Forsters 04 - Romancing the Runaway Read Online Free PDF Page A

had probably figured out who she was, and Mr. Peacock would be on his way to get her back. Then she remembered Bianca and her own problems no longer seemed quite so dire.
    “My horse?”
    “Is being cared for. There’s no need to worry about her.”
    Miranda shuffled into a sitting position in the luxurious bed and was heartened when the room didn’t spin. And what a room it was. Now that she could see more of it, she was doubly impressed. She’d thought some of the houses of her school friends that she’d visited were superior, but they were nothing compared to this.
    “This is very grand…er, what’s your name?”
    “Jessie, miss. This is just one of the smaller guest rooms. Lord Gabriel said to bring you here because it would be quicker to heat a smaller room.”
    “Lord Gabriel?” What an appropriate name for a guardian angel. “Lord Gabriel Forster, is he the one who found me?”
    “Yes, miss, and he’s most anxious to know how you are. He keeps sending word.”
    I’m sure he is. He probably can’t wait to send me back home with a complaint to Mr. Peacock about my thieving ways. “How long have I been in bed?”
    “Two days.”
    “That long?” Miranda was never ill and certainly never lay in bed for two whole days. “I didn’t mean to be a burden.”
    “Bless you, miss, we were happy to help.”
    The chair Jessie occupied was surrounded by mending and it looked as though Jessie had occupied it for a considerable time.
    “How long have you been sitting beside me, Jessie?”
    “Ever since you got here, miss. Another girl takes over at night, but the rest of the time it’s been me looking after you.”
    Miranda was overwhelmed. “That’s terribly good of you, Jessie. I must have been keeping you from your duties.”
    “Not at all. I can sew just as easily here as I can anywhere else.” The door opened and another lady came in. “She’s awake, Mrs. Goodson. I was just about to ring.”
    “How do you feel, Miss Cantrell?”
    Ah , so they already know who I am. “I feel much better, thank you.”
    “I’m Mrs. Goodson, housekeeper here. Are you hungry?”
    Why are they being so kind to me? “Actually, yes.”
    “Then I shall have a little light luncheon sent up. Then perhaps a bath?”
    “If it’s no trouble.”
    Mrs. Goodson smiled. “None whatsoever. Lord Gabriel will be pleased to know that you’re feeling more yourself. You had us quite worried there for a while.”
    Coddled eggs and warm bread were sent up, along with a cup of tea and cake. Miranda ate it all, sharing morsels with Tobias.
    “You don’t need to worry none about the dog, miss,” Jessie said, tousling his head. “He’s won us all over and has been eating like a king as a consequence.”
    “Oh dear!” Miranda covered her mouth with one hand. “I hope he hasn’t been a nuisance. Tobias assumes that everyone likes him, even if they don’t. I’ve tried to explain that not everyone enjoys canine companionship, but he doesn’t seem to understand how that can be possible.”
    Jessie smiled. “He wouldn’t leave this room at first. We knew he’d need to go outside eventually but had no idea how to persuade him. Then Lord Gabriel tempted him with a pork chop and the two of them have been firm friends ever since.”
    “Yes, I dare say a pork chop would have done the trick,” Miranda said, smiling in spite of her precarious situation. “Tobias is very partial to pork chops. Well, to anything edible, truth to tell.”
    Jessie laughed. “We’ve discovered that much already.”
    There was a tap at the door and two footmen entered with a tin bath, which they placed in front of the fire and proceeded to fill with steaming water. Once they’d gone again, Jessie helped Miranda to stand up. She was wearing a nightgown that didn’t belong to her. She didn’t own anything made of such fine lawn, and wondered who in this house did. Probably every female beneath its roof. Once again she was surprised by their