Lord Rogue by Patricia Rice

Author:Patricia Rice [Rice, Patricia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Book View Cafe

By Sunday afternoon Alicia had tired of hiding in her room, but she could not organize any other plan. Travis had blocked her at every turn.

Staring out the window at the muddy remains of last week’s snow, she realized she should have presented herself at church this morning as if nothing had ever happened. If it had just been the stares and whispers of the congregation that she would have to defeat, she could have done it somehow. But she never could have done it and faced Travis at the same time. That was asking more than a saint could manage.

Alicia grimaced as Becky knocked and poked her head around the bedroom door.

“Mr. Travis is downstairs. He brought something for you.” Becky produced a small pot of gardenias. Their aroma filled the room with summer, and the glossy leaves brightened the dreariness of winter outside.

Curtly Alicia pointed to the door. “Take it back. I do not take gifts from traitors.”

Becky stared at her in astonishment. “He ain’t no traitor. He saved your life for you, and he’s plumb worried. You’ve got no call to treat him like that.”

“He nearly cost me my life and more. Let him worry.” Alicia turned to stare out the window again. If she let herself think of Travis as a gentleman whose feelings would be hurt, she would give in to these pleas. She must remember he was no gentleman—and his pocketbook, not his feelings, were involved.

“Mr. Travis didn’t go settin’ that fire,” Becky argued, as if reading Alicia’s mind. “’Tweren’t his fault. He lost everything. You should be commiseratin’ him.”

Dully Alicia spoke to the window. “What were you doing there to know how the fire got started? Didn’t you learn your lesson the first time?”

“You were there. Don’t talk to me about learnin’ lessons,” Becky responded defensively. “I was just keeping Auguste company—in front of a whole room full of people, which is more than you can say!”

When Alicia didn’t respond, Becky turned and left the room, slamming the door behind her.

Travis accepted Alicia’s message with a grim nod and left the flowers for Becky to dispose of. She would have to come down out of her ivory tower sooner or later.

Returning to the boat that had become his only abode now, Travis discovered Auguste had taken up residence there. The big man gave his employer’s black look a passing glance before settling down against the banquette cushions.

“What are they saying in town?” Travis asked, dropping down on the bed and jerking at his boots.

“Nothin’ much, just speculatin’.” Auguste shrugged. “Dr. Farrar, he tell them it was just one of the bar girls, but not too many as believe him.”

“The other story is just so much better,” Travis reflected bitterly. He had promised to keep Alicia from harm, but he had certainly made a botch of it. Perhaps she was right. Civilized gentlemen wouldn’t have found themselves in this situation. But civilized gentlemen wouldn’t have won Alicia, either. There had to be a way.

Travis flung one boot to the floor and started on the other.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.