Free Brash by Margo Maguire Page A

upstairs with me and we’ll have a fine toss—”
    A sudden, massive blast knocked Sally to the floor with James on top of her. It was powerful enough to burst the windows in the tavern, causing everyone to take cover. As soon as they realized they were not under fire, the questions began, along with shouting and pushing to get out.
    James came to his feet and attempted to sober himself, but found he could not. He felt cotton-headed and wobbly as he pulled Sally to her feet. She was as dazed as he, and James suddenly realized he didn’t even know now long Lang had been gone.
    Lang!
    Oh, Christ, where was he? James staggered through the crowd to the door and pushed his way outside. He tried to focus his eyes, but they did not cooperate. Still, he could see that one or perhaps more of the warehouses at the far end of the wharf were burning wildly. Unstoppably. The near wall of the closest building had blown out completely. Good God, it must have been stores of munitions.
    James wiped his hand across his face and began to search the vicinity for signs of Lang. Where in hell had he gone?

CHAPTER TWO

    West Sussex, England. Late March, 1816.
    Stella Barrington took one last look in the mirror and drew out a few soft curls to frame the sides of her face. It was a foolish vanity, she knew, and completely unwarranted. James Norris was coming to see Virginia, not her.
    Hardly anyone noticed her face or form once they realized she was lame. As though that made her somehow less. Lieutenant Norris was no different from the rest. He greeted her cordially every time they met, but he never had eyes for anyone but her sister.
    Breathing deeply, Stella pressed one hand to her breast and told herself it didn’t matter. Once Virginia married James, Stella could forget about him and let her heart move on. Her father had promised her a season of sorts in London this year – after a great deal of badgering, of course. Stella knew her father’s reticence was not out of stinginess. He did not want her to be hurt.
    But Stella knew she could hold her own in any drawing room. Perhaps not on a dance floor, but how much dancing was required of a wife?
    That’s all she wanted. To become wife to a decent man, and bear his children. To feel his regard and affection. To experience the love and respect of her children.
    Stella wanted not to be known merely as the crippled maiden aunt of her sister and brother’s children. That was a fate she could not abide.
    She did not expect she could ever garner the romantic attentions of a dashing fellow such as Lieutenant Norris. He was tall with broad shoulders and light hair the color of sand, with strands of gold shot through. Each time she’d seen him his skin had been bronzed by the sun, causing his eyes to appear lighter than a normal blue. To Stella, they were the color of a pale blue sky. His features were as manly as one would expect in a naval officer, hard and square, and so handsome the sight of his visage nearly took her breath away.
    But men like James Norris did not take note of women like Stella. He was Virginia’s, if she wanted him.
    Of course Virginia would. And her absence from Barrington Manor would only make Lieutenant Norris more interested. When he learned that Virginia and their parents had removed to Brighton to see to her ailing grandmother, he would cut short his visit. With apologies, of course. And perhaps he would even find a reason to stop at Brighton before returning to his ship.
    Stella had seen it happen before. Young men tripping over their tongues for a moment of Virginia’s attention.
    Lieutenant Norris should have arrived at Barrington Manor by now, for it was nearly dark. Stella had to suppress a shiver of disappointment at the possibility that the lieutenant might have already gotten wind of Virginia’s changed location. Perhaps he’d already detoured to Brighton and would not be coming to Barrington Manor at all.
    Stella rarely used a walking stick these days,