Captured by a Gentleman (Regency Unlaced 6) Read Online Free

and the trembling of her body seemed to indicate that might indeed be the case.
    Not only was Sugdon this girl’s uncle by marriage, but Darcy did bear that resemblance in looks to the man’s own daughter. And Millicent had feared being returned to her father’s house so much, she had risked her life by trying to ride a stallion totally unfamiliar to her, and been thrown to her death by doing so. Was it possible Sugdon had ever…?
    Ranulf’s thoughts veered sharply away from answering that question. Until a few months ago, Sugdon’s long-suffering wife had still been alive to share the old bastard’s bed. And satisfy his physical lusts.
    If Darcy was telling the truth, Ranulf could well understand why she had felt the need to flee London so urgently.
    He understood, but still had no intention of taking her the rest of the way to Scotland with him. He had lived completely alone for the past eight months, occasionally calling on his cousin and his wife at nearby Castle Montgomery when he was at home in Cairn House. But for the most part, he had kept his own company.
    Licking your wounds, his cousin Sin had called it, along with the advice: the best way to forget one woman is to bed another . Easy for Sin to say, when he was so happily married to the lovely and fiercely loyal Fliss. Besides, Millicent had not been merely a woman but Ranulf’s wife, and no matter how many women he had bedded since, he had never once forgotten his wife’s duplicity or the cynicism he now felt toward all women.
    He had made this recent visit to London only because he had several business matters to attend to. As soon as that was done to his satisfaction, including returning Millicent’s dowry to her father, he had departed immediately for Scotland.
    Only to now discover he had not departed alone.
    How could he possibly, in all conscience, send Darcy Ambridge back to her uncle’s house after the things she had just told him?
    Even taking into account her young age, and perhaps a too-vivid imagination, it was surely not possible for her to have imagined Sugdon touching her or stating he intended to start visiting her in her bedchamber at night. The crudeness of the language she had used to describe Sugdon’s intentions certainly sounded more like the arrogant lord than this young lady of Society.
    So what was Ranulf to do with her, if he could not, in all conscience, send her back to London and her guardian?
    The immediate answer to that was to feed her. She had been stuck in that stuffy carriage all day, possibly without food and water. The time it took them to eat dinner would give Ranulf more time to consider how much of Darcy’s story he believed and how best to deal with it.
    He sighed. “Firstly, I believe, having been confined to the carriage all day, you must now have need of the ladies’ retiring room?”
    “I do, yes.” The color once again blazed in her cheeks. “And secondly?”
    “You may join me for dinner— Only if you agree to keep your distance,” he said firmly and holding up a stilling hand as Darcy would have launched herself into his arms in gratitude. “This habit you have of throwing yourself at a gentleman is perhaps responsible for Sugdon having thought you were open to the idea of his bedding you.” Ranulf immediately felt guilty for his cruelty, as Darcy drew her breath in sharply and the color drained from her face.
    Nevertheless, she kept her chin proudly raised. “I assure you, I have never willingly touched my uncle. Nor will I. I would rather enter a convent.” This statement was joined by a telling shudder of revulsion.
    Understandably so, considering Sugdon was at least thirty years this girl’s senior, and rotund and tending to baldness besides. All of which could have been excused if the woman Sugdon had set his amorous sights on had returned that interest. Darcy most assuredly did not.
    “Your predilection for drama seems to match your penchant for physically expressing