Unraveled By The Rebel Read Online Free PDF

and His Grace is bringing Toria out,” Margaret said. “We’ll wait beside the coach until they’re both with us.”
    Amelia balked. “I don’t want to leave until we know she’s all right.”
    Juliette took her sister’s hand, guiding her away from the house while Margaret led them toward the waiting coach. “It’s safer. The men will put out the fire, you’ll see.”
    Again Amelia hesitated, her eyes upon the conflagration. “I don’t want her to die,” she whispered. “It’s her wedding day, Juliette. It was supposed to be her happiest day.”
    A lump gathered in Juliette’s throat, but she nodded. “Don’t be afraid. His Grace will find her. I know he will.”
    Mr. Sinclair stood near the edge of the glen, helping Margaret inside the coach before he returned to the crofters. On horseback, he urged the women and children to move south, away from the burning house.
    The three sisters huddled together in the coach, all of them silent as the waiting dragged onward. Their footman, Mr. MacKinloch, arrived to drive them, and Juliette stared outside as Dr. Fraser continued helping Mr. Sinclair and the other crofters as they fought to put out the fire. The blaze was still going, and at last, the duke appeared. His arm was around Victoria as he guided her outside, away from the fire and toward a snowdrift.
    Juliette let out a slow breath of air, so grateful to see her sister alive. Within moments, their mother returned, wiping the tears from her cheeks.
    “She’s safe,” Beatrice pronounced, climbing inside the coach. From the expression on her face, she seemed to have aged ten years in that last hour. “Both of them are unharmed.” She pressed her fingers to her temples, as if to steady her nerves.
    “Will they go with us?” Amelia ventured.
    Beatrice shook her head. “There’s not enough room in the coach. His Grace will look after her. We’re going to his house at Eiloch Hill. I believe they will meet us there.” Their footman closed the door to their coach and began the journey south.
    The horses struggled through the drifts, making Juliette wonder if a sleigh would have been easier. Many times, they had to stop along the way, but none of them spoke. It was strange to think that their house was now gone, when only a few hours ago, they had been helping their sister dress for her wedding.
    Juliette stared outside the window, worried about Dr. Fraser. He’d taken command, guiding the crofters south to the duke’s land. But where was he now? It would be an hour or more before he’d reach Eiloch Hill, especially if he was keeping pace withthose who were walking. It was freezing outside, and she couldn’t stop thinking of him.
    There was no sense to the feelings muddled inside. She shouldn’t be letting her mind wander with thoughts of
him
. But when he’d rushed through the crowd of people, he’d been looking for her. She couldn’t pretend that she wasn’t relieved to see that he was all right.
    The sensible side to her brain reminded her that they were only friends. Of course she would be glad that he was unharmed. It was nothing more than that. The pounding of her heart was no more than fear over what had happened.
    She took several deep, slow breaths. After all the mistakes she’d made, she had no right to believe she could start again. Her choices had been flawed, and she’d paid the consequences tenfold.
    But she had a beautiful son. A child who had utterly captured her heart, whom she loved more than life itself. He had a new family, parents who would give him a title and wealth. He would have everything he ever wanted.
    Everything except his true mother.
    There was a hole in her heart now, with the realization that Matthew could never know the truth about who his mother was. And because of the difficult birth, another baby would surely kill her. Not only had she bled badly, but she’d nearly died of a fever afterward. The midwife had advised her to never try again.
    Which meant that,