Seven Rogues for Christmas by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: 0
Published: 2017-11-20T18:30:00+00:00

CHAPTER 5

P erdita lingered in the hallway, watching the coaches pull up outside. Ladies in cloaks and men in greatcoats ascended the steps to the house. Her parents stood ready to greet their guests. Perdita stayed back, slightly distracted, wondering when Vaughn was going to come down. He had ordered a tray for breakfast early that morning, so she’d missed seeing him at the table. After last night, she felt oddly nervous and a bit excited.

Because he’s dangerous and the charade you’re playing is far too exhilarating. Her inner voice was happy to chastise her for her foolish behavior around Vaughn. But she hadn’t forgotten why she was doing this. To save Papa, as well as herself.

She twisted the ruby ring on her finger, even though it felt quite comfortable there. Vaughn had given it to her, not someone else. To think she’d been worried about him buying it for another woman. A hint of a smile escaped her lips, but she wiped it away. This thing between her and Vaughn was nothing more than a cunning deception, and she had to remember that. She would return the ring and his pocket watch once this was all was over. It was the least she could do.

Her mother called to her. “Perdy, dear, come and see to the guests.” She joined her parents with a sigh and a forced air of happiness. A pair of men rode up on horseback, their fine beasts kicking at the fresh snow that had fallen early that morning. She started to smile as they approached, but she halted. Her slippers slid on the snowy steps as she recognized one of the men.

Samuel Milburn had arrived. Fear spiked inside her, and she fought the urge to turn and run.

“Miss Darby.” Samuel came up the steps, grinning.

To everyone but her, he appeared to be nothing more than a handsome man with dark hair and dark-brown eyes, with no hint of the real darkness within him. But she knew it was there. She’d heard him herself in Gunter’s, laughing with his companions about how he would enjoy breaking her. There was a darkness in his eyes, one that promised pain, not just for her but for her family if she defied him. It was the look of a man who believed he held all the cards and was simply biding his time before collecting his winnings. Knowing what she did about him made Perdita want to run and hide, even though she usually preferred to stand and fight.

She would be damned if she’d let him turn her into property by blackmailing her. However, he was a guest, and she could not prove his evil inclinations to her parents, so she would simply have to be careful during the house party.

That was why Vaughn was here. She hoped his very presence would protect her in ways she could not manage on her own. As much as she hated relying on a man, she felt she could trust him in this matter.

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