Free Less Than a Gentleman by Kerrelyn Sparks Page A

of the flowers wavered before her eyes, and she blinked. She’d been laboring in the heat for too long.
    “Are you all right? You look a little pale.”
    “I—I’m fine. I hope my behavior this morning didn’t cause . . .” Her voice drifted off. Why did she feel so odd, so empty? She hardly knew the man.
    Jane watched her closely. “He’s a handsome man, don’t you think?”
    “I . . . suppose. What will happen to him?”
    Jane smiled. “Don’t worry, dear. He’ll return soon. He’s rather . . . attached to this place.”
    Did that mean he was an indentured servant like Betsy? What were his duties exactly? He certainly didn’t appear to have any experience as a butler. As curious as Caroline was, she was reluctant to ask Jane about him. She didn’t want to admit how much he dominated her thoughts.
    Her gaze wandered to the latticework that he’d climbed the night before. She hadn’t dared tell anyone that she’d found herself wrestling in bed with a naked man.
    “I’ve been meaning to apologize,” Jane said softly. “I understand you were rudely awakened last night.”
    Caroline gasped. Had Haversham confessed his crime? Surely he hadn’t mentioned the part about their wrestling?
    Jane concentrated on her garden gloves as she removed them. “He assured me that nothing happened.”
    “Exactly. Nothing happened. And Haversham apologized.” Heat flooded Caroline’s face. Why was she defending him?
    Jane gave her a sympathetic look. “Still, after all you’ve been through, it must have frightened you.” She dropped her gloves into her basket. “These are dangerous times, so we lock the house up at night. The only way Haversham could enter was to climb the latticework. He thought the bedchamber was unoccupied.”
    “I see.” Though Caroline wondered why he had jumped to the conclusion that she was there to trap him into marriage.
    “I wanted to warn you,” Jane continued. “He may need to enter that way again.”
    “I understand,” Caroline assured her. “I’m perfectly happy to sleep in the nursery.”
    Jane shook her head. “It would be too crowded. We’ll move you to the guest room.” She motioned to the small balcony above the morning parlor. “It has a smaller bed, but I believe you’ll be quite comfortable there.”
    The room overlooked the garden like Matthias’s room, but there was no latticework below the balcony. No way to access the room from outside.
    Caroline smiled. “It looks perfect. Thank you.” At last she could look forward to a night of peaceful slumber.

 
    C HAPTER S EV EN
    A n hour after sunset, Matthias eased into the kitchen, surprising Betsy and Dottie as they ate their evening meal. “I hope you have some stew left for me.”
    Dottie grunted as she hefted herself to her feet. “Didn’t you say you’d be gone for a few days? I should have known better than to believe a rascal like you.”
    Matthias grinned as sat at the table. “How could I stay away from your cooking?”
    Dottie’s mouth twitched as she ladled the last of the stew into a bowl. “Somehow I don’t think it’s my cooking that’s brought you here.”
    No, it wasn’t. All day long Matthias had looked forward to confronting the little vixen who had wheedled her way into his house with her lies and deception. By God, he would wring a confession from her before the night was through.
    Betsy set a square of cornbread in front of him. “You smell like smoke.”
    “Aye. We’ve been burning boats and bridges.” He slathered some butter on the cornbread and took a bite. It melted in his mouth. “Damn, Dottie. You’re the best.”
    She snorted as she handed him a bowl of stew. “That is true, but I can’t take credit for the cornbread.”
    He glanced at Betsy, and she shook her head.
    “Miss Ludlow made it.” Betsy poured him a mug of ale.
    “The false Agatha?” He looked askance at the cornbread and nudged the saucer away. “Did she put poison in it?”
    “Don’t be