Julia London - [Scandalous 02] Read Online Free

Julia London - [Scandalous 02]
Book: Julia London - [Scandalous 02] Read Online Free
Author: Highland Scandal
Pages:
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before you hurt yourself!” He surged forward to stop her, but Lizzie Beal never even looked at him—she just jumped.
    Horrified, Jack lunged for the window and thrust hishead through, expecting to see her crumpled form in the bailey below.
    She was not the least bit crumpled; thankfully, she was crawling off a terrace below the turret’s window. As with his own castle, additions and restructuring through the years had added a room just below the turret’s window. From the roof of that room, it was but a short distance to the parapet walk, onto which Lizzie lowered herself like a wood nymph, disappearing from view.
    “Foolish chit,” he muttered, and straightened up. He had no idea where she was going, but it was hardly his concern. He’d held up his end of the bargain. Jack pulled the window closed and divested himself of his greatcoat. He was ravenous—he sat down at the table and ladled a generous helping of mutton stew into a bowl. “No doubt she’s taken a stable boy as a lover and got herself into this predicament,” he uttered aloud. “That’s what is wrong with Highlanders. They’ve no respect for the natural order of things.”
    He ate quickly, and when he’d finished the meal, he stoked the fire, then propped himself on the bed, his legs crossed at the ankles, and folded his hands behind his head.
    His belly was full, he was warm, and while he found himself in yet another unwelcome situation, he believed that he might at least have a proper night’s sleep.
    He’d think what to do on the morrow.
    Unfortunately, Jack never managed to sleep. A commotion in the hall brought him to his feet. The door was thrown open before he could reach it, and the barrel of a shotgun was pointed at his head.
    He sighed, put his hands on his hips. “ Diah, what is it now?” he demanded of whoever held the shotgun.
    In response, someone shoved a disheveled Lizzie Bealinto the room. She stumbled headlong into him; Jack caught her and quickly put her behind him as Carson Beal strolled into the room along with the very large fellow who held the shotgun. Beal’s nostrils were flared, his jaw clenched. He glared at Lizzie, then at Jack, and pointed a long, menacing finger at her head, which, Jack realized, was peeking out around him. “If she escapes again, Lambourne, you will hang,” he said tightly. “It is as simple as that.”
    All this talk of hanging tossed about willy-nilly was beginning to grate. And this wretched handfasting! Not an hour old and already a bloody nuisance!
    Jack felt the lass move, and had an inkling she meant to make matters worse. He clamped a hand on her arm behind his back, squeezing just enough to warn her not to speak. He clicked his heels, said, “Aye, aye, Captain,” and flippantly saluted Beal.
    Beal’s expression darkened. He stared at Jack, assessing him, but at last lifted one hand. His bear of a companion stepped out of the room. “Mind you keep her close, milord,” Beal said ominously, and quit the room, slamming the door behind him and then sliding the bolt into the latch and locking them in once more.

Chapter Four
    L izzie still could not believe this was happening. She could not believe Carson had abducted her from her home, forced her into this ludicrous and undoubtedly illegal handfasting ceremony, and then, in all the hubbub, remembered her childhood trick of climbing down from the turret.
    Standing behind the broad-shouldered, tall man, Lizzie was struck by another disbelief—that Carson had bound her to the Earl of Lambourne .
    Not that she had any idea who he was, really, but she rather supposed that in any event, an earl was quite a lofty title with whom to be handfasted. What madness had prompted him to agree to this? What debt did he owe Carson to warrant it?
    When Lizzie had first seen him standing on the platform, she’d noticed that he hadn’t bothered to shed his greatcoat, which gave her the impression he’d been ambushed and dragged inside, just like her.
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