Read Online Lady Alexandra's Excellent Adventure: A Summersby Tale by Sophie Barnes - Free Book Online
Authors: Sophie Barnes
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blinked.
Had she just been worrying about whether his lordship might find her attractive? Was she seriously concerned about what he might think of her if she showed up in one of these dresses?
Not that it was likely to matter. Once he found out that she’d hoodwinked him, the fact that she stood before him dressed like a potato would probably go completely unnoticed. All the same, she decided to stuff the dresses back in her bag and put on a clean shirt and a pair of brown breeches instead.
If Ashford was ever going to see her in a gown, better to wait until she had one that would be sure to astound him.
M ichael and Ryan were sitting in the parlor enjoying a bottle of claret, when Alexandra walked in, as nonchalant as ever. Ryan was the first to glance in her direction, a look of panic creeping into his eyes. Noticing the change in his expression, Michael turned in his seat until his gaze landed on Alex.
It was a moment Alexandra would not soon forget.
At first, he looked confused, as if uncertain as to whom this woman might be, suddenly standing there in the middle of the room. It looked as if he might ask, but then his eyes narrowed, they locked onto hers, and then his whole demeanor changed. “What the hell is going on?” he asked as his eyes darted between the two siblings.
“I . . . well, you see . . .” Ryan seemed to grope about for the right words, if his perplexed expression was anything to go by. Eventually he just said, “This is my sister, Alexandra Summersby.”
Michael didn’t move a muscle. He did not look shocked or even the slightest bit surprised. It was the oddest thing, his face was like a mask, completely concealing whatever it was he might be thinking. “Please tell me that this is a nightmare from which I will soon awaken,” he finally managed to say.
“Unfortunately, it is not,” Alexandra told him quietly.
Michael’s eyes found hers again. “I should have known,” he said. “I have yet to meet a man with eyes like yours. Those are a woman’s eyes.”
And then he said nothing. He merely stared at her until she felt herself grow hot and uncomfortable. There was something in his eyes . . . a look that made her heart beat just a little bit faster. She wasn’t sure of what it was exactly, but it was similar to the way in which he’d looked at her the other night on the ship—that same disconcerting stare.
“I cannot believe that we’ve brought you along to France.” He seemed quite angry. “You had best give me a bloody good explanation for this,” he told them in a tight voice.
Alexandra shrugged her shoulders as she plopped down onto a chair and crossed her legs. “You would never have agreed to let me come if you had known.”
Michael’s eyes narrowed as he glared back at her. “So you decided to trick me instead—how very noble of you.”
“Don’t forget that this whole thing is Sir Percy’s doing,” Ryan reminded him. “If anyone is to blame, it is he and our father.”
“And I shall have a very pointed discussion with both of them upon my return,” Michael stated. He shook his head while he looked at Ryan. “I was a fool to trust you.”
Ryan looked momentarily pained by Michael’s harsh words, but he said nothing, no doubt deciding that he couldn’t deny them without making matters worse. Michael did have a point after all. They had both betrayed him.
Seeing the hurt expression upon her brother’s face, Alexandra decided to make an attempt at smoothing things over. “Look, I realize that what we did was underhanded, but it was really the only way for us to go about it. I am sorry, Ashford. We both are.”
He stared back at her. “You will get us all killed,” he muttered, rising to his feet and stalking angrily across to the side table to pour himself a drink.
She scoffed at that. “And why is that? Because I happen to be a woman?”
“Well, at least you are smart enough to realize that much,” he told her
Had she just been worrying about whether his lordship might find her attractive? Was she seriously concerned about what he might think of her if she showed up in one of these dresses?
Not that it was likely to matter. Once he found out that she’d hoodwinked him, the fact that she stood before him dressed like a potato would probably go completely unnoticed. All the same, she decided to stuff the dresses back in her bag and put on a clean shirt and a pair of brown breeches instead.
If Ashford was ever going to see her in a gown, better to wait until she had one that would be sure to astound him.
M ichael and Ryan were sitting in the parlor enjoying a bottle of claret, when Alexandra walked in, as nonchalant as ever. Ryan was the first to glance in her direction, a look of panic creeping into his eyes. Noticing the change in his expression, Michael turned in his seat until his gaze landed on Alex.
It was a moment Alexandra would not soon forget.
At first, he looked confused, as if uncertain as to whom this woman might be, suddenly standing there in the middle of the room. It looked as if he might ask, but then his eyes narrowed, they locked onto hers, and then his whole demeanor changed. “What the hell is going on?” he asked as his eyes darted between the two siblings.
“I . . . well, you see . . .” Ryan seemed to grope about for the right words, if his perplexed expression was anything to go by. Eventually he just said, “This is my sister, Alexandra Summersby.”
Michael didn’t move a muscle. He did not look shocked or even the slightest bit surprised. It was the oddest thing, his face was like a mask, completely concealing whatever it was he might be thinking. “Please tell me that this is a nightmare from which I will soon awaken,” he finally managed to say.
“Unfortunately, it is not,” Alexandra told him quietly.
Michael’s eyes found hers again. “I should have known,” he said. “I have yet to meet a man with eyes like yours. Those are a woman’s eyes.”
And then he said nothing. He merely stared at her until she felt herself grow hot and uncomfortable. There was something in his eyes . . . a look that made her heart beat just a little bit faster. She wasn’t sure of what it was exactly, but it was similar to the way in which he’d looked at her the other night on the ship—that same disconcerting stare.
“I cannot believe that we’ve brought you along to France.” He seemed quite angry. “You had best give me a bloody good explanation for this,” he told them in a tight voice.
Alexandra shrugged her shoulders as she plopped down onto a chair and crossed her legs. “You would never have agreed to let me come if you had known.”
Michael’s eyes narrowed as he glared back at her. “So you decided to trick me instead—how very noble of you.”
“Don’t forget that this whole thing is Sir Percy’s doing,” Ryan reminded him. “If anyone is to blame, it is he and our father.”
“And I shall have a very pointed discussion with both of them upon my return,” Michael stated. He shook his head while he looked at Ryan. “I was a fool to trust you.”
Ryan looked momentarily pained by Michael’s harsh words, but he said nothing, no doubt deciding that he couldn’t deny them without making matters worse. Michael did have a point after all. They had both betrayed him.
Seeing the hurt expression upon her brother’s face, Alexandra decided to make an attempt at smoothing things over. “Look, I realize that what we did was underhanded, but it was really the only way for us to go about it. I am sorry, Ashford. We both are.”
He stared back at her. “You will get us all killed,” he muttered, rising to his feet and stalking angrily across to the side table to pour himself a drink.
She scoffed at that. “And why is that? Because I happen to be a woman?”
“Well, at least you are smart enough to realize that much,” he told her
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