The Switch Read Online Free PDF Page A

her to go to hell and mind her own business, but then he answered, the words tumbling out as if they had been waiting a long time to escape. "They had come to visit me. They lived on the next estate and had ridden over on horseback for the day. A highwayman had been working the area, but no one had been hurt yet, just robbed, petty thefts really. My sister and her husband stayed for dinner. It was dark when they left. I suggested I have my carriage take them back…" He paused. Something flickered over his face. Regret? Pain? Anger? "I should have insisted."
    Guilt. Charlie sat back with a sigh, positive that it was guilt that Lord Radcliffe felt when he spoke of his sister. But why? "Was she younger than you?"
    "Aye," he sighed and drank from his mug. "What of your parents?"
    "They died when we were both younger. I was eighteen then. Mary, twelve."
    "You raised her? Took care of her until she was married?" Charlie guessed, and he glanced at her in surprise.
    "Aye. How did you know?"
    Charlie shrugged. "Who else would do it? You have mentioned no one else," she murmured absently, her thoughts on what she had learned. His guilt was because he had grown up taking care of his sister. He felt that he should have insisted more that they take his carriage. Mayhap he even thought that he should have accompanied them. He seemed to feel that he had failed them somehow. Such feelings were no doubt also behind his offering of protection to herself and her sister. After all, he had said himself that Beth reminded him of Mary. Last night must have seemed similar to him to the situation that had seen his sister's death. A man and a woman alone on the road. Traveling at night. Aye, now she understood his offer to help them.
    Radcliffe frowned. He was likely irritated and embarrassed with himself for revealing so much. Charlie could sense that she had elicited from him information he hadn't offered anyone in years. Suddenly impatient, Radcliffe glared into his drink briefly, then glanced up. "Can you shoot? Or has no one taught you?"
    Charlie's hesitation was answer enough, and Radcliffe got to his feet. "No doubt your uncle wouldn't have bothered. Any man who would sell his niece to Carland would hardly be bothered with whether his nephew can defend himself." He gave Charlie a small smile. "Come along," he ordered gruffly.
    Scrambling from behind the table, Charlie hurried after him.
    "Where have you been?" Beth rushed forward as Charlie and RadclifFe entered the inn two hours later.
    Charlie caught the concern on her sister's face and grinned, but it was Radcliffe who answered. "I was teaching your brother to shoot."
    Beth's eyes widened incredulously. "Really? How did it go?"
    Charlie began to chuckle when Radcliffe hesitated. She knew that she was not exactly what one would call a natural. She had not hit a single target. Surprisingly, Radcliffe had not lost his patience with her ineptitude. He had been
terribly encouraging, telling her when they finally gave up that she would improve with practice. Lots of practice.
    "What your brother lacks in accuracy, he makes up for in enthusiasm. He shall improve. He just needs practice," Radcliffe said finally, and Charlie's chuckles turned into all-out laughter at his attempt at diplomacy.
    When Radcliffe smiled faintly at her amusement, Charlie gave him a slightly mocking bow, then took Beth's
arm and steered her toward the room they had dined in earlier, confiding cheerfully as they went, "I am a complete failure as a man, I fear. I could not hit the side of the inn at ten paces."
    Beth blinked, then burst out laughing as they reached the table.
    Radcliffe followed the pair, smiling like a benign monarch on his charges. Taking a seat across from them, he listened, his smile glowing as Charles relayed the events of the afternoon, realizing as he listened that rather than be discouraged, the boy had found it all a great adventure.
    The twins continued to chat during the meal, coaxing smiles from