Midnight My Love Read Online Free PDF Page A

home. I have a carriage waiting to
convey you to Willowmede."
    "Pish!" Alexandra swept back a loose curl
from her forehead. "I'll ride. Give me a few minutes to change into
my habit and make the necessary arrangements with the servants.
Aunt Haygood can follow as soon as possible."
    "The carriage would be more comfortable,
Miss Turlington," Rochdale said.
    "It will be faster on horseback. I've been
sick with worry for months. I want to see Robert as soon as
possible." She hated how he continued to call her Miss Turlington,
when once they'd been so close.
    "As you wish," Rochdale said with a slight
nod of his head.
    Alexandra pulled the bell. The butler was on
the alert and came instantly. "Bentley, Robert has been wounded. I
must go to Willowmede at once. Have a groom fetch Cosmos from the
stables. And tell Mrs. Crawford to serve Rochdale some coffee." She
smiled gratefully at the viscount as Bentley went away to do her
bidding. "I'll be ready in fifteen minutes." She was gone on the
words.
    ****
    When Alex entered her bedchamber, her maid
was waiting. Maggie, learning the master of Willowmede was wounded,
quickly helped her mistress into her black riding habit, then
secured a smart black hat on Alexandra's head.
    "Is my aunt awake yet?" she asked the maid,
adjusting the hat more comfortably.
    "Yes, Miss. She's having her tea in bed.
It's lemon verbena this morning."
    "I wonder what she's trying to cure today,"
murmured Alexandra. Aunt Haygood believed all things could be cured
with the right mixture of herbs. If only that were true.
    Alex grabbed her riding crop and gloves.
Striding down the hall, she knocked and entered her aunt's
bedchamber. Aunt Haygood, wrapped in a green silken robe adorned
with giant cabbage roses, sat in bed sipping her tea.
    She smiled on her niece. "Come in, my dear,
come in. Where are you off to so early?"
    "Rochdale has brought Robert home, Aunt.
He's very ill. We haven't heard from him in so long because he was
wounded in battle," Alex explained as she drew on her calf-skin
gloves. "I'm leaving immediately with Rochdale. Jenny can help see
to the packing, then you can follow in the carriage."
    Aunt Haygood sat straight up in bed. "Oh,
dear! Is Robert going to be all right? How bad is he?"
    Upon receiving assurances
that he was not at death's door, she eyed her niece with misgiving.
"Alexandra Turlington! Do not tell me you are going to ride alone with Lord Rochdale! It would
be highly improper! Why he's the biggest libertine in England!" She
straightened her cap and leaned back against the plump pillows.
"Robert is in safe hands at Willowmede. It would be much better to
wait for Jenny and me. It won't take us long to get ready, then we
can all go comfortably in the carriage."
    Alex kissed her aunt's cheek. "I have no
time to wait for the packing and the dawdling pace of the carriage.
Robert needs me now, Aunt."
    "Promise me, you'll ride side-saddle,"
implored Miss Haygood. "You know how I disapprove of your
unmaidenly desire to ride astride. It's bad enough when you ride
like a hoyden at Willowmede, but you must practice decorum in
public or you shall ruin your reputation."
    "I'll do the proper until we are out of
Bath," Alex promised.
    "And you will take a groom, won't you,
dearest?" pleaded her aunt.
    "Don't get into one of your pothers," Alex
said, deftly avoiding the issue. "I'll be fine. I expect to see you
and Jenny at Willowmede by dinner time." Alexandra kissed her aunt
goodbye and left the room.
    Down the hall, she tapped on the door of
Jenny's bedchamber with her riding crop and peeked into the room.
Jenny sat at the dressing table, waiting patiently for her maid to
finish winding her long silky braids around the crown of her
head.
    Alex walked in and gave her a quick hug.
"I've come to tell you I'm off to Willowmede. Rochdale has brought
Robert home. He's been wounded and needs nursing."
    Jenny's gray eyes dilated and her face paled
alarmingly. Alex knew her friend loved Robert like a