apologies, Lady Kirkswood," Raj said quietly, his blue eyes guarded as he bowed to the marchioness. "I didn't mean to frighten you."
A relieved smile settled on Louisa's lips as her heart slowed to its usual rhythm. "You didn't frighten me, Mr. Fitzsimmons," she assured him gently, "although I do own you startled me. I didn't see you standing there when I first came in."
"I was sitting over there." Raj nodded at the huge red leather chair before the fireplace. "Joss suggested I make use of his library while I was here, and I was renewing my acquaintance with Milton. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all." Louisa hid her surprise that such a handsome, vital young man should enjoyreading anything so dusty and dull as Milton. "In fact, I hope you feel free to borrow what you please while you are our guest."
"That is most gracious of you, my lady, considering I foisted myself upon you without invitation," Raj said, referring for the first time to the unconventional series of events that had brought him to Kirkswood.
But if he meant to discomfit her, he was soon disappointed, for she gave a musical laugh. "That is so, sir, but under the circumstances I am prepared to overlook your behavior," she said, her blue eyes sparkling. "And might I say how I admire your daring in riding to my brother-in-law's rescue? It was most brave of you, considering you had no idea who had taken him."
"Actually, by the third or fourth stop I had a fair notion as to who might be holding him," Raj confessed, surprised to find he was enjoying himself. Until now he'd regarded his hostess as he might a beautiful but fragile doll, and he found this unexpected side of her intriguing.
"Really? And how did you accomplish that?" Louisa was genuinely curious. "Stone was sure she'd covered her tracks."
"And so she did. But it is amazing what information a man will provide when a loaded pistol is pressed against his head."
The offhanded words made Louisa's smilefade. "You — you held a pistol on a man?" she asked, her hands fluttering to her throat.
"My friend had been kidnapped," Raj said, a hint of the dark anger that had consumed him upon learning Joss had been taken stealing into his deep voice. "I was prepared to do whatever was necessary to get him safely back."
Louisa considered that for a long moment. "You must be very good friends," she said at last.
"We are."
"Good." She gave him a thoughtful smile. "He seems so . . . so solitary at times, so alone. I am glad he has someone like you."
Raj gave her a long look. "You don't mind that I am not white?" he asked bluntly.
"My heavens, no!" Louisa exclaimed indignantly. "How can you ask such a thing?"
Raj's shrug bespoke a lifetime of slights and snubs. "Most people would find it more than passing strange that an English lord would choose to associate with a half-breed."
"To quote Stone, most people are dim-witted fools!" Louisa snapped, her lovely mouth firming with displeasure. "I assure you, Mr. Fitzsimmons, that neither my companion nor I give a feather for such considerations. It is obvious you are Joss's good and true friend, and that is all that matters."
"You sound as if you really mean that." Rajwas both surprised and pleased by her vehemence.
"I do," Louisa said, scowling up into his saturnine features. "You will always be welcome in my house."
Raj tried to remember the last time he'd heard such a sentiment expressed, and realized he never had. Always, he had been the outsider, tolerated rather than welcomed, his mixed blood putting a barrier between himself and the rest of the world. Except with Joss, he amended — and now, it would seem, with Joss's family. He gave her a low bow, hiding his emotions behind a polished smile.
"Your ladyship is far too kind," he said, raising his eyes to meet hers, "and I thank you for your generosity. I shall do my best not to abuse your hospitality."
Louisa studied him closely, sensing the pain behind his dazzling smile. He reminded her very much
A relieved smile settled on Louisa's lips as her heart slowed to its usual rhythm. "You didn't frighten me, Mr. Fitzsimmons," she assured him gently, "although I do own you startled me. I didn't see you standing there when I first came in."
"I was sitting over there." Raj nodded at the huge red leather chair before the fireplace. "Joss suggested I make use of his library while I was here, and I was renewing my acquaintance with Milton. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all." Louisa hid her surprise that such a handsome, vital young man should enjoyreading anything so dusty and dull as Milton. "In fact, I hope you feel free to borrow what you please while you are our guest."
"That is most gracious of you, my lady, considering I foisted myself upon you without invitation," Raj said, referring for the first time to the unconventional series of events that had brought him to Kirkswood.
But if he meant to discomfit her, he was soon disappointed, for she gave a musical laugh. "That is so, sir, but under the circumstances I am prepared to overlook your behavior," she said, her blue eyes sparkling. "And might I say how I admire your daring in riding to my brother-in-law's rescue? It was most brave of you, considering you had no idea who had taken him."
"Actually, by the third or fourth stop I had a fair notion as to who might be holding him," Raj confessed, surprised to find he was enjoying himself. Until now he'd regarded his hostess as he might a beautiful but fragile doll, and he found this unexpected side of her intriguing.
"Really? And how did you accomplish that?" Louisa was genuinely curious. "Stone was sure she'd covered her tracks."
"And so she did. But it is amazing what information a man will provide when a loaded pistol is pressed against his head."
The offhanded words made Louisa's smilefade. "You — you held a pistol on a man?" she asked, her hands fluttering to her throat.
"My friend had been kidnapped," Raj said, a hint of the dark anger that had consumed him upon learning Joss had been taken stealing into his deep voice. "I was prepared to do whatever was necessary to get him safely back."
Louisa considered that for a long moment. "You must be very good friends," she said at last.
"We are."
"Good." She gave him a thoughtful smile. "He seems so . . . so solitary at times, so alone. I am glad he has someone like you."
Raj gave her a long look. "You don't mind that I am not white?" he asked bluntly.
"My heavens, no!" Louisa exclaimed indignantly. "How can you ask such a thing?"
Raj's shrug bespoke a lifetime of slights and snubs. "Most people would find it more than passing strange that an English lord would choose to associate with a half-breed."
"To quote Stone, most people are dim-witted fools!" Louisa snapped, her lovely mouth firming with displeasure. "I assure you, Mr. Fitzsimmons, that neither my companion nor I give a feather for such considerations. It is obvious you are Joss's good and true friend, and that is all that matters."
"You sound as if you really mean that." Rajwas both surprised and pleased by her vehemence.
"I do," Louisa said, scowling up into his saturnine features. "You will always be welcome in my house."
Raj tried to remember the last time he'd heard such a sentiment expressed, and realized he never had. Always, he had been the outsider, tolerated rather than welcomed, his mixed blood putting a barrier between himself and the rest of the world. Except with Joss, he amended — and now, it would seem, with Joss's family. He gave her a low bow, hiding his emotions behind a polished smile.
"Your ladyship is far too kind," he said, raising his eyes to meet hers, "and I thank you for your generosity. I shall do my best not to abuse your hospitality."
Louisa studied him closely, sensing the pain behind his dazzling smile. He reminded her very much
Similar Books
