The Scoundrel and the Debutante Read Online Free PDF Page B

food.
    â€œNo?” She took one and popped it into her mouth.
“Mmm,”
she said, and closed her eyes a moment. “Delicious.”
    Much to his consternation, Roan’s stomach grumbled.
    Miss Cabot smiled and held up the cheesecloth a little closer to him. “You must at least try
one.
”
    â€œYou don’t mind?” he asked, but he was already reaching for one.
    She watched him closely as he put the morsel in his mouth. Good God, she was right—it was delicious.
    â€œHave another. Have as many as you like.”
    â€œPerhaps one more,” Roan said gratefully, reaching. When he opened his palm, he found three instead of the one he’d intended.
    Miss Cabot laughed, the sound of it crystal and light. “One might think you’ve not eaten today, Mr. Matheson.”
    â€œI’ve not eaten since yesterday morning.”
    â€œWhat! Why ever not?”
    He shrugged. “I’ve been traveling and it’s not always convenient. Frankly, I thought I would have reached my destination by now.”
    Miss Cabot hopped down from the fence and squatted down beside a small bag by her feet, which she opened and rummaged in before removing another cheesecloth. She handed that one to him.
    Roan unwrapped it. It was bread.
    â€œI’ve cheese, too.”
    â€œNo, I—”
    â€œI must insist, Mr. Matheson! My youngest sister put it in my bag.” She smiled up at him, her eyes sparkling like diamonds in the sunlight. “She wanted me to be properly provisioned. She has high hopes that we will be set upon by highwaymen and forced to live in the woods.”
    â€œShe has
hope
of that?”
    â€œShe has a keen sense of drama. Please, help yourself. There is more.”
    â€œI’m grateful,” he said, and went down on one haunch and tore off a chunk of the bread. He ate it much more savagely than he intended as Miss Cabot climbed back onto the fence railing. He helped himself to the cheese, too, surprised by how ravenous he suddenly realized he was.
    â€œYoo-hoo!”
    The two sisters wiggled their fingers at Miss Cabot, even though they sat only a few feet away. “We’ve solved the mystery!” one of them trilled loudly.
    â€œWe have indeed! It was
quite
a puzzle—”
    â€œQuite,” said the more robust of the two.
    â€œWhat mystery?” Miss Cabot asked.
    â€œWell,
you
,
my dear. But we have deduced it. You are Lady Altringham!” she said proudly.
    â€œOh dear me, no,” Miss Cabot said laughingly. “She’s twenty years my senior.”
    â€œOh,” said the woman, clearly disappointed once more.
    â€œBut I am acquainted with her,” Miss Cabot said. “Her daughter and I were presented together.”
    â€œOoh,”
said the smaller one, her eyes lighting with delight.
    â€œPresented?” Roan said uncertainly.
    â€œTo the
king
,
sir!” one of the women said crossly, as if he should have known it.
    Roan looked up at Miss Cabot curiously. “Why? Did you do something of note?”
    Miss Cabot burst into a delightful laughter. “Not at all! It was all I could manage to curtsy properly.”
    â€œI should like to know from where
you
hail, sir, for you seem
quite
ignorant,” said one of the women.
    â€œDoesn’t he, though?” agreed the other. “Everyone knows that presentation in court is the rite of passage for a young lady of pedigree,” said the other in a bit of a huff.
    Roan didn’t understand. “For what purpose?”
    â€œThe purpose!” the woman scoffed, clearly annoyed. “Wouldn’t you like to be presented to the king?”
    Roan had to think about that. If it prolonged his time in England, he would say no.
    â€œWhere are you from?” the woman demanded.
    â€œAmerica,” Roan said. “New York, to be precise.”
    â€œAnd why have you come all this way?”
    He didn’t think it was any business