Love Alters Not Read Free Page B

been riding all night?”
    â€œWaiting,” he groaned. “His lordship went out to help a poor Jacobite gentleman who’d been hounded as far as Silchester and was too weak to keep on.”
    She felt chilled as her worst fears were realized. “When was this?”
    â€œTwo days since, Miss Dimity.” He clutched at her wrist frantically. “He should’ve been home within hours! The troopers are thick throughout the Downland, and— Miss, I’m that scared! ”
    â€œThis Jacobite he was to help,” she said, holding his shaking hand tightly. “Is he of extreme importance? I think I never have heard of so determined an effort to take a rebel.”
    â€œHe is—” he coughed again, then gasped out, “of great importance. And if they’ve took his lordship, his head will be on Temple Bar before—”
    Her heart quailing to that terrible apprehension, she cried, “Hush! Do not even think so terrible a thing! Now, tell me, did you go to Silchester?”
    â€œCouldn’t get nowhere near it! Troopers everywhere. Milord said if anything went wrong, he’d make for The Teacup. He thought your brother might help was he in dire straits. But—I’ve been waiting there since last night, with never a sight of him. I began to think perhaps he’d slipped past me and come here, and—and then I started to feel poorly, so…”
    â€œSo you came to us. Just as you should. Very well, I will wake my brother and he will send help to his lordship. Sleep now, and try not to worry.” She smiled kindly, tucked the blankets closer around his chin, and went out, closing the door on his broken expressions of gratitude.
    In the kitchen, she stood motionless. Horatio Glendenning was indeed more than a distant cousin to them all. A blithe, good-natured young man, he had seemed from boyhood to prefer their simple home to the vast estates to which he was heir. Her earliest memories included him: laughter, companionship, happy expeditions, growing up—and Tio. Dear Tio.… He was so much in love with her. And he was the man her brothers hoped she would marry. Certainly, such a union would solve all their financial woes. Only … it was childish of course, but she clung to a wistful longing to lose her heart to the man she would marry. The viscount was good-looking, brave, honourable, and deeply devoted, and she loved him as one loves an old and dear friend. Not as a husband. With equal certainty she knew that if any one of the Cranfords was in trouble, Glendenning would not hesitate for an instant to risk his life in their behalf. No less must be done for him.
    She hurried into the hall only to hesitate again by the dining room door. Her first impulse had been to ask Peregrine to send some of the men out to search, but she saw now that it would not do. Perry was as reckless as he was brave. He would be out of bed if he had to crawl, strap on that wretched artificial foot and rush off, likely breaking his neck this time, rather than turning his ankle.
    Distraught, she turned back toward the kitchen. But to go out to the coach-house, over which dwelt the grooms, seemed even less satisfactory. If she asked Sudbury, the head groom who also served as coachman, he would volunteer without an instant of hesitation. So would young Peale, the under-groom; or Billy, the stableboy; or Peddars, their solitary footman. Only—Tio, bless him, was deep in Jacobite trouble, which was treason. And the penalty for aiding a traitor—especially a fugitive “of great importance”—was death in its most hideous form. One did not ask one’s servants to take such dreadful risks.
    And yet—what else was she to do? Unless …
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    The rain eased at about two o’clock, but although it no longer poured down, the fall was steady and, with the continuing flashes of brilliant lightning and the distant growling