Free Seduction Becomes Her by Shirlee Busbee Page B

she knows you’re afraid of the dark, you pea-goose,” said her brother impatiently. “Now buck up! Mr. Weston is here, and he will help us. Lord Trevillyan is on his way to the house, and he will be sending the servants here with blankets and whatnot.”

    April raised glowing eyes to Charles’s face. Her hands clasped together against her bosom, she breathed reverently, “You are our hero, sir. We are most grateful.”

    Charles smiled at her, aware for the first time of how very lovely she was. This one, he decided, was going to set the ton on its ear when she made her debut, and he didn’t doubt that she would marry well, mayhap even into the peerage, Adrian having filled Charles in on Daphne’s hopes for April.

    “Let me see what we are up against,” he said easily. “Once I have your sister free, then you may call me a hero.” Glancing around, he noted the small fire they had lit earlier. “Why don’t you gather up more driftwood for the fire? I’m sure your sister will be chilled when we bring her out, and a cozy fire would be just the thing for her.”

    “Oh! She has a small fire going in the cave. After Adrian left, she had me bring her some driftwood and a few sticks of burning wood from our fire out here to use to start it,” April said. “But we will need more”—she glanced at the sun hanging low in the sky—“especially since it will be dark before anyone gets here. A big fire will help them find us sooner. I shall begin immediately.”

    “Excellent!” Charles said as he and Adrian ducked under the low overhang of the cave and carefully made their way inside.

    The cave was huge, and if it was not for the pinprick of flickering light in the distance, pitch black. The cave floor was strewn with boulders and rocks, and their progress was not swift, but scrambling up a mound of boulders that half blocked the area, they soon reached Daphne.

    From his perch atop the rocks, Charles glanced down to where she sat awkwardly on the floor of the cave, her right foot buried to above the ankle by several large rocks. Having heard their approach, she looked up, astonishment on her face when she recognized Charles.

    The dwindling firelight caressed her strained features, a smudge darkened one cheek, and her hair fell around her shoulders in a tangled cloud of black silk, and as he stared down at her, Charles had the strangest sensation, as if the earth moved beneath his feet. How very, very interesting, Charles thought, intrigued by his reaction to her.

    Clearly, she felt nothing similar. Staring up at him, she exclaimed in tones of displeasure, “You! What are you doing here?”

    “He’s come to help us,” said Adrian happily as he joined Charles, and the two of them clambered down the other side of the rockfall. “He sent Lord Trevillyan after the servants.” Beaming at his sister, he added, “You’ll be free and out of here in no time, Daffy. Mr. Weston will see to it.”

    The worshipping gaze Adrian sent Mr. Weston made Daphne’s lips tighten. Seeing her reaction, Charles grinned, and squatting down near her, he murmured, “April and Adrian have already expressed their sincere gratitude for my help, so I’ll just take yours as a given.”

    She took in a deep breath and putting forth a patently false smile, said, “Why, I thank you, too, sir. We are most grateful for your assistance.”

    Charles almost laughed in her face. For some reason, he appeared to be the last person she wanted to help her, and he found that very interesting, too.

    “How badly are you hurt?” he asked, turning his attention to the matter at hand.

    “I’m not hurt at all,” she said, grateful for the change of subject. “It is just that my wretched foot is firmly caught. Adrian and April tried to move the rocks, but they were not strong enough. The rocks are tightly wedged together.”

    “Well, let us see what can be done,” Charles said, standing upright.

    As she had said, the rocks were wedged