Secrets of Seduction Read Online Free Page A

instance. Her hair color also is similar, although his has turned silver by now.”
    “You have met the daughter?”
    “Yes. When I realized she was living in London, I searched her out. She is near my same age but has already accomplished a great deal in her life. She is a botanical scholar and a gifted artist, with an expertise on roses. When I read a scientific paper by her, I was surprised to find her writings have a literary bent like Uncle’s. Of course, I could not tell her the real reason for my interest in her work.”
    Hawk was impressed by Lady Skye’s attention to detail, but still skeptical of her conclusion. “If the lady was carrying Cornelius’s child, why wouldn’t she have told him?”
    “Because she was married to a wealthy, powerful nobleman and feared his retribution. According to the midwife, she would not go to Cornelius for help, for she couldn’t bear for him to be hurt. She despaired of leaving her newborn daughter behind also, but the possible consequences would have been worse. Making her infidelity public would have caused an enormous scandal, and the baron’s violence against her would likely have intensified. And he might have takenhis revenge on the child or, at the least, disowned her. Yet if she took the baby, she feared he would never stop looking for her. If she simply died, her daughter would have the possibility of a good life.”
    “It sounds tediously melodramatic,” Hawk drawled.
    “Indeed,” Lady Skye agreed. “But a scandal could still result if I go charging off, announcing my theory to the world. The baron remarried a year later, and if his first wife was still alive at the time, he would have committed bigamy. He is now gone, but his son inherited the barony, and there could be a question of his legitimacy. So you see if I am to investigate further, why I must tread carefully?”
    Hawk did see the impediments Lady Skye faced, but she didn’t seem to expect a reply from him as she continued.
    “Furthermore, until I know if the lady is alive, I don’t want to tell my uncle and raise his hopes. If she is not, there may be no reason to dredge up the painful past. Yet I cannot simply drop the matter or ignore my conscience. Uncle doesn’t know he might have a daughter. If it is true, he should know about her. And she should likewise know about him. As I said, he has been like a father to me, and he deserves every happiness.”
    “Why haven’t you asked your brother or cousins for help?” Hawk asked.
    “Because they are fully occupied at present. Quinn is something of a genius who occasionally dabbles in science, and he has disappeared from London, I presume to work on his latest invention, although he sometimes acts contrarily just to thwart me. My cousins Ashton and Jack both recently married. I don’t wish to intrude on their privacy with their new brides, particularlywhen a search might take them out of the country. Only Aunt Isabella and my cousin Katharine know about Uncle Cornelius’s woeful past, and they are both eager to remedy his heartbreak if possible.”
    “So you’ve been plotting all these months to reunite the long-separated lovers?”
    She flashed him a brilliant smile. “Yes—but I have gone as far as I can on my own, which is why I need
you
, my lord. Someone with your particular skills will have a much better chance than I of locating a fugitive wife after all these years. The midwife could only recall the first name of the lady’s relation in Ireland, not the surname or the county she fled to. I understand that you know Ireland fairly well, since you often purchase horses there.”
    “Ireland is a large country,” he parried.
    “But since you are a master spy, surely you can find her. And the trail is not entirely cold. Along with the letters I found a miniature portrait of the lady, commissioned by my uncle. Her daughter is her spitting image, except for the eyes and hair, so you would have a likeness to go on. I have the miniature