Truth about Leo by Katie MacAlister Read Free Book Online

“You didn’t happen to visit the small shed near the man, did you?”
    â€œNo, Princess, I assure you that I was most attentive to your wishes that I watch the man. It’s true that I discovered a bottle of brandy…er…it must have been the Englishman’s, since I found it near him…but I took only the tiniest of sips from it, just a medicinal amount to warm my blood. You know how my blood suffers in this climate.”
    Dagmar continued chewing, having no doubt at all that Julia found the bottle where she had last left it in the shed. “Yes, I know how you suffer. What did the man say to you?”
    â€œNothing that I understood. It was more feverish rambling than anything else. Thus, as soon as you have contented yourself with this delicious meal, I will assist you in bringing him inside the house.”
    â€œI don’t need an injured man in the house. What I need is passage for us to England, and then some capital with which we can open a shop.”
    â€œWhat sort of shop?” Julia asked, clearly sidetracked.
    â€œI’m not sure. Obviously it should be a shop for something we know a good deal about. What sorts of things do you know about?”
    Julia’s face wore its usual slightly vacant, vaguely worried expression. “My father always said I was quite capable at darning socks.”
    â€œSocks. Hmm.” Dagmar allowed herself to relax against the chair, wondering if there was good money to be had in sock darning.
    Julia cast an anxious glance toward the dirty window. “Dearest Dagmar, don’t you think we should commence to rescuing the wounded Englishman? The sun will be setting soon, and I’m sure he’d be more comfortable inside than out.”
    â€œAllow me to state right here and now that I have absolutely no intention of fetching any man to the house, wounded or not,” Dagmar said, closing her eyes and allowing the exhaustion to sweep over her. Hopefully, Julia would sleep off her intoxication. “Not unless he comes bearing large quantities of money or passage on a ship. Preferably both.”
    â€œBut, Princess—”
    Clearly, she was going to have to adopt a practical line of objection. “No, Julia. We are not bringing home a stray, wounded man. We haven’t enough food to feed ourselves, let alone shelter two days from now, and although it might be entertaining to see Frederick’s face when he has to ship a man along with us to a French convent, that amusement palls when accounted with the trouble we’d have to acquire said man. No more mention of wounded people of either sex, please. I’m sure if we leave him alone, he’ll go away on his own.”
    â€œBut—”
    Dagmar opened her eyes and gave her companion a very firm look. She didn’t like to have to do such things, but Julia was like a terrier once she got her teeth into a subject, and if one didn’t take control, she’d run amok. “I shall tell you about my conversation with the British colonel, and after that you will not be able to think of such petty things as wounded men in our back garden.”
    Julia’s eyes widened as Dagmar did exactly that, filling her in as well with Frederick’s threat of a convent.
    â€œBut we’re not Catholic,” Julia protested.
    â€œYou see? That is exactly what I said to him, and he just threatened to send us to France where they have convents.”
    â€œI don’t want to go to France!”
    â€œNor do I, but unless we can change that stupid colonel’s mind, I’m afraid we’re doomed.” Dagmar absently tickled her mouth with the fringe of her shawl while her brain, charged up by the consumption of foodstuffs, whirled around busily.
    â€œIt’s too bad that you don’t know one of the officers,” Julia said forlornly. She wrapped her shawl tighter around her arms. “You could marry him, and then the colonel would have to