” said Beth. “With or without a temper, one would never know what he might do next. He is ... uncivilized.”
    “Uncivilized?” echoed Jane in surprise. “He’s extremely well educated and has beautiful manners when he cares to use them.” She took a few thoughtful sips of tea. “But yes,” she said. “I do see what you mean.”
    “Is Sophie attracted to him?” asked Beth directly.
    “No, of course not. She has eyes for no one but Randal. If the silly man would just take her into the garden and kiss her soundly, we’d all be better off.”
    Beth choked on her tea on this pragmatic advice. There was no trace of her shy innocent pupil in the Countess of Wraybourne.
    “Perhaps you should tell him that,” said Beth.
    But Jane shuddered slightly, and looked much like her old self. “Oh no. I tried to advise Randal about Sophie once ... When I think of the things I said I could crawl into a hole. It’s only two weeks to the wedding. We shall all just have to endure.”
    Beth looked over to where Sophie was standing alone, looking out of a long window. The two weeks till the wedding seemed a very long time.
    Beth’s thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of the gentlemen in high spirits. Or at least, Lord Randal was in high spirits, aided and abetted by Verderan and Marius, without much restraint being applied by any of the rest—though the marquess looked a little disapproving. Beth thought wryly that she was not the only one to have overindulged in drink, but that did not make her offense any the better.
    “Do you remember,” asked Randal of David, “the time we sneaked off to the Wem fair and tried to catch the greasy pig? Such a mess we were both in and you got the brunt of the trouble, being older.”
    “Feelingly,” said David with a pained expression. “My father believed I was too old to beat but after the tongue-lashing he gave me I’d rather have had the whipping. He seemed to feel I was leading the younger ones astray. And after you had escaped from your tutor and ridden over with the wonderful idea. There’s no justice.”
    “Well,” said Randal, the picture of innocence. “It was taking Sophie along that really tore it.”
    “Are you seriously suggesting