A Duke in Shining Armor Read Free Page B

almost get yourselves beat to death.  Seems you and he decided to partake a little too heavy of the spirits the other night and somehow found it would be acceptable to proposition the bartenders daughter in a not so lady like fashion.” 
    Clint laid back and closed his eyes.  “Oh, what I thinking going off with that man, when will I ever learn?”  Tom stood up and stretched.  “No better time than the present I always say.”  He walked across the room and opened the door to quietly speak to someone out in the hall.  He shut the door and returned to Clint’s bedside.  “I have just informed the maid she may go tell Jon you are finally awake, so he can make his way down here.  Clint was confused.  “Finally awake?" What do you mean finally awake?”
    Tom lit his cigar and took a long drag before replying.  “You have been unconscious for a full three days.” Tom told him smoothly.
    “Three bleeding days?” Clint exclaimed.
    “I daresay I was beginning to wonder if I should summon your mother to your bedside, you started to worry me.” Tom said as he rose to answer the door when two loud knocks rang out.
      Tom swung the door open wide and put his arm out leading Jon in who was nursing what looked to be broken ribs.  “Clint, my friend, glad to see you finally back among the living.” Jon cheerfully chirped.  Clint shot him a cold look.
      “Really Jon, one day you are going to get us both killed with your crude advances to women”
    Jon threw his head back and laughed. “Me?” he exclaimed, “Did that bump on your head cause you memory lapse? I was not the one trying to convince the girl to be my mistress!”
                    Clint threw the covers back and made to stand.  A wave of dizziness washed over him.  He immediately sat back on the bed.  “When I recover from this Jon, I am going to throttle you.” he growled.  Jon burst into another round of laughter.
      “Well see to it you recover quickly. We are already behind on schedule, I hope The Blue Lioness still has a place for us to stay, we will leave at first light.”  Jon slowly limped out of the room flashing Clint a toothy grin before Tom shut the door behind him.   
    Tom walked to the bed slowly shaking his head.  “I will go order you some dinner, once you eat and wash up you need to rest for the night so we can be on our way, the people in this town are not too happy that you have continued to be holed up in their inn.”  Clint glared at Tom.
      “You do not believe that this is my fault?” he asked through clinched teeth. 
    “Well seeing as how half the town wanted you run through for asking the lovely young Lauren, who is ten and five by the way, to be your mistress, I guess I do believe this was your doing.”   Clint laid back on his pillow and let out a load groan.  “Bloody hell.” He muttered.

 
    Chapter 3
    Emily peered around the corner holding her breath as she listened to her aunt rant at her Uncle Albert in their upstairs study.  The Duke and his party failed to show on schedule and her aunt went on the worst tirade she had ever witnessed.
      Just last night she had struck Emily so hard she lost consciousness.  Jeb found her on the ground by the back steps where she had fell and got Mrs. Howard the cook for the club to see about her.  Her face on one side was completely black and blue.
      “Albert, if your good for nothing sister had not gotten herself in the family way by that foul heathen, none of this would have turned out the way it has!  Evelyn threw a book across the room for good measure.
      Albert Turner peered at his wife over his wire rimmed glasses and snorted.  “I always told father she was a whore, but he would not accept it until the little tramp went and got scandal attached to our name by getting a child upon her before marriage.” He run his hands over his stout gut and wheezed as he reached for his glass of whiskey.
      “Moncrief was a fool for