Fair Juno Read Online Free PDF

she was. But that, doubtless, would be best left for later. He contented himself with, ‘Who is Hedley Swayne?’
    ‘A fop,’ came the uncompromising reply.
    ‘You mistook me for a fop ?’ Despite the potential seriousness of their plight, Martin’s latent tendencies were too strong to repress. When she turned her head his way, eyes wide, her lips parted in confusion, his eyes wickedly quizzed her.
    Helen caught her breath. For an instant, her eyes locked with her rescuer’s. Three heartbeats passed before, with a desperate effort, she wrenched her gaze free and snatched back her wandering wits. ‘I didn’t see you, remember.’
    At the sound of her soft and slightly husky disclaimer, Martin chuckled. ‘Ah, yes!’
    A fallen tree blocked their path. He released her to step over it, then turned and held out his hands. From beneath her lashes, Helen glanced up at his face. A strong, intriguing face, rather more tanned and harsh-featured than one was wont to see. She wondered what colour his eyes were. With a calm she was not entirely sure she possessed, she put her hands into his. His strong fingers closed over hers; a peculiar constriction tightened about her chest. Helen glanced down, ostensibly to negotiate the fallen tree, in reality to hide her sudden frown at the ridiculous skitterishness that had attacked her. Surely she was too old for such girlish reactions?
    Resuming his place by her side, Martin glanced down at her bent head, perfectly sure, now, that the tremor he had felt in her fingers had not been a figment of his over-active imagination. Highly experienced in the subtleties of this particular form of play, he sought for some topic to get her mind off him. ‘I trust you’ve suffered no harm from your ordeal with those ruffians?’
    Determined not to let her ridiculous nervousness show,Helen shook her head. ‘No—none at all. But they were under orders to take care of me.’
    ‘So I heard. Nevertheless, I dare say you’ve had your wits quite addled by fright.’
    Despite an unnerving awareness of the presence by her side, Helen laughed. ‘Oh, no! I assure you I’m not such a poor creature as all that.’ She risked a glance upwards and saw her rescuer’s dark brows rise. The look he bent on her was patently disbelieving. Her smile grew. ‘Very well,’ she conceded, ‘I’ll admit to a qualm or two, but when they were plainly being as gentle as they knew how I could hardly quake for fear of my life.’
    ‘I’ve rescued an Amazon.’
    The bland statement floated above her curls. Helen chuckled and shook her head, but refused to be further drawn.
    As the trees thinned, she resolutely turned her mind to her present predicament. With the uncertainty of her abduction receding, she was conscious of an oddly light-hearted response to this new set of circumstances. Twilight was drawing in; she was walking through woods, very much alone, with an unknown gentleman. While she was quite convinced of his quality, she was not nearly so sure it was safe to approve of his style, much less his propensities. Nevertheless, trepidation was not what she felt. Unbidden, a smile curved her lips. Not since childhood had such awhimsical, adventurous mood claimed her; the same buoyant exuberance had whirled her through her most outrageous childhood exploits. Why on earth it should surface now, in response, she was sure, to the stranger by her side, she had no idea. But the thrill of exhilaration tripping along her nerves was too marked to ignore. In truth, she had no wish to ignore it—life had been too serious, too mundane, for too long. A little adventure would lighten the dim prospect of her lonely future.
    They emerged from the trees. In the narrow lane, a fashionable curricle was outlined against the gathering gloom, a pair of high-stepping bays restlessly shifting between the shafts. Impulsively, Helen gasped, ‘What beauties!’
    The lines of both equipage and horses spoke volumes. Clearly, her rescuer was a