Mistletoe and Mischief Read Online Free PDF Page B

to her. A strange thing for a lady to say, but most welcome under the circumstances. Charles smiled when he thought that he was far more likely to strangle her before this trip was over. And with reason.
    A curious vision suddenly came to him, in which his hands were wrapped about her slender neck. But before he could throttle her, Louisa turned her blue eyes up at him and gave him a mischievous smile, and all at once Charles imagined that he could feel the smoothness of her skin beneath his fingertips.
    He found himself wondering what curves were concealed beneath the silk of her spencer. The muslin of her gown had not succeeded in hiding a pleasant roundness to her hips and a slim pair of legs underneath.
    A pleasant languor stole over him as he started to conjure more alluring images....
    Abruptly, Charles shook himself, recalled his earlier concerns and cursed himself for such foolish wanderings. These were precisely the kind of thoughts he must not have under the circumstances. Better to turn his mind to what would be his best course of action on the morrow.
    Christmas was only four days away. They needed three of them, at least, to get back to London. He should not waste time in useless–and dangerous–distractions.
    He climbed the stairs to his room, confident that with his headache gone, some good notion would come to him by morning.
     
    Chapter Three
     
    A plan did suggest itself to Charles during the night, and he was so eager to execute the first part of it that he took care of it before breakfast.
    On his return, he was glad to see that Louisa, too, had awakened before dawn and had come downstairs for an early start. Together they sat down to coffee and chocolate, thick slices of bacon, eggs and freshly made bread.
    “I have sent off a letter to General Davenport,” he told her. “The post is certain to reach London before we do, and I thought it best to advise him of our arrival. Do you think he might have sent someone after you?”
    Louisa shook her head. “I don't think so. I cannot think of anyone he could prevail upon to follow me—otherwise I shouldn't have left.”
    Charles gazed at her curiously over his coffee cup; she smiled sideways at him. “I may not have his daring,” she said, “but I have tried to learn something of his tactics.”
    Charles cleared his throat, determined not to return her smile. “Have you no wish to know what I wrote in my letter?”
    “But of course, Charles! If you wish to tell me, I shall be enchanted to hear it.”
    He purposely ignored the teasing note in her voice. “I informed your guardian,” he said, “that I came upon you in distress, that you related to me the particulars of your alarming situation and that I failed to see any other course open to me than to escort you home myself. I also informed him that I intend to find a chaperone for you, if at all possible.”
    “Oh, that is clever of you, Charles. That will satisfy him fully.”
    Charles raised his eyebrows. “Do you think so? I hardly think it will. Nevertheless, I do have hopes that it will comfort him in part.”
    The truth was that during the night he had realized he had to do all he could to prepare the general. This was in part to soothe the general's worry; but mostly, Charles knew, he must explain to Louisa's guardian his own role in her affairs as soon as possible. The notion that the general might misinterpret this had kept Charles up half the night. But if the general had even part of a day to reflect upon his letter before they arrived, Charles might be spared the uncomfortable experience of explaining himself on the general's doorstep.
    “I wish you had consulted with me before sending your letter,” Louisa said, refilling her cup with chocolate. “However, it cannot be helped.”
    Charles paused in the act of chewing his bacon. “And why is that?”
    “Nothing serious. It's just that I have acquired the habit of dealing with my uncle, and I might have been able to give you a