TOUCH OF THE WOLF By Susan Krinard

He went still as a rabbit scenting a coyote. “Yes. I know of him.”

“Then perhaps you’ll be so kind as to tell him that in spite of his kind offer to guide me about the estate, I will have no need of his services.”

Matthew jerked back. “He… he…” He drew a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed his forehead. “Forgive me. I—”

He was unable to finish his sentence. There was a small commotion at the drawing room door, and a procession entered, led by Rowena. She was followed by a middle-aged woman and a young lady close to Cassidy’s age, both perfectly poised in their tasteful gowns. Aynsley and a footman brought up the rear with trays of tea and biscuits.

Rowena paused when she saw Matthew, frowned, and quickly regained her composure. She was about to begin introductions all around when the last guest walked through the door, a tall, thin man with graying hair and a long face.

“Ah, Lord Leebrook,” Rowena said. “I am so glad you are able to join us—”

A whole host of peculiar things seemed to happen in rapid succession. Isabelle’s attention snapped away from Matthew and fixed on Lord Leebrook. He looked back at her, and his sallow skin paled even further.

“Isabelle,” he cried in a choked voice. The stout older woman, Lady Beatrice, let out a gasp.

Isabelle stood up, swayed, and stumbled from her chair. Matthew reached for her as if to steady her, and then stared in bewilderment as she fled the room through the French doors leading to the garden.

Lady Beatrice sagged in her chair. “Is it possible? That woman, here—”

Lord Leebrook opened his mouth several times, turned on his heel, and left the room by the opposite door.

“What has happened?” Rowena said, rushing to Lady Beatrice’s side. “Aynsley, bring water and sal volatile at once—”

“No.” Lady Beatrice sat up, her sagging face drawn in lines of affront. “You cannot have realized, my dear Rowena, that this creature you have harbored under your roof is—” She fanned herself violently. “Oh, my poor child, you have been deceived. She is no better than a common trollop.”

Cassidy hesitated only a moment longer, and then ran off in search of Isabelle.

The game was up.

Isabelle ran blindly for the hills, to the place she had almost come to think of as sanctuary—an enchanted realm of happiness and companionship she’d believed she could never have again.

But there was no such sanctuary, no such companionship. It was all as much a lie as her own masquerade. Her body still felt weak with reaction to the double shocks: recognizing that Matthias was a Forster, and meeting Percy Sayers again.

No. Not Percy Sayers. He was Lord Leebrook now, a marquess, untroubled by the brief scandal that had shattered the reputation of a vicar’s lowly daughter.

Isabelle laughed and staggered halfway up the hill, her skirts catching at her legs. What supreme irony that Percy Sayers should be of the Forster blood. How fitting that she had come to the one great house in England where she was most likely to meet the author other ruination. It was a circumstance for which she had never prepared herself.

The damage was done. Soon all of them would know. Lady Beatrice would see to that; she had been the one who had most influenced Percy to discard Isabelle like a soiled neckcloth.

And she was soiled. Soiled beyond redemption. How could she have forgotten that?

And how had she dared to trust any man again? She deserved Matthias’s betrayal. He must have thought it a great joke to play the part of eccentric gallant to a poor widow. Lord Leebrook had stolen his thunder in the drawing room, but he could not have timed it more perfectly to destroy Isabelle’s brief flirtation with happiness.

She stopped at the crest of the hill, winded and nauseated. Someone had followed her. She tried to move, but her legs had lost all their strength.

Matthew Forster bounded up the hill like a great lumbering hound, coattails flapping. Her heart still insisted upon doubling its beat when he approached, and she cursed it for yet another betrayal.

Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156

Leave a Reply 0

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *