Free Through Gypsy Eyes by Killarney Sheffield Page B

go for a wander in the woods now and then. Your life is simple and uncomplicated.” Jester opened one eye and sighed before returning to his nap.
    Tyrone stood, undecided whether to interrupt her musing by announcing his presence. Against his better judgment he stayed quiet and listened as she continued her one sided conversation.
    “I am afraid as usual I have made a mess of things.” She buried her head against the pony’s neck. “I have no one to confide in but you, Jester, and you are not much help in matters of the heart I am afraid.” Her shoulders shook and muffled sobs reached Tyrone’s ears.
    Maybe Delilah was not as prickly as she tried to appear. Did her fear and loneliness cause her to shield herself behind a sharp tongue? He couldn’t really blame her for being bitter at the cards fate had dealt her. Her affliction left her unsure and vulnerable, and the loss of her father would have been a deep blow. The obvious solution would be to wed Delilah himself, but that was not possible. He could not honorably cry off his courtship of Miss Deval, even if Delilah would have him, besides, the king would surely frown on the arrangement. The king ordered Tyrone to see Delilah suitably wed, not to court her himself. And there was also the matter of his political aspirations. Miss Deval and the king were his stepping stones to a brilliant political career.
    Tyrone turned away and crept back to the house, unwilling to let Delilah know he witnessed her private thoughts and tears. His ward’s plight deeply troubled him and he felt compelled to ease her fears but was at a loss as to how to go about it.
    When he entered the study his gaze fell on the books he purchased at the village shop. A book of poetry and a sea faring adventure caught his eye and he hoped they would provide a little entertainment for Miss Daysland. He glanced out the window where Delilah still rested curled up to the pony on the grass. Perhaps now might be a good time to read.
    Tyrone scooped up the two books and hurried back outside. This time he took care to make his steps heavy and whistle a jaunty tune to be sure Delilah heard his approach. He noted her wipe the tears from her face with her sleeve under the guise of pushing a lock of hair from her cheek. “Miss Daysland?”
    She cleared her throat. “Yes?”
    “I found a couple books I thought you might enjoy while in the village.”
    A small smile graced her pink lips. “Thank you.” She held out her hand.
    Instead of giving them to her he seated himself across from her on the grass. “Would you like to hear some poetry or a swashbuckling tale of the dangerous sea?”
    A soft giggle, like tiny bells slipped from her lips. “Oh, the sea tale please. I do love a good adventure, though my father said that type of book was not for the likes of a lady.”
    Tyrone could not help but chuckle at her unbridled enthusiasm. “I shall endeavor to skip the most un-lady-like parts then,” he teased hoping to draw another delightful giggle from her.
    Her lips formed a small pout though her eyes twinkled. “Do not dare. Those are the best parts you know.”
    He smiled. “As you wish.” After settling back on his elbow he lay the book on the grass and opened it to the first chapter. “When I first saw the
Percephany
she was anchored in the English Harbor … ”
    Tyrone glanced at Delilah now and again as he read amused by her rapt attention to the tale. Her facial expressions betrayed her emotional involvement in every scene. During an especially tense one she worried her bottom lip between her teeth which he found charming. Before he realized it he was lost in her animated delight.

Chapter Twelve
    Delilah smoothed the brush over Jester’s coat, running the fingertips of her free hand along after to relish the satiny feel of the slicked hairs. Grooming the pony was a welcome respite from the conflicting thoughts swirling around in her mind since reading with the earl the day before. “Your winter