Read A Loving Spirit for Free Online
Authors: Amanda Mccabe
Court, with this man it was his studies.
Oh, the great folly of men! They never learned, not even in over a hundred years. With a rueful shake of her head, Louisa vanished, gone to seek other amusement in the East Tower.
Antoinette watched her go with narrowed eyes, but Cassie was far too distracted by the presence of Lord Royce to notice any ghostly doings.
He had obviously bathed and changed after his ride, for he was respectably, albeit a bit shabbily, attired in a blue morning coat and buff breeches, his hair tied neatly back. The wild pirate was gone, and the scholar/earl firmly in his place.
But Cassie still felt flustered and flushed when he looked at her.
"Good morning, ladies," he said, sitting down in the last vacant chair, the one across from Cassie.
Her fork clattered against her plate, and she had to catch it before it fell to the floor.
He smiled at her. "I trust you all found your first evening at Royce Castle to be comfortable?"
"Yes, quite," Chat answered. "It was all that Melinda has written me over the years. Splendid."
"I slept quite soundly," said Antoinette. "Although next door there were some rather restless noises..."
Cassie kicked her under the table.
"The butler told me you went riding this morning, dear," said Lady Royce. "You were awake unusually early." She turned to Chat and added, "Ordinarily my son is up quite late with his studies and doesn't join me for breakfast."
"It must be the bracing autumn air," he answered, spearing one of the sausages on his plate. "It was a lovely morning for a ride."
"Indeed," said Lady Royce. "Do you ride, Miss Richards?"
Cassie blinked at her, startled to be suddenly addressed. "Yes, Lady Royce. A bit. But I fear I have not had much opportunity for it since I came to England."
"Bath is rather restrictive for poor Cassandra," said Chat.
Cassie smiled at her aunt. "Now, Aunt Chat! I like living in Bath. The theater, the concerts..."
"But very few places for riding," said Chat.
"Perhaps you would care to ride while you are here, then," Lady Royce said. "We have such a nice stable, and Phillip knows all the best paths. I am sure he would enjoy showing them to you."
Then, Lady Royce and Chat exchanged little smiles, and simultaneously lifted their teacups to their lips for demure sips.
Cassie clasped her hands tightly on her lap, twisting her napkin, and looked across the table at Lord Royce. Surely he would refuse to go riding with her, would scoff at his mother's obvious scheming. What would they ever find to talk about on their ride? What could they have in common?
But, to her surprise, he looked rather—amenable.
"Would you care to go riding with me, Miss Richards?" he said, his face smoothly polite.
Would she? Cassie remembered the vision of him she had seen from her window, all dashing and piratical. Then she imagined herself by his side, riding free in the wind, just as she had at home.
Of course she would like to go riding with him, but whether she should was something else. It would be far too easy to forget their differences out there in the sunshine.
And, as she had no intention of falling in love with a man so very serious-minded, forgetting those differences would not be good. She ought to refuse...
"Yes, thank you, Lord Royce," she heard herself say. "I would enjoy that."
He gave her a startled little smile, as if surprised that she had agreed. "Very good. Perhaps we could inspect the stables later and find you a suitable horse."
"After I show them the East Tower, dear," said Lady Royce. "They want to see where poor Louisa's chambers are."
He rolled his eyes a bit. "Of course. And you can play a game of piquet with her while you are there. Do you think she would care for a sherry? There is a fine Amontillado in the cellar."
Obnoxious man! Cassie fumed in her mind, turning her attention back to her plate. And to think she had agreed to go riding with him.
Chapter 7
"This is the East Tower, where Louisa
Oh, the great folly of men! They never learned, not even in over a hundred years. With a rueful shake of her head, Louisa vanished, gone to seek other amusement in the East Tower.
Antoinette watched her go with narrowed eyes, but Cassie was far too distracted by the presence of Lord Royce to notice any ghostly doings.
He had obviously bathed and changed after his ride, for he was respectably, albeit a bit shabbily, attired in a blue morning coat and buff breeches, his hair tied neatly back. The wild pirate was gone, and the scholar/earl firmly in his place.
But Cassie still felt flustered and flushed when he looked at her.
"Good morning, ladies," he said, sitting down in the last vacant chair, the one across from Cassie.
Her fork clattered against her plate, and she had to catch it before it fell to the floor.
He smiled at her. "I trust you all found your first evening at Royce Castle to be comfortable?"
"Yes, quite," Chat answered. "It was all that Melinda has written me over the years. Splendid."
"I slept quite soundly," said Antoinette. "Although next door there were some rather restless noises..."
Cassie kicked her under the table.
"The butler told me you went riding this morning, dear," said Lady Royce. "You were awake unusually early." She turned to Chat and added, "Ordinarily my son is up quite late with his studies and doesn't join me for breakfast."
"It must be the bracing autumn air," he answered, spearing one of the sausages on his plate. "It was a lovely morning for a ride."
"Indeed," said Lady Royce. "Do you ride, Miss Richards?"
Cassie blinked at her, startled to be suddenly addressed. "Yes, Lady Royce. A bit. But I fear I have not had much opportunity for it since I came to England."
"Bath is rather restrictive for poor Cassandra," said Chat.
Cassie smiled at her aunt. "Now, Aunt Chat! I like living in Bath. The theater, the concerts..."
"But very few places for riding," said Chat.
"Perhaps you would care to ride while you are here, then," Lady Royce said. "We have such a nice stable, and Phillip knows all the best paths. I am sure he would enjoy showing them to you."
Then, Lady Royce and Chat exchanged little smiles, and simultaneously lifted their teacups to their lips for demure sips.
Cassie clasped her hands tightly on her lap, twisting her napkin, and looked across the table at Lord Royce. Surely he would refuse to go riding with her, would scoff at his mother's obvious scheming. What would they ever find to talk about on their ride? What could they have in common?
But, to her surprise, he looked rather—amenable.
"Would you care to go riding with me, Miss Richards?" he said, his face smoothly polite.
Would she? Cassie remembered the vision of him she had seen from her window, all dashing and piratical. Then she imagined herself by his side, riding free in the wind, just as she had at home.
Of course she would like to go riding with him, but whether she should was something else. It would be far too easy to forget their differences out there in the sunshine.
And, as she had no intention of falling in love with a man so very serious-minded, forgetting those differences would not be good. She ought to refuse...
"Yes, thank you, Lord Royce," she heard herself say. "I would enjoy that."
He gave her a startled little smile, as if surprised that she had agreed. "Very good. Perhaps we could inspect the stables later and find you a suitable horse."
"After I show them the East Tower, dear," said Lady Royce. "They want to see where poor Louisa's chambers are."
He rolled his eyes a bit. "Of course. And you can play a game of piquet with her while you are there. Do you think she would care for a sherry? There is a fine Amontillado in the cellar."
Obnoxious man! Cassie fumed in her mind, turning her attention back to her plate. And to think she had agreed to go riding with him.
Chapter 7
"This is the East Tower, where Louisa