Jane Feather - Charade Unknown (great books to read .TXT) 📖

It was the first week of June before the messenger arrived bearing ashort, uninformative note from Linton stating simply that he wouldarrive at Mervanwey within three days of their receipt of thiscommunication and he hoped he would find them well.

"But he doesn't even say if he reached Languedoc, or what has happenedat Versailles... or anything!" Danielle exclaimed in frustration and afair degree of pique that the terse note had carried no special messagefor her.

"Patience, my love. You will hear all from Linton himself in just ashort time. You are twisting those ribbons into a veritable bird'snest," Lady Lavinia scolded gently. "I will instruct Betsy to makehaste

with the green silk—it will be just the thing for you to wear togreet His Lordship."

Danielle, however, had other ideas—ideas that were fortunately notimparted to Lady Lavinia who might otherwise have succumbed for thefirst time in her sensible life to a fit of the vapors.

Thus it was that in the late afternoon of the third day, Justin, Earlof Linton, traveling this time in the comfort of his ownwell-sprung coach, was startled out of a deep and exceedingly pleasantreverie concerned with the awakening of the tenderer emotions in thebosom of one Danielle de St. Varennes by the crack of a pistol shot, analarmed yell from his coachman, and the sudden, violent halt of theconveyance. A quick thought for the wooden box beneath his seat and hisown pistol was in his hands as he reached for the door handle. The nextinstant, a very familiar voice reached his ears.

"For God's sake, man! You are quite cow-handed. Look to your horsesbefore the leader throws a trace. They would not have plunged like thatif you had not jabbed at them in such an idiotish fashion!"

Replacing his pistol in the small pocket of his waistcoat the earl letdown the window and regarded the slight figure, still castigating theclumsy coachman, with considerable exasperation.

"Danny, you incorrigible wretch! Come over here this instant."

He couldn't see her face, hidden as it was behind a black silk loomask, but his eyes were riveted to the still smoking flintlock pistolin her hand.

"How dare you, Danny! Give me that pistol."

Danielle pulled off her mask showing him a pair of brightly laughingeyes. "It is quite all right, milord. I am considered an excellentshot, you should know." And with total ease she slid the pistol backinto her belt. "I have been used to handling firearms forever, and ifyour idiot of a coachman had not reacted so foolishly there would havebeen no discomfort to anyone. Did you get sadly jolted, sir? I reallydid not intend for that to happen. I fired well over their heads."

Linton, rendered momentarily speechless, merely looked at her andslowly the laughter faded from her eyes.

"I see you are cross now, milord. It was just a prank, something

un peuamusant, n'est-ce-pas?

"

"It was not at all amusing," His Lordship informed her bluntly.

"Oh." Her, bottom lip disappeared between her teeth. "It seemed so whenI thought of it—to hold you

up for my own property. You do have it, do you not, milord?"

Laughter welled deep in Lord Linton's powerful chest but was severelyrepressed. "I have the property

of the Lady Danielle de St. Varennes,nothing that belongs to a hoyden who considers playing at highwayman

'unpeu amusant.'

I shallexpect to meet with Danielle de St. Varenneswithin the half hour."

"Perhaps within the hour, sir?" A pair of slender eyebrows archeddelicately.

"Certainly no longer."

Danielle tugged her cap down over her eyes, gave him a grin of puremischief, and turned the dappled mare, riding low over the saddle asthey disappeared into the trees bordering the path. "All right, George.If the horses are quieted, pray let us continue."

The coachman leant from from his box peering around the side of thecoach. "Just let me get my hands on that lad," he muttered direly."I'll dust his jacket for him!"

"I know the feeling, George," His Lordship sighed, and pulled up thewindow again as the coach moved forward.

Lady Lavinia greeted him with pleasure not unmixed with consternationas she confided that Danielle had not been seen all day. "She has beenvery restless these last weeks—I think the lack of news has botheredher greatly," she explained, taking his arm and leading him into thedrawing room.

"I am confident, ma'am, that she will make an appearance very shortly,"he replied easily and Her Ladyship was instantly soothed, although shecould not imagine why.

Meanwhile, Danielle was tearing off her riding clothes, throwing out abewildering series of commands to the placid girl assigned to wait onher.

"The pink and white taffeta, Hetty, quickly. No, no, the striped onewith the cherry velvet knots. You must do my hair like you did theother night, with the curls over the ears, but I must bathe. Oh, butthere is no time, damnation! Why did I have that so stupid idea?"Naked, Danielle strode to the porcelain tub and began swiftly to scrubherself, dipping briefly under the water before holding out imperativehands

for the towel.

Hetty had long since become used to her young mistress's immodesty inprancing around the chamber in her bare skin, heedless of thesensibilities of a servant girl who believed firmly that bathing was adangerous business at the best of times and when utterly necessaryshould be pursued only when clad in an undervest. One did not seeoneself naked, let alone allow others to do so! However, waiting on theLady Danielle was not an arduous task and indeed provided considerableamusement, and she was a considerate and most generous mistress whorarely allowed her own low spirits to affect those around her.

It was just within the hour set by the earl when Danielle appeared inthe drawing room. Her hair, while still unfashionably short, had grownconsiderably in the last weeks and was now dressed in soft ringletscaught up over her ears and falling softly to