Lord Coleraine's Scandalous Offer by Katy Madison

Author:Katy Madison
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: earl, eire, dark hero, romantic suspense, cursed, Ireland, anti hero, victorian romance, accused hero
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Four

BRODY FLIPPED OPEN the newspaper and searched until he found the listing assigned to box forty-two. Miss Hall’s advertisement was there. Exact same wording.

He scanned for a better listing that might be hers and found nothing. He didn’t know whether he should be glad she’d shunned his advice or pity the girl. Perhaps she was making a decision to fail without admitting she would prefer to accept his offer. Except it had been nearly two weeks without a word from her, and she'd been clear that she didn't intend to become his mistress.

No surprise that. Not when page six of the newspaper listed women he’d known who had disappeared. But damn it, his loins were set on his next lover being Miss Hall.

He skimmed the article further. They were still short one. They might as well have sent a reporter and asked him. Of course, a reporter would likely be so insufferable as to ask him where the bodies were buried. Saying they weren’t dead wasn’t likely to be given any credence, especially since he wouldn't reveal any of their current safe locations.

There was mention of a scullery maid, who’d seen a man skulking about in the alleyway behind the house in the nights before the murder.

A frisson of an emotion so foreign it might be hope shuddered down his spine. If there were another viable suspect, surely Scotland Yard would investigate, too, even though their Inspector Harlow was fixated on him.

The scullery maid said the man looked the same as the gentleman who regularly entered the house, although it was too dark to be certain.

For pity’s sake, he had no need to skulk about a house he owned. He had the key. He could walk right in the front door anytime. With this piece of information, the servants’ statements that Jane Redding had been alive after he left would be meaningless. He blew out a frustrated sigh as he shoved the paper away and leaned his chair back to stare at the ceiling.

A frantic tap on his window had him nearly lose his balance. He flailed a second before catching his legs under his desk and thumping the chair back onto all four legs. He turned to the window to see Miss Hall looking over her shoulder and tapping quickly with her nails. He hoped she hadn’t seen his near disaster.

Her skin was pale, the freckles standing out in stark relief, making her look...rather adorable and panicked.

A jolt hit his sternum.

Standing, he witnessed her do something he’d never seen a lady do. She spit on the ground beside her. Most gentlewomen couldn’t abide a man spitting in front of them. She turned back toward him and wiped the back of her hand across her mouth.

Bloody hell, what had Avondale done now? Brody’s neck stiffened as he lifted the sash. “Bad taste in your mouth?”

As soon as the window rose high enough, she thrust her head inside and hiked a knee to the sill.

As any gentleman would, he caught her under the arms and hauled her in.

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