Angel's Touch Read Free

with
lines of suffering that ran down to a well-shaped mouth,
tight-lipped at this moment, and a resolute chin. It was his eyes,
so dark as to be almost black, that were his most striking
attribute, attractive even as they burned with the anger that he
turned back on the boy.
    ‘ Well, Braxted?’ he repeated, in a voice that was not the less
threatening for its quiet control. ‘Your pranks are one thing, and
to be discussed between us at some more convenient time. But to be
involving your little sister in them goes beyond the line of what
may be tolerated.’
    He paused, but the
boy, though he raised his blue orbs to stare defiantly up into that
smouldering gaze, had nothing to say.
    ‘ I
trust,’ continued the man softly, ‘I make myself plain?’
    ‘ Yes, sir,’ the boy asserted gruffly.
    ‘ Upon my word!’ Verity exclaimed, entering the lists as the
implications of this speech burst in upon her. ‘And I trust, sir,’
she said, rounding on the young man in righteous indignation, ‘that
you will take the trouble to enquire more particularly into this
affair before you inflict the dreadful punishment that I suspect to
be in your mind.’
    Taken aback, the young
man jerked round to face her. He almost tripped up in his clumsy
haste and had to support himself with his cane. The liveried
servant behind him sprang forward to his assistance, but he waved
him away without a backward glance. It was evident that he had not
even noticed Verity standing there, but the look of surprise was
swiftly succeeded by one of scarcely veiled annoyance.
    ‘ And
what, ma’am,’ he demanded icily, ‘has this affair in any way to do
with you?’
    ‘ I will tell you,’ Verity declared at once,
not in the least deterred by his manner. ‘I happen to be in
possession of the true facts of the matter, having come upon the
scene a few moments before yourself. I would have supposed, sir,
that anyone with the least degree of common sense must perceive at
once that the boy is far too protective of his sister to be likely
to implicate her in any pranks he might play. And in this instance,
as you would have known had you troubled yourself to ask the child
before flinging accusations at his head in that—that brutish fashion, there was no prank in the
case.’
    Then, without giving her astonished auditor an opportunity to
open his mouth, Miss Lambourn dropped down to the boy’s level and
grasped him urgently by the shoulders.
    ‘ My dear young friend, do, I beg of
you, think for a
moment. I dare say it is all very brave and manly for you to take the blame for
something which is in no way your fault, but you cannot have
thought the question through. Only consider. Another time you may
not be at hand to see the danger, and what if the nurse should be
so careless when you are not by to dash so gallantly to the rescue?
Then you would have cause to blame yourself indeed. For by your
keeping silent, you know, the nurse will never be corrected, for I cannot
think that she will confess her fault.’
    The
boy Braxted looked much struck by this, and, grasping his hands and
smiling coaxingly at him, Verity added, ‘What good can it possibly
do for you meekly to accept a punishment which you have done
nothing to deserve? Indeed, only misery can come from such a gross
injustice. To you, perhaps to your sister and the nurse. And
indeed—’ with a fleeting glance up at the stern countenance above
her ‘—to your mentor himself. I wish, dear friend, you will think better
of it and tell him everything.’
    Braxted now also cast
a quick look up at the young man standing silently by. He noted
that the features had relaxed, and the dark eyes had lost their
fire. His stiffness melted and he grinned suddenly.
    ‘ Well, I will, then. I like to have a friend like
you.’
    Verity smiled and pressed his hands before releasing them. ‘I
am glad. I hope we may meet again.’
    She
rose and turned to look again at the young man. Like Braxted, she
saw that the