Elisabeth Kidd (36 page)

“I don’t know why not,” Mr Kenyon said. “You’ve swallowed taller tales than that lately.”

Antonia rose to hug Imogen and wish them both happy as well, but
then she sighed and said she hoped there would be no more such
agitating news that day, for she had more than enough to suffice her.

But that night she joined Carey and Isabel and Mrs Curtiz in a raucous game
of backgammon which, because she was too happy to think of sleep,
lasted far into the night. When at last they did go up to bed, however, Antonia stopped her brother on the stairs to kiss him good night and to
ask, “Carey, how did you and Duncan meet? He was not in the army, was
he?”

“No, he was with a band of
guerilleros
, near Salamanca. He saved my
life there, Tonia. I’d got caught on the wrong side of the Guarena, when
we’d had to ford it in a hurry. My horse had been shot out from under me.
But the
guerilleros
raced in between us and the French, and Lobo picked
me up like I was a baby and carried me across the river on his horse.”

“Then I have even more reason to be grateful to him than I knew.”

“Don’t tell him I told you. He has the greatest aversion to being
thought a hero.”

Antonia smiled. “Then you may expect to have to tell me everything you know about him yourself—for he is my hero now, too!”

For Lee—at last

Copyright © 1986 by Elisabeth Kidd

Originally published by Walker (ISBN 0802708773)

Electronically published in 2013 by Belgrave House/Regency

Reads

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

No portion of this book may be reprinted in whole or in part, by printing, faxing, E-mail, copying electronically or by any other means without permission of the publisher. For more

information, contact Belgrave House, 190 Belgrave Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94117-4228

      http://www.RegencyReads.com

     Electronic sales: [email protected]

This is a work of fiction. All names in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to any person living or dead is coincidental.