Carnal Gift

Carnal Gift Read Free Page A

Book: Carnal Gift Read Free
Author: Pamela Clare
Tags: Historical Romance
Ads: Link
in Virginia, and Sheff had joined his father in London. Now Jamie had come back to Britain to handle some delicate business on behalf of his brother-in-law, Alec Kenleigh. Alec had stayed behind in Virginia to be with Cassie, Jamie’s sister, who was with child and nearing her time. Despite the pressing nature of this business, Alec had refused to leave her.
    Jamie had used the trip as an excuse to arrange a visit with his old friend. Truth be told, Jamie needed Sheff’s support—and his connections. The Colonies were at war. Ever since the French had forced Washington’s surrender at Fort Necessity last July, the call from Pennsylvania to Virginia had been “Join or Die.”
    Jamie had been there, had fought in the hail of French bullets that had turned the hastily built stockade into a hell of blood-soaked mud. While he had escaped with a minor wound where a bullet had bit into his shoulder, a third of their company had died. Sometimes at night he could still hear their agonized cries, smell the blood and the gunpowder, hear the crack of enemy gunfire.
    While many people still felt the war could be fought and won on land, some prominent colonists—Benjamin Franklin among them—felt sea power would be the key. Control the great rivers and lakes of the north, and Britain could cut off French supply lines. Waging war on the water would also draw French troops away from the frontier, where unprotected British families farmed the land. Alec was ready to provide specially built ships for the endeavor, but so far Parliament seemed more concerned with affairs on the Continent and had little consideration to spare for the Colonies. Jamie had come as an official representative from Virginia to encourage the use of naval vessels and to urge Alec’s contacts in Lords and Commons to move toward a declaration of war in the Colonies. Jamie forced his thoughts away from war, back to the landscape. “The countryside is more fair than I’d imagined from your stories of it.”
    Sheff gave a noncommittal grunt, adjusted his hat and the powdered wig beneath it. “It would be fairer still were it not full of barbaric Irish. It’s a pity Cromwell didn’t kill them all. Then again, who would pay my rents if he had?” Jamie bit back his retort, chose his words carefully. “I’ve met my share of Irishmen in the Colonies. They seem as civilized as Englishmen of their class.” Sheff chuckled. “I knew you’d say something like that.” Edward shouted commands to the servants who restrained the deerhounds, and the dogs were loosed. Amidst a din of yaps and howls, the animals dashed downhill toward the forest.
    They’d ridden far from the manor this morning on the trail of servants who’d been tracking a suitable stag all night. Their path had led them to this hilly region with hedgerows and patches of dark forest. Jamie enjoyed the sport of hunting. Even more, he enjoyed what it brought to his table. But growing up in Virginia, he’d learned a very different type of hunting, one that pitted man against animal in a contest of skill and instinct. To chase an animal down with dogs and dispatch it from horseback hardly seemed worthy of a grown man.
    “Jamie, my friend, tonight we shall dine on venison.”
    Sheff smiled and spurred his mount forward with a shout.
    Jamie loosed his stallion’s reins and urged him on.
    “Time to show what you can do, old boy.” The stallion lunged forward and within seconds passed Sheff’s mount. Arabian blood flowed through Hermes’s veins. He loved nothing more than to run. Jamie felt cool air rush over his face as Hermes raced downhill in pursuit of the dogs. Mist closed in around them, cool and wet against Jamie’s skin. The fog was not as dense as it had seemed from above, and he found he could see some distance through the trees. Still, Jamie gave Hermes his head, knowing the horse would better sense unseen obstacles than he.
    From ahead came the sound of splashing water. Jamie thought he

Similar Books

Vertigo

Pierre Boileau

Old Green World

Walter Basho

City Of Bones

Michael Connelly

Moon Craving

Lucy Monroe

Maisie Dobbs

Jacqueline Winspear

Gingerbread

Rachel Cohn

A SEAL to Save Her

Karen Anders