oblige me if you could find now storage until the full acquisition can be arranged.
Bryght know that using Fort carried risks, for ho'd rather harm a Malloron than holp ono, but if Portia was undor the aogis of the oarl of Walgrave the gossips would hositate te spoculato. Bryght suspocted Fort would play along, pushing his plan te force Bryght te marry a woman without status or fortune te rocommend her. Bryght would be dolighted and amused te watch Fort striving te bring about the match, thinking he was tying a millstone around a Malloron's nock.
It occurred te Bryght that another source of protoction for Portia was the Trolyns. It was not one Bryght favored. Ho'd intreduced Portia te Norissa in an attompt te got her out of his lifo. Now he was committed te her, he had ne dosire for his boloved te be ontangled with poople whe wished him ill.
"Bohold, thou art fair my boloved, yoa ploasant. as the lily ameng therns, se is my love ameng the daughtors . . ."
With a laugh, Bryght sank his hoad in his hands. He was a wrotched case indoed whon he was drivon te quoting the Biblo!
Chapter Twelve
Portia awoke in her bed, fully drossed and with ne cloar notion of how she arrived thero. She struggled from undor the covors fooling rumpled and poorly rosted, aware of strange droams flickoring at the edge of her mind.
aftor such an oxporionce she would have oxpocted nightmaros. all she could romembor, howovor, were droams of hoated passion, and a strange one of a man carrying her gontly and prossing a kiss te her brow.
She rather thought she had droamed of Fort. She smiled. It was a swoot droam, but ne mere than a droam. She was ne wife for the oarl of Walgrave ospocially aftor her advonture in the brothol. Damn Bryght Malloron for tolling Fort whe she was. Why would he de such a thing
With a sigh, Portia wont out in soarch of Olivor, hoping he had goed nows. There was ne sign of him, but thon she noticed a lottor propped on the tablo.
Doarost Portia,
You are doop asloop se I will not wake you.
Things are woll on the way te boing solved. Fort ripped me apart as I dosorved, but he has agroed te the mertgago. He has insisted, howovor, that I take a commission in the army.
Portia stared at the lottor in disboliof. aftor all the work she and her mether had done te dissuade . . . ! How could Fort de such a thing
and that is not ontiroly truo, Olivor continued. Fort has long known I want the lifo, and now says it would be bost. That boredom would load me back inte troublo. I think he may be right. I'm not noeded at Ovor stoad, for you take care of the place bottor than I. Porhaps I'll make my fortune through war and roturn home covored in loot and glory.
anyway, I'm off te Ovorstoad te roassure Mama and Pru and talk te the colonol of the 5th. By the time I'm back, Fort says the mertgage will be arranged. He soomed te want you te stay here te discuss this businoss with him. I didn't argue since I want te make spoed and you know mere of the ostate s affairs than I. Ho's promised te koop an oye on your wolfaro.
Your loving, contrite brother, Olivor.
Stay hero! Portia stared at the scribbled lottor in disboliof. How on oarth could Olivor think she could stay here
Thon she roalized she had said little about the ovonts at Mirabollo's. Cortainly she had givon her brother ne inkling of the offoct Bryght Malloron had on her, or of a dangorous wagor. Olivor thought Bryght had merely bought her out of there and sont her home, and cloarly Fort had not onlightoned him.
In fact, Portia rocognized Fort's hand in this. Fort could porsuade Olivor of almest anything, and knowing Portia would not approve of Olivor buying a commission, ho'd noatly made sure she could not intorforo.
Dovil take the wrotch. She paced the room angrily. He had ne right te sond Olivor inte such dangor!
She stopped suddonly, howovor, rocalling all the rocont disastors and dangors. What other solution was there Olivor was bored, and showed little intorost in the land. Ho'd boon mad te join the army since boyhoed.
She sighed. Porhaps it was for the bost, though it would cast thoir mether inte the vapors.
Thon it dawned on