My Fair Mistress by Warren Tracy Anne

Author:Warren, Tracy Anne [Warren, Tracy Anne]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Regency, Romance/Historical, General, Romance, Historical, Fiction
ISBN: 9780345502445
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: 2007-10-30T07:00:00+00:00

Rafe paced the length of the Queens Square drawing room.

Where is Julianna? he thought, a heavy scowl furrowing his brow.

She was supposed to have arrived over an hour before.

Has she mistaken the day, he mused, and believes we are to meet tomorrow? Or is it something else? Has something untoward befallen her?

His stomach clenched at the idea. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he paced another few steps, then forced himself to stop.

She is fine and I am worried for naught, he told himself.

Or am I?

Five minutes later he was seriously contemplating paying another visit to her townhouse, this time not so secretly, when he heard the front door open and close.

Moments later, Julianna stood in the drawing room doorway, her cheeks stained a dusky rose, an escaped wisp of brunette hair pasted in a damp curl against one temple.

“Forgive me for being so late,” she said, hurrying forward. “I would have sent you a note but there simply wasn’t time.”

“Where have you been?”

“With Maris.” She stopped and clutched a fisted hand against her breast. “He tried to take her, Rafe. He tried to abduct her right out of the park in broad daylight.”

Striding forward, he caught her inside his arms. “Who? Surely you don’t mean St. George?”

But of course she does, he realized. I can see the truth in her eyes.

Leaning against him, she nodded. “Maris went walking in Hyde Park with her maid this morning. She said everything was fine, then suddenly Lord Middleton appeared on the path in front of her. He was quite pleasant at first and suggested he drive her home, but Maris refused. That’s when he grabbed her and tried to force her into his carriage. He told her she was going to marry him whether she wished or not, and if compromising her and taking her to Gretna was the only way, then so be it.”

A sick lump collected deep in his chest. “Did he hurt her?”

“Thank God, no. As providence would have it, Major Waring was riding past and saw her struggle. He came straight to her aid. Apparently words were exchanged and the two men nearly came to blows. With them standing in so public a location, the viscount was finally forced to retreat.”

St. George must be feeling truly desperate, Rafe thought, to have tried something like this with a girl of good family. Kidnapping, especially of an innocent young lady, was a serious offense, one even Society would not tolerate. Of course, if the blackguard had succeeded in his plan to force her to wed him, the Ton would likely have forgiven him, since he would have done the “right” thing by her in the end.

Thank heavens, poor young Maris had escaped with no lasting harm done. Rafe couldn’t have borne knowing he’d had a hand—even a peripheral one—in her ruin.

His heart squeezed out an extra beat, seeing the sheen of tears glistening in Julianna’s dark, velvety eyes.

“Oh Rafe,” she cried, “what if he’d taken her? What if he’d done

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