Read Online The Wild One by Danelle Harmon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Danelle Harmon
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hard.
"Come here," he said, softly.
The room went still, with only the candles
throwing moving shadows and light up the walls, the carved
moldings, and across the high ceiling.
Juliet moved forward, aware that every eye
in the room was on her. Her heart pounded madly. Her palms went
damp. As she neared the bed Lord Gareth reached out, took her hand,
and kissed it.
"You're ... an angel," he said thickly, his
fingers warmly enclosing her own.
She smiled. "And you, Lord Gareth, are
foxed."
"Shamefully so. But useful, under the
circumstances."
"Are you in much pain?"
He grinned, still holding her hand. "To be
honest, Miss Paige, I cannot feel a thing."
Behind her, Chilcot guffawed, but Juliet,
entranced, never heard it. As Gareth gazed up at her through the
loose hair that fell endearingly over his brow and tangled in his
lashes, she saw, at last, that his eyes were a pale, sleepy
blue.
"I guess you were right," she said and,
pulling her fingers from his grasp, reached over and brushed the
strands of hair off his brow. Her hand was trembling. "You're not
going to die after all."
"Wouldn't dream of it. I rather like being a
hero, you know. Think I'll stick around and rescue damsels in
distress more often." He looked up at her, those beautiful blue
eyes of his warm, earnest, and reaching areas of her heart that
she'd forgotten had existed. "Don't let Lucien scare you off, will
you?"
"I won't."
He nodded once, satisfied, and let his eyes
drift shut. "Thank you for coming to see me, Miss Paige."
She swallowed, trying to find her voice.
"And thank you, Lord Gareth, for what you did for us tonight." And
then, on a sudden impulse, she bent down and, through the loose
strands of his hair, dropped a kiss on his brow. "We owe you our
lives."
~~~~
She was far from cold, but Juliet was
hugging her arms to herself as she and Nerissa moved along the
shadowy corridor, their passing the only sound in the now-quiet
house. Her heart was still pounding, and she longed to rush outside
and drink deeply of the cool night air. What was wrong with her?
Why had she had such a reaction to Lord Gareth?
She hadn't experienced those sort of
feelings since ... well, since Charles.
She shuddered, throwing off her thoughts. Of
course her heart was beating so hard because they were headed for
Charles's rooms, an experience she was both dreading and eagerly
anticipating. Of course the only reason she'd reacted so to Gareth
was because he was Charles's brother, nothing more. It had nothing
to do with Gareth. It had everything to do with Charles.
Didn't it?
"Are you well, Juliet?" Lady Nerissa asked,
beside her.
Juliet managed a feeble smile. "Yes, thank
you — it's just been a rather trying day, that's all."
"Of course," the other woman said kindly,
but her blue eyes were sharp, and Juliet had a feeling she had
guessed more than she was letting on. What must Lady Nerissa think
of her, lighting up over one brother while supposedly still
mourning the other?
They continued down the hall. On the walls,
sconces glowed orange and cast flickering light over portraits and
paintings, ancient statues and busts. Finally they reached a
massive carved door. There Lady Nerissa paused, her hand on the
latch.
Juliet tensed, mentally bracing herself. She
felt Nerissa's gaze upon her.
"Charles would have been proud of you," said
the younger woman, quietly. "Coming all the way to England just to
give your baby a name and a family.... Please don't worry about
Lucien. If he won't help you, one of us will." She pushed the door
open slightly while Juliet hung back. "Martha?" called Lady Nerissa
softly, into the darkness within. "You can go off to bed now. And
oh, good — you've brought the cradle up from the nursery."
Juliet, still standing outside, hugged
herself and traced a design on the rug with her toe while Lady
Nerissa conversed with the maid.
The matronly woman who had made off with
Charlotte emerged from the room, yawning. "Lord Andrew 'ad it
"Come here," he said, softly.
The room went still, with only the candles
throwing moving shadows and light up the walls, the carved
moldings, and across the high ceiling.
Juliet moved forward, aware that every eye
in the room was on her. Her heart pounded madly. Her palms went
damp. As she neared the bed Lord Gareth reached out, took her hand,
and kissed it.
"You're ... an angel," he said thickly, his
fingers warmly enclosing her own.
She smiled. "And you, Lord Gareth, are
foxed."
"Shamefully so. But useful, under the
circumstances."
"Are you in much pain?"
He grinned, still holding her hand. "To be
honest, Miss Paige, I cannot feel a thing."
Behind her, Chilcot guffawed, but Juliet,
entranced, never heard it. As Gareth gazed up at her through the
loose hair that fell endearingly over his brow and tangled in his
lashes, she saw, at last, that his eyes were a pale, sleepy
blue.
"I guess you were right," she said and,
pulling her fingers from his grasp, reached over and brushed the
strands of hair off his brow. Her hand was trembling. "You're not
going to die after all."
"Wouldn't dream of it. I rather like being a
hero, you know. Think I'll stick around and rescue damsels in
distress more often." He looked up at her, those beautiful blue
eyes of his warm, earnest, and reaching areas of her heart that
she'd forgotten had existed. "Don't let Lucien scare you off, will
you?"
"I won't."
He nodded once, satisfied, and let his eyes
drift shut. "Thank you for coming to see me, Miss Paige."
She swallowed, trying to find her voice.
"And thank you, Lord Gareth, for what you did for us tonight." And
then, on a sudden impulse, she bent down and, through the loose
strands of his hair, dropped a kiss on his brow. "We owe you our
lives."
~~~~
She was far from cold, but Juliet was
hugging her arms to herself as she and Nerissa moved along the
shadowy corridor, their passing the only sound in the now-quiet
house. Her heart was still pounding, and she longed to rush outside
and drink deeply of the cool night air. What was wrong with her?
Why had she had such a reaction to Lord Gareth?
She hadn't experienced those sort of
feelings since ... well, since Charles.
She shuddered, throwing off her thoughts. Of
course her heart was beating so hard because they were headed for
Charles's rooms, an experience she was both dreading and eagerly
anticipating. Of course the only reason she'd reacted so to Gareth
was because he was Charles's brother, nothing more. It had nothing
to do with Gareth. It had everything to do with Charles.
Didn't it?
"Are you well, Juliet?" Lady Nerissa asked,
beside her.
Juliet managed a feeble smile. "Yes, thank
you — it's just been a rather trying day, that's all."
"Of course," the other woman said kindly,
but her blue eyes were sharp, and Juliet had a feeling she had
guessed more than she was letting on. What must Lady Nerissa think
of her, lighting up over one brother while supposedly still
mourning the other?
They continued down the hall. On the walls,
sconces glowed orange and cast flickering light over portraits and
paintings, ancient statues and busts. Finally they reached a
massive carved door. There Lady Nerissa paused, her hand on the
latch.
Juliet tensed, mentally bracing herself. She
felt Nerissa's gaze upon her.
"Charles would have been proud of you," said
the younger woman, quietly. "Coming all the way to England just to
give your baby a name and a family.... Please don't worry about
Lucien. If he won't help you, one of us will." She pushed the door
open slightly while Juliet hung back. "Martha?" called Lady Nerissa
softly, into the darkness within. "You can go off to bed now. And
oh, good — you've brought the cradle up from the nursery."
Juliet, still standing outside, hugged
herself and traced a design on the rug with her toe while Lady
Nerissa conversed with the maid.
The matronly woman who had made off with
Charlotte emerged from the room, yawning. "Lord Andrew 'ad it
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