Jilted in January by Cara Maxwell & The Rake Review

Author:Cara Maxwell & The Rake Review [Maxwell, Cara & Review, The Rake]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

“You should not be here,” Edward said for at least the hundredth time.

Here being a dockside tavern, at night, full of rowdy sailors and dockworkers who would be described as rough on their very best day.

Two days had passed since Elizabeth Bradshaw’s confession to Persephone. It had taken that long for her to get word to Edward, and then for him to ask the employees at Johns Maritime Enterprises very discreetly where his brother liked to play cards—without his father hearing of it.

Two days remained until the ransom was due. Edward felt the time ticking away like a constant, physical pain. The situation with his brother would explode if they did not find him soon. Paying the sort of money demanded in the ransom note would only be acceptable if Alfred truly was in danger. If their parents found out Alfred… Edward took a long drink of ale. Alfred’s captors would be the least of his problems.

Two days left with Persephone. Plus two more social outings.

It was not enough. It would never be enough.

But none of it would matter if Persephone got herself into trouble in a dockside tavern.

“Here I am, and here I will stay,” she said, planting her hand on the tabletop. “Unless you plan on trussing me up like a chicken and returning me to Mayfair.”

Stubborn, willful, beautiful woman. “That is precisely what I want to do.”

“Since that is out of the question, we ought to focus our energy on the more relevant task at hand.”

He wanted to spank her, kiss her, and then kill her. In that order.

He could probably get away with the first two without causing much of a scene. Dockside taverns weren’t known for being beacons of propriety. But attempting the last would surely get them kicked out.

The tavern owner would not have an objection to killing on a moral basis. None of the lowlifes in the place would. But the barkeep was smart enough not to allow it to happen on his premises.

All of those lowlifes—and the too-interested looks they kept casting in Persephone’s direction, were the reason he needed to get her out.

Or Alfred wouldn’t be the only problem he had to deal with. Spending time with her, no matter how strongly his heart demanded it, was not acceptable at the cost of her safety.

He tried a different approach. “The marchioness will realize you are missing.”

“She will not. I dismissed the maid for the evening and had her bank the coals in my room. I told her I wished to sleep late and not to disturb me before noon tomorrow. That is plenty of time to get back.” He cast her a dubious look. “I also left Madison a note telling her not to worry.”

Edward rolled his eyes up toward the low, scarred ceiling and muttered an oath.

“The Marchioness of Clydon may be lenient, but she is not unintelligent.” He ought to be sending the marchioness flowers and gifts to thank her. If she’d been a proper chaperone, she’d never have allowed him so many chances with Persephone alone.

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