The Dark Viscount by Deborah Simmons

Author:Deborah Simmons [Simmons, Deborah]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2008-11-07T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Sydony blinked up at the man beside her, her emotions careening between curiosity, anger and suspicion. If Barto knew more about the accident, why hadn’t he spoken to them before, at the funerals for both men? Or in the months following when they were still living in the house they were forced to leave? Why wait until now, after days of arriving unannounced only to corner her on the roofs with his vaguely threatening questions?

Under the weight of Barto’s heavy coat, Sydony shivered with unease. Despite the compelling warmth and scent that still clung to it, the elegant garment felt like a prison, where this new, menacing Barto might trap her. He’d always had a dangerous air about him, but she had put that down to a child’s awe for an older and more adventurous boy. Now she was acutely aware of the power of his title, his imposing physical strength, and that hint of darkness just below the surface of his expressionless face.

Sydony’s heart jumped to her throat as she wondered whether it was wise to be alone here with him. Suddenly, the ground seemed a long way down, with not a soul in sight, and no one to hear her, should she call out. Her fingers dug into the cold stone, as if to gain purchase, then she drew a deep breath.

She was no coward. She had never let Bartholomew Hawthorne bully her, and she was not going to let him frighten her, either. She turned to face him, her fingers clinging to the crumbling surface she leaned against, her eyes measuring the distance to the door and the stair where the maid waited below. But would she find safety on the steps? It was the new maid, not Nellie, who sat below, with orders from Barto not to leave her post.

Sydony struggled to gain a firm hold on her runaway imagination, then forced herself to look up at the man beside her. Dangerous or not, if he knew more, she wanted to hear it. ‘What happened?’

‘There appears to have been a book,’ he said, and Sydony felt a chill. She remembered all the instances when Barto had been interested in the library, both her father’s and Elspeth’s. Was he telling her the truth, or was this tale some ruse to get what he wanted?

‘Your father had in his possession a volume that he thought my father would be interested in, and, apparently, they were on their way to show it to an expert to assess its value,’ Barto said.

Sydony drew in a ragged breath as she tried not to relive that day when she and Kit had come home from the party, surprised to find their father out. Then the long hours that followed as they waited until a servant from Hawthorne Park arrived late in the evening to report there had been an accident…

‘But why would both of them go?’ Sydony asked. ‘Why wouldn’t Father just give the volume to the viscount?’

Barto shrugged, but it was not a careless gesture.

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.