Rapturous Rakes Bundle Read Online Free Page B

sat back with a sigh, removed his neckcloth
    and stretched his legs out towards the blaze. His eyes
    were fixed on the flames. By now he was fairly con-
    vinced that Miss Raleigh had been telling the truth and
    he certainly did not believe Stephen capable of car-
    rying off a deception. Without turning his head, he
    said, ‘So tell me, Stephen, how comes it that I find
    you conveyed home in a carriage belonging to the
    Archangel Club?’
    Out of the corner of his eye he saw Stephen jump
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    The Rake’s Mistress
    and spill his brandy on his jacket sleeve. Stephen
    cursed under his breath. He had paled and now fixed
    Lucas with a pleading look.
    ‘The Archangel? But I had no notion... I mean...
    Oh, Lord!’
    ‘Oh, Lord, indeed,’ Lucas said, very drily. He
    smiled. ‘Are you telling me, Stephen, that you have
    had no dealings with the Angels before tonight?’
    ‘I haven’t had any dealings with them at all!’ His
    brother protested. ‘I only jumped in the curst coach
    because it was passing and I did not know what to
    do!’
    Lucas looked at him. His younger brother had never
    been the brightest apple in the barrel, and when Lucas
    had discovered that he would be nursemaiding Ste-
    phen around London for a few weeks he had roundly
    cursed his elder brothers who had assigned him the
    task. It could not be helped—Justin, the Duke of Kes-
    trel and head of the family, was at his estate in Suffolk
    and Richard was on his honeymoon, and not even Lu-
    cas could blame him for prioritising his married bliss
    above keeping an eye on a wayward youth. Besides,
    Lucas had business to attend to in London, and had
    therefore been the obvious choice to rein in Stephen’s
    wilder excesses. It seemed, however, that this partic-
    ular incident was not as serious as it had originally
    appeared. Both Stephen and Miss Rebecca Raleigh
    were telling the same tale and Lucas was inclined to
    believe that it was a true one.
    ‘You did not know that you had appropriated a car-
    riage belonging to one of the most notorious clubs in
    town?’ he repeated, just to be sure.
    Nicola Cornick
    31
    ‘No!’ Stephen was looking most unhappy. ‘Lucas,
    I swear I had no idea—’
    ‘Very well,’ Lucas said. He eyed Stephen closely,
    aware that his brother was trying to utilise seldom-
    used mental machinery. A deep frown marred Ste-
    phen’s brow. Lucas waited patiently.
    ‘But if Miss Raleigh was in the carriage,’ Stephen
    said slowly, ‘and the carriage belongs to the Archangel
    Club, then that would make Miss Raleigh—’ He broke
    off, a look of horror crossing his face. ‘Oh, no! That
    must make Miss Raleigh a Cyprian! I say, Lucas, that
    cannot be right!’
    Lucas laughed. He was interested to see the loyalty
    that Miss Raleigh had inspired in Stephen, even on so
    short an acquaintance. Stephen’s face had set in a stub-
    bornly disbelieving expression.
    ‘That cannot be so,’ he said again.
    Lucas raised his brows. ‘Why not?’ he asked, cu-
    rious to know Stephen’s reasoning.
    ‘Because it was clear to see that she is a lady,’ Ste-
    phen said. His face lightened. ‘In fact, she is a capital
    girl! Do you know, Lucas, she did not scream or have
    the vapours when she saw me? She offered me her
    cloak in case I caught a chill. I thought that most prac-
    tical of her.’
    ‘It was indeed,’ Lucas murmured. For a moment he
    wondered. Miss Raleigh might not be a courtesan, but
    such coolness when confronted by masculine naked-
    ness did argue some prior experience.
    ‘And,’ Stephen added, warming to his theme, ‘she
    even suggested I might creep inside the house by way
    of the servants’ door to prevent you from seeing me.
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    The Rake’s Mistress
    I thought that very clever of her. So you see, there is
    not the least possible likelihood of her being a cour-
    tesan. She is far too—’
    ‘Too?’
    ‘Too special,’ Stephen muttered, turning scarlet.
    Lucas viewed his young brother with some pity. It
    was clear to