Dangerous Diana (Brambridge Novel 3) Read Online Free Page A

Hades. It was the way he liked it. And of course it was good for intimidating people he was interrogating. 
    Hades frowned. He didn’t seem to have been as good as usual at interrogating the insufferable Viper—
    Granwich let out an audible sigh. “I know your strategies allowed us to triumph at Corunna.”
    “And Leiria, and Vimeiro, and to think of it, La Bisbal,” Hades pointed out. “You said you wouldn’t need my help again now that the war was over. What was it that old fool said, “We don’t need armchair warriors anymore, we need men on the ground?””
    “I, err, privately think that he was perhaps a little peeved, err, shall we say delicately, that you were able to make sense of the battle plans sent from Portugal and—” Granwich wiped his nose again—“provide a strategy from an ancient Chinese script that allowed our army to lure in the French and beat the hell out of them from behind.”
    “Those strategies have been used for years in warfare. What’s wrong with using them again?”
    “I think if you had been a little less successful, you might have triumphed in the political arena more.” Granwich sniffed.
    Hades fell back into his seat. He should have seen it coming. He had only just finished reading a Latin text about Cicero that he had found tucked at the end of his old university texts. The man had had much to say on the art of success, and the strategy of politics. He tapped the book by his side again with an outstretched finger.
    He had to admit, he had been hurt when he had saved the day again and again, and then been given the figurative pat on the back and boot out the door as the war ended. He had only just started to regain a sense of peace. It had been badly shattered after his dalliance with Lady Dalston. None of his books had been able to help him there.
    “If I had been less successful, more men would have been killed.” He swung his foot and rubbed his thumb over the nub of his forefinger. How is she doing down in the kitchen?
    Granwich nodded. “Which is why I am here to see you now. Some information that was held at the War Office is missing.”
    Hades already knew. But it wouldn’t have done to have revealed it. “Missing?” He injected a questioning tone into his voice. “How does information from the War Office go missing? The war is over. Why bother trying to retrieve it?”
    “Two reasons. Look, please may I sit, Hades?  My legs are about to give out.”
    Hades frowned. Granwich was determined to stay. He had even used his name which Hades hated. Harding was much cleaner. Less amusing . He sighed; he wasn’t the only man to know how to use strategy. Granwich was a master of the human condition.
    “I still don’t see what this has to do with me,” he muttered, stretching stiffly before moving the library chair back out from the corner of the room where it had been concealed in the gloom. He clicked his fingers and the study door opened.
    “Carter, get us some coffee please?” The butler nodded and glided silently away. I want to know what she’s up to.
    Granwich perched on the chair and shivered. Sighing, Hades picked up the poker by his chair and prodded at the meagre fire. The room had fallen cold whilst he had been wrangling with the beautiful Diana—no, the Viper . It happened often when he was reading. Usually Carter would come in and build the fire back up again, but he had obviously stayed away due to the unexpected visitor. Hades crouched and poked at the white coals again and added another log, causing the fire to blaze, lighting up the room. He looked up to see Granwich staring at him with eyebrows raised.
    “What is it?” he asked, getting to his feet. Granwich pushed himself backwards on his chair, his eyes on Hades’ hand. Hades followed his line of sight to see the forgotten fire poker still firmly in his grasp. With a grunt he laid it back on the grate and sat back in his chair. He had let his frustration show too easily.
    Granwich