Free Lady Alexandra's Excellent Adventure: A Summersby Tale by Sophie Barnes

down onto her bed. There was no doubt in her mind that this was going to be a very unpleasant assignment indeed.
    M ichael returned to the apartment two hours later still angry, but most of all at himself. Being made a fool did not sit well with him at all.
    Though there had been plenty of signs. They were so easy to recognize now—in hindsight. But he’d ignored every single one of them—the eyes, the voice, the constant need to wear that damnable scarf. He muttered a series of oaths as he yanked the front door open and slammed it shut behind him.
    The most vexing thing of all of course, was that feigning indifference toward Alexandra Summersby would, in all likelihood, prove to be a task of monumental proportions. It was true that she was without a doubt the most annoying female he’d ever met. She cursed like a sailor, dressed like a man, ran about like an unruly child. She was opinionated—insufferably so, in fact. But in spite of all her flaws, he was drawn to her. She didn’t seem to care about what people thought of her and to top it off, she didn’t seem to be at all intimidated by him, as women—indeed, most everyone—oftentimes were. She was refreshing. There it was. He’d never met anyone like her, and it intrigued him. He simply couldn’t help it.
    Returning to the parlor, Michael spotted Ryan reclining in one of the armchairs with a book in his hands. He looked up the minute Michael walked in. “Look . . .” he began. “I owe you an apology, Ashford. Indeed, we both do. It was wrong to deceive you, but we had our orders, just as you have yours.”
    Michael nodded thoughtfully. “I know,” he said with some reluctance. “Perhaps, it might be wise for us to start over.”
    A smile began to tug at Ryan’s lips. “That is awfully big of you,” he said. “And greatly appreciated.”
    Again Michael nodded, then gestured toward the book that Ryan still held. “Anything interesting?” he asked.
    “Just a bit of Shakespeare,” he said, and then gave a wide grin. “ The Taming of the Shrew as it happens. You ought to try it.”
    Michael rolled his eyes. “Is she always like that?” he asked.
    “Pretty much,” Ryan told him.
    “I know that Sir Percy must have had a damn good reason for allowing her to come along, but really . . . I do believe that something must have clouded his better judgment.”
    “He has known us our whole lives, you know. He’s watched Alexandra grow up. In fact, he’s approached Papa before about recruiting her for The Foreign Office. He would not have done so unless he thought she was the very best.”
    “Then why didn’t she join? Something must have stopped her, and I can’t imagine that it was her lack of interest.”
    Ryan grinned. “No, it was not her lack of interest—far from it. It was Papa. He simply wouldn’t allow it.”
    “And she listened to him?” Michael asked with much surprise.
    “She has a great deal of respect for him. In fact, he’s just about the only person that she does listen to.”
    “Well, he was right to forbid her from joining,” Michael said. “I wonder why he changed his mind.”
    “I suppose he must be worried that you might act rashly. He decided to send Alex along as counter balance.”
    “Why not simply send you?”
    Ryan looked momentarily embarrassed. “She’s a better swordsman, shot, equestrian . . . indeed a better soldier than I could ever hope to be”—he paused for a moment—“I don’t begrudge her for it. In fact, I’m very proud of her.”
    She really must be something , Michael thought, if her brother is willing to admit that to someone he has only just met.
    “I admire your honesty,” Michael told him. “Most men would deny that any woman might be better than them at such things. Tell me though. Has she always been so difficult to handle?”
    “I suppose she can be quite a handful, but I wouldn’t say that she is difficult to handle . . . it makes her sound like a spoiled