Jane Feather - Charade, Unknown [great novels to read TXT] 📗

and made her waydownstairs and out into the cool remnants of daylight.

Linton, furious with himself for having provoked her unnecessarily,stripped, washed, and changed his clothes. It was amazing what a cleanshirt and a fresh cravat could do for a man's temper and, in a muchimproved frame of mind, he went in search first of his urchin and thenof the burgundy. He ran his quarry to earth in the large stone-flaggedkitchen addressing a bowl of milk and a huge chunk of cheese whilstregaling the motherly landlady with some distinctly ribald stories.

The woman's fat cheeks shook with laughter as she stirred the aromaticcontents of a pot on the vast range. "Oh, you ought to be ashamed ofyourself, young man," she protested halfheartedly. "Such stories on thetongue of a babe!"

"Now what have you been up to, brat?" Linton lounged in the kitchendoorway.

Danny leapt instantly to her feet, her own temper much restored by thesatisfaction of the inner self. "Oh, Milord, just imagine. Madame herewas so sorry to hear of the loss of my cloakbag that she has offered mea suit of her youngest son's clothing. He's grown out of them, you see."

"Well, that is indeed kind of madame," the earl murmured, his eyesglinting with amusement—trust this indomitable creature to solve herown problems. "Perhaps you would like to change, then. I shall requireyou to wait at table when I dine."

"You'come on back to the kitchen afterwards, then, lad," madame saidwarmly, "and you can have your supper with our lads. We've a goodrabbit stew waiting."

Danielle did not care for rabbit stew at the best of times, andparticularly not when compared with the delicate repast being preparedfor his lordship's delectation. However, she need not have worried.Linton had no intention of allowing Danielle de St. Varennes to spendthe evening in the company of stablehands and pot boys, whatever herexperiences in recent weeks.

"You are too kind, madame," he broke in smoothly, "but the boy remainswith me. He may dine at my table when I have finished. We must make anearly start in the morning and I wish him to have a clear head."

The landlady looked surprised but approving. Such concern for thehealth and morals of very youthful servants was unusual but gratifying.

"I'll fetch those clothes for you then, m'dear, and you bring thoseyou're wearing back down here and

I'll have them good as new by themorning." She bustled off leaving the earl to reflect that his vagabondcould clearly charm the birds off the trees if she put her mind to it.In fact, the charming of farmers'

wives was one of Danielle's stocks intrade, learned as a lonely child roaming the vast estates, frequentlyfrom sunup to sundown. She'd shared many a peasant meal over the years,repayed with coin or kind, whatever happened to be available to her atthe time.

The landlady's son was clearly a lot fatter than Danielle and thebritches showed an alarming reluctance

to stay up over the slenderhips. Frowning, she rummaged through the portmanteau—the Earl of Lintonobviously did not have such problems; there was nothing remotelyresembling a belt or cord. With a resigned shrug she broached the stackof snow-white cravats, twisted one into a strip with a rough brutalitythat would have made its owner wince, and tied it securely around thewaist of the offending garment. Hardly elegant, but it would have to do.

Her arrival in the private parlor caused his lordship a moment of acutepain as he wrestled with laughter, amazement at her ingenuity andirritation that she should so calmly have rifled his possessions.

"You might have asked, Danny," he expostulated. "That is a most hideousabuse of a perfectly good cravat!"

"Would you have had me come down in my small clothes to do so, milord?"she retorted.

That was an image Linton preferred to put from his mind. "Well, atleast you are clean and relatively tidy again," he conceded, seatinghimself at the laden table. "I have informed our host that I do notwish to be disturbed unless I ring, so I think you may safely come totable."

The meal was simple, a single course, as was to be expected in acountry inn, but the wild mushrooms in the

mousse aux

champignons

reverberated on the palate, the delicate texture of the dish ofartichokes pleased the eye as much as the taste buds and providedperfect accompaniment to the succulent river trout swimming in butter,crisped with almonds. Danielle surveyed the haunch of venison and shookher head regretfully as her companion offered her a slice. The rich,cheesy gratin of thinly sliced potatoes was also rejected, promptingthe earl to remark, "Those britches will never fit you if you continueto eat so circumspectly."

"Last night, my lord, you were cautioning me to eat sparingly. Mybelly, as you said, is not used to riches. I would hate to subject youto a night of nursing."

"You are an incorrigible wretch, Danielle de St. Varennes. Have youever been short of an answer?" Linton sat back in the carved chair,sipping his wine as he regarded her with interest.

"I am not normally required to look for them quite so hard, milord,"Danielle replied sweetly.

The earl gave a shout of laughter. He would like to spend the rest ofthe evening fencing with this sharp tongue, this quick wit, thisexquisite creature whose beauty at this moment was barely hidden by theridiculous clothes. Those enormous eyes danced with the readiness torespond to challenge and something else that he did not want to seeright now—a naturally flirtatious awareness of her femininity. The fulllips of that adorable mouth curved in impish anticipation of hisresponse and a soft glow suffused the delicate ivory of her cheeks.

"If you've finished your dinner, brat, I should be obliged if you wouldseek your bed."

The heart-shaped face fell. Hurt, quickly masked, flashed in the velvetdepths of her eyes as Danielle rose instantly. "As you command,milord." With a mock leg she left the room, leaving Justin