Jane Feather - Charade by Unknown (top rated books of all time txt) 📗

her through hisglass, observed, "Judging by whatever it isyou have on your nose, you have already breakfasted."

"I haven't finished it yet," she retorted. "And I do not have anythingon my nose." The back of her hand went up to wipe the offendingfeature, but her companion moved swiftly, catching her wrist.

"How many times do I have to remind you that you are not now on thestreet, urchin? Hold still." He scrubbed her face vigorously with hisnapkin. "It's honey, you sticky brat."

"I am not a sticky brat." Danny moved backward from his ignominiousministrations. "I don't know how I'm to be expected to eat properlywhen I have to keep leaping up to answer your bell!"

"Well, when you've filled your belly you can pack up my things. I wishto leave in half an hour." Linton sat down at the table and addressedhimself to his own breakfast, effectively dismissing Danielle from hispresence.

Her task completed, twenty minutes later Danny went out of the kitchenand into the sunny stableyard. The ostlers were busy putting the horsesto the heavy coach and watching them she didn't hear the soft footstepsbehind her until her cap left her head and a rough voice mocked, "Whatlittle bantam is this?"

She whirled to face a brawny stablehand whose little eyes in a pudgyface glinted spitefully. "Can't imagine what you're good for," hertormentor continued, grabbing her upper arm and pinching it painfully.

Danny wrenched herself free. "Gimme my cap." She stretched for it, butthe youth merely held it higher.

"Got to jump for it," he taunted.

"Cochon!"

Danny spat, leapingat his arm.

He laughed maliciously and tossed the cap onto the high wallsurrounding the yard.

"Betch can't climb either, runt."

Danny knew that she should leave the cap and walk away, but she hadnever been able to run from a fight—it was not the de St. Varennes way.She was also as agile as a monkey and the wall uneven with plenty offoot and handholds. In no time she had retrieved the article andcrammed it back onto her head, making towalk out of the yard. But the bully was not finished yet. He grabbedthe cap, seizing a painful handful of the hair beneath as he dragged itoff again. It sailed through the air to land again on the wall.

"This time, bantam, you're gonna 'ave to fight fer it!" Twosledgehammer fists went up. Danielle thought rapidly. She was nophysical match for this oaf who quite clearly intended for some reasonto do her considerable damage, but he was all brawn. With a swiftdancing movement she aimed a kick at his shin. It was unlikely to causehim much pain, but, as she had hoped, it enraged him mightily. Prancingbackward, just out of reach of those treetrunk arms, she delved intoher wide vocabulary of insults, producing a tirade that drew reluctantadmiration from the circle of interested spectators who had appearedinstantly it was known that Jacques was out to teach the snob servantof Milord a lesson or two. She didn't know it, but she had Linton tothank for this unprovoked attack. His refusal to allow her to eat inthe kitchen the previous evening had been misinterpreted as a high andmighty gesture of the servant's rather than the edict of the master.

She had attained her goal when she delivered the coup de grace—thepithy comparison of herassailant's male organ with a pig's bladder.Jacques lunged for her with all the blindness of an enraged bull. Withall the daintiness of a toreador, Danielle sidestepped neatly and herpursuer went headfirst into the horse trough that had been behind her.She was about to deliver a few more well-chosen epithets at thediscomfitted Jacques's upturned rear when linton's voice cut throughthe laughing throng.

"Danny!

Viens-ici!

" Sheturned to see him standing well to one side ofthe suddenly silenced group, now shuffling awkwardly on thecobblestones. Why he should be looking so furious, she couldn'timagine.

She had not exactly been responsible for this little fracas.

The earl told her in very few words when she reached him.

"What the devil did you think you were doing?" The voice was very, verysoft. "Once that lout had his hands on you, how long do you imagine itwould be before he discovered exactly

what

you are? Do you think a wench masquerading as a lad with a mouthas dirty as yours would get any consideration from that lot?" Hegestured toward the group, now. melting discreetly away. "They'd haveyou on your back with your britches down and your legs spread beforeyou could open your mouth to scream!"

Danielle seemed to be taking an inordinate interest in her bootsthroughout this short, deliberately brutal speech and a deep flushcrept over the fragile pillar of her bent neck.

"Just remember that, the next time you decide to embroil yourself in astableyard scrap," the earl finished, resisting the sudden urge to runhis finger along that sweet column, turning away abruptly instead,striding across the yard. He reached the dripping Jacques, who hadjust extricated himself from the trough. Linton's left fist, by way ofthe bully's chin, returned Master Jacques to his trough without so muchas a whimper. Retrieving the cap from the wall he returned to hischarge, who, embarrassment forgotten, was dancing in gleeful triumph ather enemy's downfall.

"You knocked him down!" she exclaimed. "That, milord, is a punishingleft you have."

"What do you know of such things?" The earl sighed, replacing the capon the small head. It was a silly question— this brat knew altogethertoo much of the most unsuitable subjects. How on earth had Louiseallowed her daughter to have such an unconventional upbringing? Butthen, he reflected grimly, if she

had not, the child would not be herenow. She would never have survived the last weeks.

The earl proved a poor traveling companion that day, spending thegreater part of the journey with his eyes closed in an attempt tosoothe his raw eyeballs and placate the persistent throb of histemples. Danielle, well versed in the