Free Coming Home by Vonnie Hughes Page B

replied, her lips quirking.
    Colly had no doubt that she’d nursed the ‘not-so-respectable’ types.
It was a relief to be able to talk to a woman who did not take things wrongly, but he would have to watch his step in future.
    Then she voiced his main concern. ‘Sir, what will you tell your employers?’
    Colly sobered. ‘Everything. But they can’t have heard any adverse rumours about me, or they wouldn’t have offered me the stewardship. You’ve met my future employer. John came to visit me in hospital. He speaks several languages and was one of Wellington’s exploring officers. ’
    She thought for a moment. ‘I cannot remember him. I met so many men every week …’ She shrugged.
    â€˜Sounds like a debutante’s dream,’ he commented.
    â€˜What does?’
    â€˜The fact that you met so many men each week.’
    She smiled, then grimaced. ‘I doubt that an English debutante would be interested in the unhappy men I nursed. And that is one thing that worries me.’
    He raised his eyebrows in a question.
    â€˜What will my relatives think of me? Through having to work for my living I have become very independent. I am probably not what they expect.’ She sighed. ‘I might be very unpopular until I learn to behave correctly.’
    He frowned. ‘You know my opinion,’ he said. ‘Relatives are the very devil. Keep away from them. They will disappoint you.’
    â€˜For heaven’s sake, Brigade-Major! Just because you’ve had an unfortunate time with your relatives does not mean that mine are cut from the same cloth.’
    Colly’s heart sank. She was setting great store by a couple of letters written a long time ago. No doubt the hope of reaching England to see her relatives had held her together during the hard times. He could understand a dream like that. But he would hate to see all her anticipatory sparkle and family loyalty quenched by a bunch of disapproving, mealy-mouthed relations.
    â€˜They should be honoured to have you come and live with them, Juliana. You are an accomplished and beautiful young woman.’
    There was a short silence. Colly felt the heat spreading from his neck up to his face. That would teach him to blurt out what he was thinking. Would he never learn to keep his tongue between his teeth?
    â€˜Th-thank you.’ She looked shocked, almost disbelieving.
    â€˜I meant what I said,’ he growled. He felt her trying to examine his averted face, so he said hastily, ‘I believe your new maid will be waiting
for you.’ He hadn’t dared say, ‘waiting to prepare you for bed,’ because beds were a topic that he and Juliana avoided.
    He stood up. ‘Good evening, Juliana.’ And he strode off to his bedchamber.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
    T WO DAYS LATER their hired carriage rumbled through the busy streets of Southampton and swung on to the Bristol road. Juliana sat with her new maid, Tilly, on one side of the carriage, and Colly and his greatcoat lounged in solitary splendour on the other.
    Juliana eyed him. He looked every inch the man about town now. His uniforms were stuffed into his portmanteau and he was wearing clothes he had purchased in Portsmouth and Southampton. It seemed he intended to set his army days behind him. Portsmouth might not boast such exalted tailors as London, but they had done a very good job with Mr Colwyn Hetherington – very good indeed. He looked delectable enough to eat. Biscuit-coloured pantaloons stretched over muscular thighs; a plain dove-grey waistcoat hugged his chest (she was jealous of it), and the boots – ah, the boots! The new black boots looked magnificent on his long legs. Sigh.
    His demeanour now was a far cry from when she had first met him, so long ago. Her gazed fixed on his boots, she remembered how he had been brought to the hospital on a litter by several of his men. Belligerent, his arms flailing in all directions,