Forbidden Read Online Free PDF Page B

follow them
at his leisure.
    Slipping off her shoes and gloves
Jocelyn moved over to make room for Ava as the carriage door was
closed behind them. She had no desire to stay improper and
uncomfortable the entire trip so she figured she’d start early. She
expected Damon to slip in before they started on their way but it
wasn’t until she looked out the window and saw him straddling a
dark brown mare that she knew he planned to avoid her. She thought
about calling out to him but the Carriage lurched forward almost as
soon as she opened her mouth.
    She said something rude and Ava looked
at her in surprise.
    “My, my, my such a dirty mouth so early
in the morning.”
    “Be quiet, Ava.”
    “What did I do?”
    “It isn’t you.”
    “Oh, really?”
    Jocelyn tried to keep herself from
pouting. “Of, course not. I just thought he’d ride with us is
all.”
    Ava’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Why?
You don’t--” She paused, and looking first one way and then
another, she leaned forward and whispered, “You don’t like him do
you?”
    Jocelyn let her own eyes widen and
motioned Ava closer. When she complied she slapped the girl over
the head with her gloves.
    “He can’t hear us idiot. Why are you
whispering?”
    Scowling, Ava sidled away.
    “Besides,” Jocelyn continued, turning
to look back out the window in search of their ‘guardian’. “I just
want to try and talk him into letting me stay even if you don’t
want to.”
    Rolling her eyes, Ava snapped, “You
don’t need to keep lying Joss. I’m right aren’t I? You do like
him.” Petulantly she muttered under her breath just loud enough for
Jocelyn to make out the words.
    “You probably dreamed naughty things
about him and that’s why you’re so exhausted.”
    Ava looked up and paled when she saw
Jocelyn’s panicked eyes and gaping mouth.
    “How did you know?”
    “Oh, my god.” Squealing Ava launched
herself across the carriage and grabbed Jocelyn’s shoulders,
ignoring the violent rocking of the carriage her movements
caused.
    “I was only teasing, are you
insane?”
    “I didn’t do it on purpose!”
    “The hell you didn’t. I saw you looking
at him, you were probably committing everything about him to memory
so you could go back later and--”
    The words that came out of Ava’s mouth
then sent Jocelyn reeling. Honestly, as if the stable hands
couldn’t control their mouths at least a little bit.
    “Please stop. Just…I can’t take any
more of that.”
    Smug, Ava fell back onto the seat
beside Jocelyn rather than going back to her original place across
from her.
    “As long as you understand. There will
be plenty of eligible young men to choose from once we get to
England. And I can guarantee that almost all of them will be much
more suitable for you and our station than him.”
    There was so much venom in her voice
that it brought a smile to Jocelyn’s face.
    “Is he really so bad Ava?”
    “Yes,” She turned her head to look at
her, staring hard so that Jocelyn could understand how serious she
was. “He is.”

    * * * *

    They had been traveling hard for a few
days when Jocelyn decided she couldn’t take it anymore. They’d been
told to stay in the safety of the carriage and though Jocelyn loved
her sister fiercely, extended contact with her was known to produce
headaches, nausea, hallucinations, and increased thoughts of
suicide. So even though they were on their third day out and still
in Virginia, Jocelyn desperately prayed for mercy.
    They’d stopped by mid-afternoon.
Watering the horses and allowing Ava and Jeremy, who’d come along
to drive the carriage and as extra protection, a much needed privy
break. Taking advantage of the lull, Jocelyn slipped out of the
carriage right behind her sister and hurried over to Damon who was
crooning to his pretty mare. The act stunned her; she hadn’t
figured Damon as the crooning type. He did it surprisingly well and
she stood behind him for a long time listening to the