Free With This Ring by Celeste Bradley Page B

ain’t exactly an act of God, like a hurricane or an earthquake.”
    “You haven’t met my brothers.”
    “No, and I don’t intend to, me.One was enough, thank ye.”
    She turned to him fully then, folding her arms across the front of her ludicrous weskit.Aaron just knew that for the rest of his life he was going to have fancies about girls in weskits.Damn it.
    “About that…” She regarded him carefully.“You and I both know that nothing happened last night.”
    “Hmm.”Aaron stood, though he pretended to be gathering up an armful of the bedding … for some inexplicable reason.“I suppose other than a bit o’ crime, nothing did happen.”
    “Exactly.”She nodded vigorously.“But some people will misunderstand.”
    “You mean a magistrate?I think the magistrate’ll understand crime just fine, he will.”
    “No, I mean my bothers.And my father, although he would likely just Shakespeare you unto death.”She shrugged uncomfortably.“My brothers on the other hand … well, how fast can you run?”
    Aaron blinked.“If’n I leave now, I can be in Scotland by afternoon.”
    She didn’t smile.“Excellent.Then we’re agreed?”
    Aaron normally wouldn’t agree to anything that wasn’t in writing, for he’d been the recipient of one too many “understandings,” thank you very much.
    However, he found himself nodding mindlessly while thinking that her hair was less golden than it was the color of evening sunlight on snow …
    “Wait.What did ye say?”
    “I said that we were going to agree to put all this”—she waved a hand to the nest of mildewed velvet—“behind us.There is no profit for either of us in ever mentioning it again.”
    Aaron couldn’t believe his good luck.His silly Hastings ruse had worked again.He was free!Free to get away from this mad girl and this ruin, this brutal reminder of what happened to an estate when there were not the funds to care for it properly.
    “Indeed.We are agreed!”
    He stuck out his hand.In an instant, he realized that he had let his façade slip, so he drew his hand back and spit on it.“Well?It’s a deal, ain’t it?”
    She rolled her eyes.“Boys.”Then, astonishingly, she thrust her own hand into his and shook it firmly.“Deal.”
    She might be criminally insane, but she wasn’t a snob; he had to give her that.He couldn’t recall ever meeting a lady who would shake on a deal sealed in spit—or kidnap a man, or kiss a stranger—
    No. Don’t think about that. You just got your lap back.
    *   *   *
    It was nearly three miles back to the Green Donkey.They set out across what had once been a vast front lawn but was now a vast, brushy meadow.Still, it was a grand day, fresh-washed and shining, and they both had very important matters to attend to.With committing this error with Lord Aaron Arbogast’s lackey, Elektra had decided to cross his lordship off The List.Mr.Hastings was a loyal servant to his lordship.Over time, he might somehow let slip what had happened.His lordship would not respond well to knowing that his wife had slept entwined with his manservant … after kissing him a little.
    A lot.
    Men were odd about that sort of thing.
    Therefore, Elektra wanted to get back to London as soon as possible.The Season was carrying on without her.New matches were being made every day.If she didn’t hurry, all the best bachelors would be taken!
    Then Mr.Hastings halted suddenly.Lifting one hand, he stopped her in the middle of the meadow.He lifted his head and turned his handsome face into the sun.“Someone’s a-comin’.”
    Rendered rather grumpy by her inability to ignore his good looks, Elektra glanced askance at Mr.Hastings.Then she also caught the faint rattle of wheels and jingle of harness from far down the lane.Together they walked around the corner of the ruin to where there had once been a gracious circle of white graveled drive.Someone was indeed coming.A pretty lily-white pony clopped down the lane, head high as it pranced