A Scandalous Charade (Scandalous Series, Book 2) by Ava Stone

Author:Ava Stone
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Night Shift Publishing
Published: 2011-01-26T13:00:00+00:00

Sixteen

The world will never be the same again

Juliet sat by the bed, holding Georgie’s hand in her own and smoothing her sister’s hair from her forehead. She couldn’t remember ever being so frightened in her entire life. One moment her sister was fine and mothering her, and the next… Juliet shook her head and tried to force away unwelcome thoughts.

“Come on, Georgie. Wake up.”

“F—Fin,” Georgie barely muttered.

Thank God! Juliet felt her heart leap in her chest. Now, if only she’d open her eyes. She ran her hand down Georgie’s throat, and panic seized her all over again. She couldn’t find her sister’s pulse. It had been racing before. She must have the wrong spot. She touched under Georgie’s jaw, down the base of her neck, but there was nothing.

Juliet grasped her sister’s wrist and pressed two fingers to her pulse point. Still there was nothing. “No, no, no, no! Stay with me, Georgie. Come on, wake up.”

But she didn’t wake up. And her chest didn’t move. And her pulse didn’t start beating again.

By the time Hugh arrived back at Prestwick Chase with Dr. Perkins, Georgie’s body had long since turned cold. Juliet was hysterical, and the old country doctor adamantly administered a dose of laudanum to calm her nerves.

***

Juliet awoke in an unfamiliar room. She blinked into the darkness, her mouth as dry as cotton. Where was she? Struggling to push up on her weakened arms, she collapsed back to the bed.

Then she took a deep breath and managed to push herself up from the spot. She spied a pitcher on a small table and poured a glass of water, which she gulped down.

She gradually gathered her wits about her, and recognized the small chamber as Georgie’s room. Which must mean that Georgie was still in her room. An overwhelming desire to see her sister set in, because she couldn’t believe that Georgie was gone. It was all just a terrible dream.

She opened the door and ran smack in to the wall of Hugh St. Claire’s chest. She almost screamed, but he placed his finger over her lips. Juliet fumed with anger. She would not be accosted by her own cousin! She beat at his chest with all her worth.

“Shh!” he hissed softly. “Don’t fight me! I’m trying to help you.”

She hit at him anyway. She couldn’t think straight. Her mind was a jumbled mess, and Georgie… Dear God, Georgie was dead! How had such a thing happened? It was unfathomable.

Images of her sister’s cool, lifeless body still lingered in her mind. She doubted they would ever leave. Tears streamed down her face, and she realized that Hugh was shaking her.

“You’ve got to get out of here, Jules. It’s not safe for you.”

She blinked up at her cousin. “What?”

His mouth was drawn up tight, and he hauled her back into Georgie’s chambers. He thrust a small bag into her arms. “Have you got money?”

Juliet peered into the bag and found clothes. Boy’s clothes. Her mind couldn’t keep up and she stared blankly at an old pair of buff-colored breeches.

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