Page 71 (1/2)

Chapter 1

contubernal (noun) One who occupies the same tent; a tent-fellow, comrade

The thought of Percy Prewitt as my contubernal causes me to break out in hives

—From the personal dictionary of Caroline Trent

Haland

July 3, 1814

Caroline Trent hadn't meant to shoot Percival Prewitt, but she had, and noas dead

Or at least she thought he was dead There was certainly enough blood It was dripping from the walls, it was splattered on the floor, and the bedclothes were stained quite beyond redemption Caroline didn't know very much about medicine, but she was fairly certain a body couldn't lose that much blood and still live

She was in big trouble now

“Daentlewoentle circue occasionally left a bit to be desired

“You stupid man,” she said to the body on the floor “Why did you have to lunge at h alone? I told your father I wasn't going to marry you I told him I wouldn't marry you if you were the last idiot in Britain”

She nearly stamped her foot in frustration Why was it her words never came out quite the way she intended them to? “What I meant to say was that you are an idiot,” she said to Percy, who, not surprisingly, didn't respond, “and that I wouldn't marry you if you were the lastto you, anyway? You're quite dead”

Caroline groaned What the devil was she supposed to do now? Percy's father was due to return in just two short hours, and it didn't require an Oxford degree to deduce that Oliver Preould not be pleased to find his son dead on the floor

“Bother your father,” she ground out “This is all his fault, anyway If he hadn't been so obsessed with catching you an heiress …”

Oliver Preas Caroline's guardian, or at least he would be for the next six weeks, until she reached her twenty-first birthday She had been counting down the days until August 14, 1814, ever since August 14, 1813, when she had turned twenty Just forty-two days to go Forty-two days and she would finally have control of her life and her fortune She didn't even want to think about how h

She tossed her gun onto the bed, planted her hands on her hips, and stared down at Percy

And then … his eyes opened

“Aaaaaaack!” Caroline let out a loud screaun

“You b—” Percy started

“Don't say it,” she warned “I still have a gun”

“You wouldn't use it,” he gasped, coughing and clutching at his bloody shoulder

“I beg your pardon, but the evidence seems to indicate otherwise”

Percy's thin lips claht line He swore viciously, and then lifted his furious gaze to Caroline “I told my father I didn't want toto live with you for the rest of o bloody insane If you didn't kill me first, that is”

“If you didn't want to marry me you shouldn't have tried to force yourself upon me”

He shrugged, then hohen the movement sparked pain in his shoulder He looked quite furious as he said, “You've quite a bit of money, but do you know, I don't think you're worth it”

“Kindly tell that to your father,” Caroline snapped

“He said he'd disinherit me if I didn't marry you”

“And you couldn't stand up to him for once in your pathetic life?”

Percy growled at being called pathetic, but in his weakened condition he couldn't do o to Aes have to be a better option than you”

Caroline ignored him She and Percy had been at odds since she had come to live with the Prewitts a year and a half earlier Percy was quite under his father's thumb, and the only time he showed any spirit hen Oliver quit the house Unfortunately, his spirit was usually mean and small and, in Caroline's opinion, rather dull

“I suppose I'ruallows”

“You're too kind”

Caroline shook a pillow out of its case, wadded up the cloth—the highest quality linen, she noted, probably purchased with her ainst Percy's wound “We have to stop the bleeding,” she said

“It appears to have slowed down,” Percy admitted

“Did the bullet go straight through?”

“I don't know Hurts like the devil, but I don't know if it's supposed to hurt ets stuck in the muscle”

“I i the wadded pillowcase and exaently and looked at his back “I think it went through You've a hole in the back of your shoulder as well”

“Trust you to injure me twice”

“You lureda cup of tea for a head cold,” she snapped, “and then you tried to rape me! What did you expect?”

“Why the hell did you bring a gun?”

“I always carry a gun,” she replied “I have since … well, never you mind”

“I wouldn't have gone through with it,” he muttered

“Hoas I to know that?”

“Well, you know I've never liked you”

Caroline pressed her ainst Percy's bloody shoulder with perhaps a touch more force than was necessary “What I know,” she spat out, “is that you and your father have always quite liked my inheritance”