Losing the Earl: Regency Romance Clean Read (Yearnings for Love Book 2) Read Online Free
Author: Rebecca Grave
shivered for a moment as the fire warmed her and she wondered where William and Thomas were. There’d be no way they’d leave for London in this weather, she thought.
The burning wood cracked adding percussion to the wind racing by the house. Voices, creaky floorboards, and footsteps mingled in a singular noise echoing off the walls. She listened, like an animal sensing a predator’s gaze and she tried to pick out William’s voice.
Footsteps were approaching. Watching the storm she did not want to turn so as to appear interested. The sound of loafers on wood stopped at the doorway, a pattern she knew well. She sighed as Mr. Bancroft’s soft voice announced, “My Lady breakfast is ready to be served.”
Chapter 6
The seating arrangement remained identical to the night before. Mary assumed the morning conversation would be more be more vivacious, but Samuel had little to say. William and Thomas made jokes about taking a horse full stride out onto a frozen lake.
“Think they’d do good on skates?” Thomas asked.
“When we return to the states, I’ll get Ainsworth to make horse skating shoes.”
“He’s a terrible blacksmith, you need them looking good.”
“Can you imagine the look on a blacksmith's face when he receives the commission for the work?”
Mary giggled.
“You are idiots, a horse on ice skates.” Samuel started.
“Dear sir, have you never fancied a joke?” replied William.
“How gauche is your humor you would hire a blacksmith to make skating shoes for horses. That’s not even funny; the idea of a horse slipping on the ice and it breaking.”
“We’re merely joking and it’s not like we are telling the horse to play ‘find the black ice.’”
“Find the black ice?”
“You’ve never played it?”
“I’ve never heard of it.”
“Well, you know what black ice is, a patch of clear thin ice. As a young boy, and still today as a grown man I’ll play this. What you do, is you lay on the ice and slowly push yourself across. If you do it right, you can cross the ice without it even cracking. There is a professor of science who did a study of the game showing how laying down prevents the ice from cracking.”
“You really do this sort of thing?”
“No, I’m joking,” William leaned back. “The game is only played by horses.”
Samuel looked interested. “My word, that is incredible.” He looked impressed. The entire room silenced. Samuel continued, “Is there a special technique you use to relax the horses onto the ice? I should hope to see such a thing.”
“Friend, I mean no sally towards you when I tell you, I was but jesting that such sport occurs.” William looked mildly uncomfortable.
Samuel looked around at the guests at the table. Eyes were wide, and no one moved. Guilty of no faux pas, Samuel had stumbled into something far worse. He’d embarrassed himself. Mary heard Victoria whisper something into Lucy’s ear and then a giggle. Mary made out only “nick-ninny.”
Thomas broke the silence. “These eggs in a kipper are mighty good. I never had them until coming here and I wish I could take them home. We usually do cider, bannock and roast beef. And eggs. Always with the eggs.”
Mary continued the polite discourse on differences between the American breakfast and the English breakfast. Thomas had much to say about the distinction in food. Even the beer was different because in Europe they didn’t mix sassafras root in with the hops when brewing.
While talking to Thomas Mary would notice William looking at her. She looked away from him, then over to Samuel. The man she thought was so handsome last night—till she had dreamed of him as her captor—looked at the middle of the table saying nothing and barely touching his food.
After breakfast, most of the guests headed to the billiard room or to the parlor for card games like Victoria and Lucy. Samuel had disappeared. Mary and William were the last two left in the
The burning wood cracked adding percussion to the wind racing by the house. Voices, creaky floorboards, and footsteps mingled in a singular noise echoing off the walls. She listened, like an animal sensing a predator’s gaze and she tried to pick out William’s voice.
Footsteps were approaching. Watching the storm she did not want to turn so as to appear interested. The sound of loafers on wood stopped at the doorway, a pattern she knew well. She sighed as Mr. Bancroft’s soft voice announced, “My Lady breakfast is ready to be served.”
Chapter 6
The seating arrangement remained identical to the night before. Mary assumed the morning conversation would be more be more vivacious, but Samuel had little to say. William and Thomas made jokes about taking a horse full stride out onto a frozen lake.
“Think they’d do good on skates?” Thomas asked.
“When we return to the states, I’ll get Ainsworth to make horse skating shoes.”
“He’s a terrible blacksmith, you need them looking good.”
“Can you imagine the look on a blacksmith's face when he receives the commission for the work?”
Mary giggled.
“You are idiots, a horse on ice skates.” Samuel started.
“Dear sir, have you never fancied a joke?” replied William.
“How gauche is your humor you would hire a blacksmith to make skating shoes for horses. That’s not even funny; the idea of a horse slipping on the ice and it breaking.”
“We’re merely joking and it’s not like we are telling the horse to play ‘find the black ice.’”
“Find the black ice?”
“You’ve never played it?”
“I’ve never heard of it.”
“Well, you know what black ice is, a patch of clear thin ice. As a young boy, and still today as a grown man I’ll play this. What you do, is you lay on the ice and slowly push yourself across. If you do it right, you can cross the ice without it even cracking. There is a professor of science who did a study of the game showing how laying down prevents the ice from cracking.”
“You really do this sort of thing?”
“No, I’m joking,” William leaned back. “The game is only played by horses.”
Samuel looked interested. “My word, that is incredible.” He looked impressed. The entire room silenced. Samuel continued, “Is there a special technique you use to relax the horses onto the ice? I should hope to see such a thing.”
“Friend, I mean no sally towards you when I tell you, I was but jesting that such sport occurs.” William looked mildly uncomfortable.
Samuel looked around at the guests at the table. Eyes were wide, and no one moved. Guilty of no faux pas, Samuel had stumbled into something far worse. He’d embarrassed himself. Mary heard Victoria whisper something into Lucy’s ear and then a giggle. Mary made out only “nick-ninny.”
Thomas broke the silence. “These eggs in a kipper are mighty good. I never had them until coming here and I wish I could take them home. We usually do cider, bannock and roast beef. And eggs. Always with the eggs.”
Mary continued the polite discourse on differences between the American breakfast and the English breakfast. Thomas had much to say about the distinction in food. Even the beer was different because in Europe they didn’t mix sassafras root in with the hops when brewing.
While talking to Thomas Mary would notice William looking at her. She looked away from him, then over to Samuel. The man she thought was so handsome last night—till she had dreamed of him as her captor—looked at the middle of the table saying nothing and barely touching his food.
After breakfast, most of the guests headed to the billiard room or to the parlor for card games like Victoria and Lucy. Samuel had disappeared. Mary and William were the last two left in the
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