The Missing Marchioness (Mills & Boon Historical) by Marshall Paula

Author:Marshall, Paula [Marshall, Paula]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mills & Boon Series
Published: 2014-01-27T00:00:00+00:00

‘Blasted Northamptonshire, and bloody Steepwood,’ grumbled Jackson aloud. ‘It would be raining again.’

He had come hot-foot from London, which he considered to be the only civilised place in the Kingdom, and was bound for the cottage in Steep Ride where Solomon Burneck now lodged.

It would be a pleasure to upset the surly bastard once more. It quite made this whole tedious business worthwhile.

The cottage was at the end of a muddy lane leading off an equally muddy by-way. Jackson watched from a distance until he saw the landlady leave—he wanted no witnesses to what he was about to do. Burneck himself opened the door and made a disagreeable face at him.

‘What, you again!’

Almost the same words as Marcus Angmering had used, but the tone was very different.

‘That’s right,’ Jackson said, ‘regular bad penny, aren’t I? Let me in, will you, this rain’s damned wet.’

‘Why should I?’ asked Burneck. ‘You’ve no right…’

‘This is my right,’ said Jackson, ‘and a damned useful one it is, too.’ And he put a hard and horny hand on Burneck’s chest and pushed him into the cottage’s small front room.

‘Hey, damn that,’ spluttered Burneck. ‘I haven’t invited you in and an Englishman’s home is his castle.’

‘Number one,’ said Jackson. ‘This isn’t your home, you’re only a lodger, and number two, it’s not a castle, so I can do as I please. Is the Missis in?’

‘Yes,’ lied Burneck.

‘Now there’s a lying tale to begin with,’ grinned Jackson, ‘for I saw her leave with her shopping basket not five minutes ago.’

‘She’ll be back any moment.’ Burneck sounded desperate.

‘If she does, and I doubt it, I’ll tell her that you’re gallows-meat I’m hauling off to the County gaol. So now you can take me upstairs and we can have a cosy little chat.’

‘What for? You know that I had nothing to do with my pa’s death. Why should I kill him? I’ve lost room and board and my position in life.’

Jackson began to laugh.

‘Your position in life! What’s that? The place where you’re beneath everyone’s feet and consideration?’

He slammed the door behind him, saying, ‘Now, you piece of low-life filth, tell me all that you know about the Marchioness, Miss Louise Hanslope as was. I’ve a burning curiosity about the lady, seeing that Sywell chose to marry her when he was a ripe piece of spoiled beef.’

‘His choice, not mine,’ grumbled Burneck. ‘Can’t imagine what you want to know about her for.’

‘Well, I’m after wondering why Sywell married her at all—his bailiff’s adopted daughter, wasn’t she? Now, what I want you to tell me is who she was before Hanslope adopted her.’

‘And how the devil should I know that? I’ve no idea.’

Jackson grabbed him by the collar. ‘Why is it that I don’t believe you? Tell me the truth, damn you. Tell me all about the child Hanslope brought here out of nowhere, and tell me why your master, who always had an eye for the main chance, married her. What main chance was he thinking of when he did such an odd thing? Knowing Sywell’s reputation, there must have been something in it for him.

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.