Season For Surrender (A Danby Family Novella Book 2) Read Online Free Page B

from the tingles his lips caused
throughout her body, she swallowed and gently pulled her hand away. Leaning towards
him, she whispered, “His name is Lord Derwent. He’s the lord who bought my
favors and recently offered me marriage. The one I told you had a penchant for
cruelty. Do you know him?”
    He locked his gaze on her, piercing her
to her soul. Never had anyone given her a protective look, let alone a fiercely
protective one. An odd thrill ran through her. Silly nitwit . She didn’t
want him to care about defending her. “You did only want this for information,
correct?”
    He gave her a distracted nod that didn’t
make her feel a bit better.
    “Lord Edgeworth.”
    Looking past her, he snapped his fingers,
stood and held a hand out to her. She took it, only just noticing how large his
was. He wrapped his fingers around hers and squeezed. “My driver will see you
home. I’ll call on you tomorrow to work out the details of the wedding.” A man
dressed in gold livery came up behind Lord Edgeworth. Lillian stiffened. She
didn’t want Lord Edgeworth to think he could ever dictate what she did, and if
he wasn’t as true to his word as Charlotte believed, Lillian couldn’t risk
being trapped for life with another man legally able to control her actions.
    She notched up her chin, silly given that
he towered over her. “I’ll see myself home.”
    He studied her for a silent moment.
Finally, he shrugged. “As you wish. I’ll never command you to do anything.”
    “On your honor?” Her question was
hushed.
    “On my honor.” His lips twisted into an
ironic smile. “Though I’m obligated as a supposed gentleman to tell you, you
should demand a different guarantee from me. I misplaced my honor long ago.”
    “I think not.” She wrapped her hands
around her waist to hide their trembling. Being near him made her feel
funny―lightheaded and rather discomfited. He was exactly as Charlotte had
promised, bless her dear friend. “Any man who’d admit such a thing has exactly
as much honor as I require.” Before he could say anything to make her like him
more, she brushed past him, hurried through the tavern and out the door into
the cold night.
    As the wind gusted, she pulled her coat
tight under her chin and strode to the hackney she’d hired. On the ride to her
townhome, she made a mental list of what she needed to do tomorrow, and then
turned her thoughts to her future husband. Recalling his beautiful green eyes
and wolfish smile, she experienced the same odd thrill as earlier. She scowled
into the darkness. The less time they spent together, the better. She suspected
she could grow to like him and that frightened her a great deal.

 

     
    The next morning around the time most
reasonable men were climbing out of their warm, comfortable beds, Nick stood in
the foggy, damp green of Hamstead Heath as Blakely, his second, loaded the
pistol Derwent’s man had delivered for the duel. Nick followed Blakely’s
actions to guarantee a step wasn’t missed. He’d hoped Salisbury, his closest
friend, would be his second. Nick had sent word to him last night with the
request, but when he hadn’t received the immediate response he needed to set
things in motion he’d asked Blakely to stand in. The barkeep had proven he
could keep a secret, and Nick preferred not to burden Drew, who was the only
other person Nick would trust with this. With Charlotte expecting soon, Drew
had enough on his mind.
    “You ever killed a man?” Blakely asked
as he ran a finger down the length of the pistol.
    “I don’t intend to end Derwent’s
pathetic life. Just maim him permanently. But if an infection does kill him, I won’t
lose any sleep over it. If he lives, he’ll walk with a limp and never sit a
horse again. A dire punishment for an avid hunter like Derwent. His pain will
eat at him day after day, and he’ll wish he’d never dishonored my wife.”
    Blakely went slack-jawed. “I didn’t know
you were married. I thought