Reluctant Bride Read Online Free PDF Page B

He was taking his leave of the proprietor. It occurred to me he would not have tarried so long if he had a stolen necklace in his pocket. He had been treated with respect at the inn, too—was obviously a gentleman of character. This did not occur to Blount, who bolted to the door and asked him to step into our parlor. It was an extremely embarrassing interlude. I knew as soon as Blount spoke that the man was innocent.
    “Miss Braden finds a valuable diamond necklace is missing from her reticule,” he said, in a meaningful way.
    Bingeman did not misunderstand him. Not a word of commiseration did the squire utter. “I hope you are not implying I had anything to do with the loss,” he answered hotly.
    “I am very much afraid we will have to ask you to prove it,” Blount replied in an odiously toplofty way.
    In lieu of proving it, Bingeman let fly his right fist, which caught Blount on the chin and lifted his toes from the floor. Less than a second elapsed before the blow was returned. Within another second, the proprietor was at the door, trying to bring peace, but as our combatants were at it hammer and tong by this time, the owner took the misguided notion of sending off for a constable instead. My dog, whom I had heard yelping in the hallway for some few minutes, finally found me. She came rocketing through the doorway to add her noisy presence to the scene.
    When the Law arrived, Bingeman was flat on the floor having his pockets rifled by Blount. Mitzi was the only one trying to prevent him. She had attached her sharp little teeth to his boot. Being caught in such an illegal act, Blount was promptly hauled off to the roundhouse by the local constable.
    Bingeman went along to press charges, intimating over his shoulder that if the story of diamonds was more than a story, he would be much surprised. Mitzi took a leap at his knees for good measure, but was swotted off by the squire. I gathered her up in my arms to keep her from further mischief, vowing to myself I would not be so foolhardy as to venture upon another trip with a dog.
    “Congratulations!You’ve really done it this time, Lizzie,” Maisie said. She was trying to pretend she was angry, but in truth the excitement of our day had brought a glow to her eyes.
    “It’s not my fault. Who thought Blount would be so stupid as to accuse him with no proof? We’ve got to get him out, Maisie.”
    “Let him stay in jail. We’re well rid of the troublesome fellow, which is not to say your behavior has been anything but outrageous!”
    “We are not well rid of his money. Blount is to pay the bill here, repair our carriage, meanwhile hire us a new one. I haven’t enough cash to do it. No, we have got to get him out.”
    “‘Twas Bingeman that struck the first blow,” Maisie remembered.
    “So it was. Blount ought to be laying charges himself. Assault.”
    “Except that he slandered Bingeman first. That could be a serious matter.”
    “It will all end up in my dish. I first slandered Blount, though you are the only one who heard me. It was not public at all.”
    “I wish they’d put that mutt of yours behind bars till we get back. What possessed you to drag that spitter along?”
    “It’s not Mitzi’s fault,” I said, patting her head—the dog’s, I mean. “Good Mitzi.”
    “What a disgusting display! You talking babytalk to a dog. You never showed half so much affection to your brother or your father, or mother for that matter, as you lavish on that mutt. You’re turning senile, Lizzie.” She jiggled angrily around on the sofa for a few minutes before continuing with her rant. “I cannot go trailing down the street with this ankle. It hurts like the devil.”
    “I’ll go alone. I look a perfect witch, or a lady bruiser with this patch on my forehead. God knows what credence will be placed on my testimony. I’ll be lucky if I don’t end up in the roundhouse myself. I had better leave Mitzi with you. I don’t want her biting the constable. If I