The Heartless City by Andrea Berthot

Author:Andrea Berthot
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 9781620079584
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Published: 2015-08-06T04:00:00+00:00

Everything was cream in the room the Lord Mayor gave to Iris. After the footman who’d led her there left and closed the door behind him, she stood in awe, surveying the chamber’s gold and ivory draping. The bed in the center was tall, sturdy, and carved from smooth, pale oak, and when she ran her fingers over the bedspread, she found it was silk. She hadn’t been in the presence of such nice things since Lady Cullum’s death, and for a moment, she felt like a carefree little girl again.

It was only a moment, however, because she wasn’t at Lady Cullum’s. She was at Buckingham Palace, the place her mother had absolutely forbidden her to go, having just told the Lord Mayor of London the secret she’d promised her never to tell.

But it’s all right, she told herself. Just as you said, no one here knows who you really are. They never knew Virginia had a daughter; your mother is safe.

She closed her eyes and fought the wave of guilt that rose in her stomach. Her mother might be safe, but she was certainly wild with panic. Knowing what Iris had done would make her livid, but knowing nothing was worse. Somehow, she had to find a way to let her know what happened.

Exhausted, and still not entirely sure she hadn’t lost her mind, Iris sat down on the bed, but then she felt something poking at her thigh through the skirt of her dress. Realization dawned as she reached into her pocket and drew out An Anthology of Birds. With reverence, she started to place the book on a nearby nightstand, but then a knock at the door caused her to jump and nearly drop it. She slowed her breathing, sat the book down, and went to answer the door, but when she pulled it open, her heart leapt into her throat again.

Elliot stood before her, filled with so much emotion it seemed to be coming off him in waves, his wide green eyes so urgent and intense it made her breath hitch. She pushed back the blood that had rushed to her cheeks, but then she remembered that there was no point, which was simultaneously thrilling, liberating, and terrifying.

“I know it’s improper,” he said. “But may I come in?”

“Yes, of course.”

He looked both ways down the hallway and then quickly stepped inside, and Iris closed the door and turned to face him. “I’m so glad you’re here. I wanted to thank you earlier but―”

“Thank me?” He spun around. “For what? For bringing you into the lion’s den? For making you a captive?”

Iris blinked. “Elliot, if anyone else had found me lying unconscious in that alley―”

“Iris, I came here to tell you I can still help you get out. The Lord Mayor doesn’t care about anyone but himself. He’s perfectly willing to hurt other people to get the things he wants. And he wants something from you, badly, though I’m not sure what.”

“I know,” she said. “Trust me, I… I know what kind of man he is.

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.