Her Lord and Protector (formerly titled On Silent Wings) Read Online Free PDF Page B

peered at
him—as did Agnes beside her—clearly gauging his intent. Katherine’s moist brown
eyes indicated disbelief, whereas Agnes’ green ones gleamed with suspicion.
    “Lady Cooke,”
murmured Elizabeth to her plate, “I doubt that she is a simpleton. She cannot
speak, that is all.”
    Surprised, Alex
turned his attention to his timid cousin.
    “Well then,
that’s that,” said Edward with a cheerful pat on Elizabeth’s hand.
    “My apologies,
Lady Katherine,” said Sarah, her angry eyes on Robert. “My husband evidently
misunderstood his information when he told me you were dead from the neck up.”
She thrust a forkful of beef into her mouth and scraped the pewter prong between
her front teeth as she drew it out.
    Alex winced.
Sarah only made that sound with her fork when she was upset with Robert, which
was quite often. More than once, their quarrels at his table had extended to
the parlor after the meal and into their carriage when they left. It was one
more reason to never take another wife.
    “I did not misunderstand,”
Robert said in clipped tones. “We assumed the fire had taken her mind as well
as her voice.”
    “Then you must
learn your facts before you cause my embarrassment and Lady Katherine’s
discomfort,” Sarah shot back. Bits of brown food flew from her lips and added
visual impact to her heated words.
    Katherine’s
round-eyed gaze flew from Robert to Sarah.
    “’Tis true we
were mistaken,” Alex said through the tight muscles clenching his jaw. “The
king informed me only of her entrapment in the fire and her father’s death, as
well as her broken engagement to the Earl of Rochester. We assumed the rest, as
Robert has said.”
    No longer
looking as if tears threatened, Katherine sipped her wine and regarded him, as
he did her. How would her voice sound? Low and musical, he mused. Full of
elegance as was her walk, yet with a vibrancy like the glossy curls that graced
her shoulders.
    “I did assume
the rest,” Robert muttered. “How was I supposed to know she can think? Why in
damnation would anyone care—”
    “Fie, Robert, do
hush!” Sarah said. “Your words tonight are deplorable.”
    “Silence,
woman!” Robert snapped. “Would that your voice could—”
    “Enough.” Alex’s
voice, low but hard, silenced the Cookes. There would be no games or reading
after the meal. Inviting his nearest neighbors to dinner so Katherine could
meet them had been a terrible mistake.
    Robert turned to
Alex with a pained, set smile. “We apologize, Drayton.”
    Alex nodded,
resisting the urge to order them all to leave right now. “We all misunderstood
Lady Katherine’s difficulty.”
    As if relieved,
Katherine closed her eyes.
    Robert tipped up
his wine goblet and drank, and then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
“I suppose it will be harder now to convince the king as to why you didn’t
pursue his suggestion.”
    Katherine’s eyes
flew open.
    Agnes’ sharp
eyes speared her father. “I am certain Lord Drayton will succeed.”
    Puzzlement
filled Katherine’s features. She arched her brows at Alex, clearly expecting an
explanation.
    “’Tis not
important,” Alex said to her, and watched her eyes narrow.
    She raised her
slate to the table.
    “’Twas nothing,
Lady Katherine.” Damn Robert! The man couldn’t keep a straight head when he
drank. And it was too late now to tell him the king’s suggestion of marriage
was a ruse. He’d built the lie to avoid telling Robert the real reason she was
here, that her father had been Cromwell’s spy.
    As she neared
her chalk toward the surface, Alex felt his throat constrict. He did not need
further association with this woman. “’Twas only a suggestion. I shall discuss
it with you in private.”
    Elizabeth said,
“Shall we return to the parlor for—”
    Katherine
slammed chalk to slate. Each swift, screeching stroke of letters drove needled
pain into Alex’s ears. Then, she swung the slate around. You will tell