Tallie's Knight Read Free

“I’ve known too many beautiful wives not to realise what a
temptation they are —to others.”
    His subtle reference
was not lost on Laetitia, and to her annoyance she found herself flushing
slightly under his ironic gaze. She would have liked to fling his request in
his even white teeth. However, a diamond necklace, earrings and a bracelet were
not to be looked in the mouth.
    Even if Lord d’Arenville’s
bride was.
    “I’ll do my best,”
she said sourly.
     
     
    The black knight
reached down, caught her around the waist and lifted her onto his gallant
charger, up and away, out of reach of the slavering wolves snapping at her
heels.
    “Begone you vicious
curs!” he shouted in a thrillingly deep, manly voice. “This tender morsel is
not for you!”
    His arms tightened
around her, protectively, tenderly, possessively.
    “Hold on, my pretty
one, I have you safe now,” he murmured in her ear, his warm breath stirring the
curls at her nape. “And now I have you, Tallie, my little love, I’ll never let
you go.”
    Clasping her hard
against his broad, strong chest, he lowered his mouth to hers.
    “Miss? Miss Tallie?
Are you all right?”
    Tallie jerked out of
her reverie with a start. The buttons she had been sorting spilled out over the
table and she scrabbled hurriedly to retrieve them. Brooks, her cousin’s
elderly butler, and Mrs. Wilmot, the housekeeper, were bending over her,
concerned.
    “Oh, yes, yes,
perfectly,” Tallie, blushing, hastened to assure them. “I was in a silly daze —miles
away, I’m afraid. Was there something you wanted?”
    Brooks proffered a
letter on a silver tray.
    “A letter, Miss
Tallie. From the mistress.”
    Tallie smiled. Brooks
still behaved as if he were in charge of the grand London mansion, instead of stuck away in the
country house belonging to Tallie’s cousin Laetitia. Tallie took the letter
from the tray and thanked him. Dear Brooks —as if she were the lady of the house,
receiving correspondence in the parlour, instead of a poor relation, dreaming
foolish dreams over a jar of old buttons. She broke open the wafer and began to
read.
    “Oh, no!” Tallie
closed her eyes as a sudden surge of bitterness rushed through her. She had
assumed that with Christmas over, and Laetitia and George returned to Town, she
and the children would be left in peace for several months at least.
    “What is it, Miss
Tallie? Bad news?”
    “No, no —or at least
nothing tragic, at any rate.” Tallie hastened to reassure the elderly
housekeeper. She glanced across at Brooks, and explained. “Cousin Laetitia
writes to say she is holding a house party here. We are to make all the
arrangements for the accommodation and entertainment of six or seven young
ladies and their mothers, possibly a number of fathers also. Five or six other
gentlemen may be invited, too; she is not yet decided. And there is to be a
ball at the end of two weeks.” Tallie looked at Brooks and Mrs. Wilmot, shook
her head in mild disbelief, and took a deep drink of the tea grown cold at her elbow.
    Mrs. Wilmot had been
counting.
    “Accommodation and
entertainment for up to twenty-five or six of the gentry, and almost twice that
number of servants if we just count on a valet or maidservant for each
gentleman or lady. Lawks, Miss Tallie, I don’t know how we’ll ever manage. When
is this house party to be, did she say?”
    Tallie nodded, a look
of dire foreboding in her eyes.
    “The guests will
start arriving on Tuesday next. Cousin Laetitia will come the day before, to
make sure everything is in order.”
    “Tuesday next?
Tuesday next! Lord, miss, whatever shall we do? Arrangements for sixty or more
people to stay, arriving on Tuesday next! We will never manage it! Never.”
    Tallie took a deep
breath.
    “Yes, we will, Mrs.
Wilmot. We have no choice —you know that. However, my cousin has, for once,
considered the extra work it will entail for you both and all the other
servants.”
    “And for you,