Free Miss Carlyle's Curricle: Signet Regency Romance (InterMix) by Karen Harbaugh Page A

she could. “At least I can rest easy at night, knowing, however little I or anyone else could have done, that I could at least give my uncle some comfort before he died.”
    “I suppose it is useful to be strong-minded,” Sir James replied, looking her up and down, and his tone made Diana feel as if it was vulgar to be so strong.
    Formidable.
Suddenly she remembered her conversation with Lord Brisbane; there had been admiration in his voice when he had said the word. Her anger fled, and she smiled, feeling quite cheerful. “Yes, it is very useful. It would have served no one well if I had had the vapors or had gone into strong hysterics.”
    “Indeed,” Sir James said, and looked away, obviously bored. But Diana did not take offense at his manner. In fact she felt unexpectedly lighthearted. Why should she care what Sir James thought of her? Her own mother had not kept her from attending the race, for though Mrs. Carlyle herself did not like such things, she did not think it improper. If her mother—a gentle lady of good conscience and decorum—did not think it amiss for her to be present at her uncle’s race, who was Sir James to criticize? Indeed, there were more important things to attend to at the moment—such as the location of the head groom.
    “But this triviality has sidetracked me,” she said. “If you do not know where McKinney is, then perhaps he approached Lord Brisbane with his resignation.” She frowned, and they stepped into the stable.
    Sir James turned a slightly more interested gaze upon her. “You discussed it between yourselves?” He gestured to a stableboy who took the mare from him.
    “Lord Brisbane brought McKinney’s absence to my attention, in fact,” she said, turning to the stall that held her own horse. Lightning raised his head at her voice and nickered softly, making Diana smile.
    “Indeed, our conversation almost followed the one between you and me—”
Except that it had a quite different ending, to be sure!
Diana thought, and reached into the stall with a bit of dried apple. The gelding sniffed it and delicately took it between its lips. Diana patted the horse and shook her head ruefully. “But he did not say whether McKinney approached him at all. . . .” She realized that Lord Brisbane had not mentioned it directly; she had only assumed it from what he had said.
    “A word of warning, cousin.”
    She turned to look questioningly at Sir James and raised her brows at his grim expression.
    “His lordship is not all what he seems,” he said.
    She smiled slightly. “Oh, I know that. He is not as lazy as he makes himself out to be.”
    “Far from it,” Sir James replied. “Have you not wondered why it was that you have never heard of Mr. Sinclair until now? Do you know anything of his background or where he came from?”
    Diana gazed at him, startled. “Well, I know he has been in trade . . .” she said slowly. Did she know? She had guessed it from Lord Brisbane’s conversation, and he had said she was very perceptive. He had not, really, confirmed it.
    “A common merchant,” Sir James said. “More or less.” There was a bit of a sneer in his voice. “Possibly less—a nobody.”
    Anger shot through her, quick and hot. “Oh, my,” she said sweetly. “Do I hear regret? Even envy? How inconvenient for you that Gavin appeared to oust you from your inheritance.” Her voice turned hard. “You would do well not to spread rumors regarding Lord Brisbane. It cannot do your consequence any good, for everyone shall know you have been expecting to inherit, and what a comedown that will be for you!”
    Black fury in Sir James’s eyes made Diana take a sudden step back, rustling the hay at her feet, and her horse moved uneasily in its stall. Then the expression was gone, and a thin smile appeared instead.” ‘Gavin,’ is it? Well, well. I see where your interests lie. What a nice performance you gave at the library. I was almost fooled. But you are no different