Heart Strings (Music of the Heart Book 1)

Heart Strings (Music of the Heart Book 1) by Donna Hatch Page A

Book: Heart Strings (Music of the Heart Book 1) by Donna Hatch Read Free Book Online
Authors: Donna Hatch
Tags: Romance, Historical
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how ungrateful I was and that only her charity kept her from throwing me out to find my own way.”
    The idea of such a dragon raising this sweet little thing made Kit grind his teeth. “My sister isn’t like that. She’ll love you.” He wiggled the hand he held out to her. “Please come. If you don’t, I’ll be obliged to stay out here all night to watch over you. And what about that man determined to drag you back to your aunt?”
    Her posture changed at that reminder. “We can’t show up to your sister’s house now—as you said, it’s two o’clock in the morning.”
    “She should be arriving home from her ball or soiree right about now; she’s not one to dance until dawn.”
    Silently, Susanna studied her feet and then looked up as if the night sky held answers she sought. Still holding his hand out, he took several steps closer to her. At his approach, she looked directly into his eyes. In the pale light of the moon slipping in and out of clouds, the sharp planes of her cheekbones as well as the hollows under her eyes softened. Her eyes appeared overly large and mysterious and somehow timeless, as if she were some mystical being who’d taken on the appearance of a young lady. This was no waif; she was a strong, determined woman who faced her challenges with courage and grace. He doubted many young ladies of the ton were in possession of her depth of character and resiliency.
    He could fall in love with such a lady.
    He wiggled his fingers. “You will like Esther. She’s very kind. If her own brother can say such a thing, it must be true, right?” He grinned.
    A hint of a smile passed over her. Still, she made no move to take his hand. Instead, she continued staring warily at him.
    He tried again. Gentler now, he said, “It would only be until you can find a place of your own.”
    Her posture wilted as the fight drained out of her. “Very well.” She placed her hand in his.
    As he wrapped his fingers around her small hand, a surge of protectiveness overcame him. Why he felt so compelled to help this near-stranger, he could not explain. Perhaps it was her desire to be independent that awakened a kinship in him, since he’d left his home with the same goal. A man trying to make it alone in the world was much less vulnerable than a young woman who attempted such a thing.
    He almost smiled at the lie he tried to tell himself. He wanted to help her because he had grown to care about her—much more than he thought possible in such a short amount of time. She was fiercely independent and courageous, despite her desperate need, and made the best of her circumstances. He smiled as he recalled the way she’d shown up at the theatre, insisting she deserved a chance. Yet the vulnerability in her eyes tugged at his heart. Yes, he was, indeed, growing to care very much about Susanna Dyer.
    They walked hand-in-hand like children down the middle of the streets, their steps falling in sync. Her small hand in his felt so very right, as if it had been designed for his and he’d only now discovered he’d been missing a part all this time.
    Fog swirled at their feet, and a bell clanged off in the distance. Two young men staggered past them, arms linked and singing a bawdy song. Kit kept hold of her hand, tuned in to even the sound of her breathing.
    “Is it far?” she asked.
    “No. Just a few blocks over.”
    Quietly she asked, “Why are you helping me, Kit?”
    He grappled for an answer that would not make him sound mad or raise her expectations until he could determine, what exactly, his intentions were toward her. “Because my mother raised me as a gentleman.”
    She smiled, clearly not quite believing his words. “Surely there is more to it than that.”
    “That is a pretty compelling reason. ‘Tis my duty—my honor requires it.”
    “Oh.” Her face fell. “Well, then I thank you, but your obligation to me does not need to continue. I do not wish to be so indebted.”
    “You are not indebted. People

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