Desires of a Baron Read Online Free Page B

some sort of distraction, and just as quickly jerked his eyes away. That inquisitive young fellow stood down by Simon’s feet, grinning. Simon scowled, then grimaced once again.
    “Have another momentary lapse?” Lucy asked, her tone light.
    Despite himself, Simon laughed. “Indeed.”
    Lucy shook her head; what appeared to be a slight smile pulled on her lips, but didn’t meet her eyes. It was hard to guess her age. She was older than him, but it couldn’t be by much. Not that he could dare ask her. “Other than suffering at your own hands by stretching your lips and contorting your face, are you hurting anywhere else?” she asked, pulling him from his thoughts.
    “ No, ma’am,” he lied. Truth was, there wasn’t anywhere on his body that didn’t hurt. But that mattered very little. He might be a commoner, but even he knew that any young lady, whether of breeding or not, wouldn’t be inclined to nurse a gentleman beyond fetching him a glass of water or a cool rag.
    “ That’s good,” Lucy said.
    From the corner of his eye, Simon saw Seth making an eating motion with his hands. “I’m ravenous,” Simon burst out.
    “Oh,” she said, her face turning a fetching pink. She smoothed her skirts. “Of course, I’ll go start a pot of soup.”
    Simon and Seth exchanged a look, but their victory came to an abrupt end when Lucy spoke again. “While it’s cooking, I’ll write a letter to your family to let them know you’re all right.”
    A flash of hope sparked in Simon. She’d only said she’d write them to inform them he was all right, she hadn’t said anything about making arrangements for him to return home. Catching sight of her lifted brow, he realized she was waiting for a name. He racked his brain. Who should he have her contact? He had no relations other than his parents. His mother would be on Lucy’s doorstep in a trice, making a fuss that could be rivaled only by a wounded war hero returning home. He shuddered. Of course she’d love the chance to fawn over him and reassure him that the sudden emergence by his half-brother that he never knew he had hadn’t changed the way she felt for Simon.
    That was not what he needed. Nor did he wish for his father to come. Simon was injured, but not so severely that he was about to be visited by the Angel of Death. If his father, Walter Appleton, had any reason to believe Simon wasn’t still at that blasted house party in Telford, he’d insist that Simon be the one to go visit Lord Drakely about his investments. Lord Drakely himself was pleasant enough, it was that bewitching, tart-tongued shrew he housed that Simon would rather avoid. Simon shuddered again. His last encounter with one Miss Henrietta Hughes had been more than enough for him to know spending any more time with her was at the bottom of the list of things he wished to do.
    “ So many relations,” she teased.
    “ Do you have to contact any of them?”
    “ Yes,” she said, the same time Seth said, “No.”
    Simon and Seth grinned at each other. He had no idea what the connection between Lucy and Seth was, but it would seem that Seth would be a wonderful ally in softening Lucy. “You’ve got a good number of bruises and cuts,” Lucy began. “Though nothing looked too deadly—”
    A coughing attack came over Simon. Lucy had seen Simon’s injuries? That’d mean… Lucy was Seth’s mother? No, she couldn’t be. She was too young to be his mother. Through squinted eyes he looked from one to the other. Seth’s eyes were green and his hair sandy blond. Lucy’s eyes were blue and her hair was dark. Seth must favor his father.
    “ Indeed, he does,” Lucy said in a cool tone, startling Simon. He hadn’t realized he’d said that aloud. Lucy lifted her chin and cleared her throat. “Who is it that I shall be notifying of your whereabouts, Mr. Appleton?”
    “ My brother,” Simon blurted, distracted. He hadn’t meant to insult her; he was just trying to make sense of who she was.