England's Perfect Hero Read Online Free PDF Page B

come calling—it was genius, if she did say so, herself.
    A watering can appeared beside her. "Thank you, Worley. You're a mind reader."
    In mid-reach to pick up the can, she paused. Worley wasn't wearing his heavy work boots. Rather, he had on a very nice pair of Hessians. Lucinda looked up, and up, past tanned doeskin trousers, a black jacket, brown waistcoat, snow-white cravat, lean jaw, and a straight-set mouth, to a pair of azure blue eyes beneath over-long, black, unruly hair.
    "Mister Carroway," she exclaimed, lurching to her feet. In her haste to rise she stood on her skirt, and toppled toward the rosebush. "Oh!"
    Robert stepped forward, catching her beneath the arms. As soon as she regained her balance he released her, moving back and sweeping his arms behind himself, as though touching her bothered him.
    "I don't bite, for heaven's sake," she muttered, brushing at her skirt as much to give herself a moment as him.
    "I know."
    Be nice , she reminded herself. If he'd come to see her, he had to have a good reason. Georgiana had spoken little of him, but both her friend and his public absence over the past three years had made it quite clear how difficult venturing out of doors was for him. "I didn't mean to snap at you," she said. "It's just that you startled me."
    "I was practicing being stealthy," he returned in his low voice. "You seemed to appreciate the skill."
    She looked at him sharply. His expression remained quiet, but the azure of his eyes held the veriest hint of a twinkle. So he still had a sense of humor. "Well, you're obviously much better at it than I am. I think we need to make a pact that we won't do any more sneaking up on each other, before we do permanent damage."
    "Agreed." He shifted, his gaze moving beyond her toward the house. "I had a thought last evening," he said, the words coming slowly, as if with great reluctance.
    "And?" she prompted.
    He drew a breath. "You're wasting your time with Geoffrey Newcombe."
    Lucinda lifted an eyebrow. "Really? In what way?"
    He paused, studying her face. "I've offended you."
    Well, if he could be direct, then so could she. "Yes, you have. But please explain."
    "He's arrogant and spoiled."
    Lucinda couldn't decide whether she felt annoyed or intrigued. "Hence the necessity of teaching him a lesson. I couldn't very well select a student known for his perfection of manner, now could I?"
    He didn't look terribly impressed by her logic. "I—"
    "Besides, I thought gentlemen didn't speak ill of one another in a lady's presence."
    Robert nodded. "No, they don't. I'm not a gentleman, though, and you're Georgiana's friend. I just thought you should keep in mind that while Tristan and St. Aubyn might have been arrogant and misguided, neither of them was spoiled. Whatever lessons you plan to impart, I doubt he'll listen unless it's to his benefit to do so. He thinks the world should bend to his whim."
    "For someone who shuns his fellows, you seem to think you know a great deal about them," she snapped, making a definite slide from understanding to annoyance. "Which conclusions have you drawn about me, pray tell?"
    That stopped him. "You?"
    "Yes, me. Surely if you've analyzed the character of Lord Geoffrey and St. Aubyn and your own brother, you can tell me about myself."
    She bent down to retrieve her dropped pruner, surprised to realize that she was curious to hear what Robert Carroway had to say about her. Perhaps she was being a bit too direct with him, but she hadn't asked him to come over and pronounce his opinion of her possible, potential, future spouse.
    "You deserve better than Newcombe," his quiet voice came. "I know that about you."
    "Well, I thank you for your concern," she said, straightening, "but we'll have to agree to disa…"
    He was gone. Lucinda turned a circle. He'd completely vanished, as though he'd been nothing more than a specter conjured by her imagination.
    "For goodness' sake," she muttered, snipping off an errant leaf. "I could tell you a