Read The Wild Child for Free Online

troubled. Kyle had seemed determined to make this marriage. Though Dominic shouldn’t care what stupidity his brother committed, he did care, blast it. He was going to have to try to ingratiate himself with the girl while leaving the situation open enough to allow Kyle to withdraw honorably if he changed his mind. “What is the range of Lady Meriel’s abilities?”
    “She has a gift for working with plants and animals.” The taller woman smiled sadly. “Perhaps that is because she is closer to the beasts of the field than she is to humankind. Heaven knows she completely lacks normal understanding. Look at these flowers.” She indicated the arrangement of dandelions and other weeds that sat in the middle of the polished mahogany table in a crude ceramic jug. “Meriel made this. It is a more eloquent statement of her personality than any description Ada or I can make.”
    Progress; he would ask Morrison which of the ladies had Ada for a Christian name. But he understood the woman’s point when he gazed at the centerpiece. Most women of gentle birth prided themselves on being able to create attractive floral arrangements for their homes. Even the coarsest village girl could brighten a cottage with flowers from her garden. This bouquet was pathetic. Not only was it composed of common weeds, but the wildflowers she’d chosen had such a short life that by tomorrow they would be dead, and all her efforts wasted after only a few hours.
    He felt a sharp pang of regret for the bright child whose mind had been destroyed by a horror that sealed her tongue forever. If her family had not died in a savage attack, Lady Meriel would probably be married now, perhaps a mother. Instead, even her guardians considered her scarcely more than a wild beast.
    The thought of spending time with this warped travesty of humanity was deeply unappealing, but he was here to lie for his brother, so he said gallantly, “I look forward to furthering my acquaintance with Lady Meriel. Perhaps a new influence in her life will bring about improvement.”
    From the ladies’ expressions, they didn’t believe that any more than he did. Chapter 4
    After dressing the next morning, Dominic lingered at the window of his spacious bedchamber. He was placed at the back of the house, and from this height he could look over Warfield’s vast gardens. Varied like a patchwork quilt, they extended for many acres. Directly behind the house was a parterre, a formal garden of clipped hedges and flower beds divided by mellow brick paths. The overall design was a Maltese cross centered on a splendid multi tiered fountain.
    Morrison appeared silently beside him. The man crept about like a rodent. Dominic turned from the window. “The two ladies—which is which? The smaller one’s first name is Ada, but is she Mrs. Marks or Mrs. Rector?”
    “She is Mrs. Rector, my lord. The taller female is Mrs. Edith Marks.” Morrison cleared his throat with the sound that meant he wished to speak. “When I breakfasted in the servant’s hall, I learned that Lady Meriel did not sleep in her room last night.”
    Dominic frowned. “Were the servants concerned?”
    “Not at all. I received the impression that the young lady often sleeps outdoors, especially during mild weather.” Disapproval sounded in the valet’s voice.
    “So she’s not even housebroken.” Dominic looked Morrison directly in the eye. “What do you think of this proposed marriage?”
    The valet’s expression became even stiffer than usual. “It is not my place to question my master’s personal affairs.”
    “I’m sure you have opinions, especially about a matter which concerns you so closely,” Dominic said, voice edged. “I would appreciate an honest answer.”
    “I have grave doubts about the wisdom of this, my lord,” Morrison said slowly. “Marriage is a lifelong commitment. It should not be undertaken lightly.”
    The man had more sense than Kyle. “Perhaps your master will reconsider in the