Seeking Philbert Woodbead ( A Madcap Regency Romance ) (The Fairweather Sisters) Read Online Free Page A

heir. This young man is George Irvin, Viscount Elmer, and the
future Earl of Devon.”
    “Good lord,
so this is the infamous George,” the duke said, eyeing the fellow with renewed
interest.
    “Infamous?”
Celine asked.
    Lord Adair
nodded, “He was a terror as a child and he grew no better in his later years.
He was thrown out of Oxford which embarrassed his father. As a result the Earl
of Devon threw him out of the house. After that began George’s truly colourful
life. He spied for the French against the English, but really it was for the
English against the French. He caused countless scandals by flirting with
married women. Half of England’s husbands would love to get their hands on
him.”
    “I don’t
care about his escapades,” the duke grumbled, “What I want to know is why have
you brought the blasted man here?”
    “He is
hiding. His father is looking for him, since he is the heir and he wants to
bring him back home and train him. But he does not want to be found, and
apparently he cannot sail for the time being and he won’t tell me why. So he
came to stay with me.” Lord Adair shut his silver snuffbox with a snap. “I
cannot keep him. He steals my tobacco and then dares to puff away in my face.
He wears my dressing gown, wakes me up at odd hours, he has people chasing him,
I cannot venture out of doors with him. He flirts with my cook, he has charmed
my valet—”
    “But why
have you brought him here? He sounds ghastly,” the duke repeated, his facial
muscles twitching in warning.
    Lord Adair
turned his back on the duke and faced Penelope, “He is charming, extremely
charming … a big hit with the ladies. I am fond of the fellow. Perhaps I got
carried away and exaggerated his unfortunate habits—”
    “When you
speak well of him, you don’t sound convincing. You forget I live in London too
and therefore have heard enough about his shady character,” the duke growled.
    Lord Adair
straightened his back and looked the duke in the eye, “I am his third cousin,
whereas you, Blackthorne, are his second cousin. Therefore, it is your
responsibility to keep the fellow. I have to go abroad on an urgent matter for
the king and can no longer have him in my house. It is a sensitive issue. You
will have to do your family duty and give this man a roof over his curly head.”
     

Chapter 4
    “I think
you are making up this urgent matter just to fob him off on me. You told me you
had retired from the spy business,” the duke scowled.
    “I had
decided to retire, but the case is extremely intriguing. I had to take it,”
Lord Adair replied.
    “I don’t
believe he is my second cousin. You are making it up.”
    “I spent
all of last night looking up my family tree searching for the right person to
inflict … I mean, leave him with. Here, I brought proof,” Lord Adair said
triumphantly handing the duke the family tree. “Now, my great grandmother Beatrice
is George’s great grandmother’s sister. Therefore, George’s great, great aunt
Rebecca is my great grandmother.”
    Three
confused faces frowned at the large family tree.
    The duke
spent a few minutes examining the paper.
    “He may be your
third cousin, but I don’t see any connection,” the duke crowed, “to my family.
I knew he was no blasted relative of mine.”
    Lord Adair
leaned closer to the duke, “Sophia,” he coughed out.
    The duke
paled.
    “Who?”
Penelope asked.
    “Sophia,”
the duke mumbled, “my grandmother.”
    “She is
also George’s great aunt,” Lord Adair said.
    Penelope’s
face cleared, “the one whose name has been crossed out in the family—”
    “Yes,” the
duke cut in sharply.
    “Why is her
name crossed out?” Penelope asked, failing to interpret the duke’s warning
look.
    “Because—”
    “I will
tell the tale,” the duke snapped at Lord Adair. “She is my grandmother.”
    Lord
Adair’s eyes twinkled. He gestured for him to proceed.
    “Now,
Sophia Radclyff, my grandmother, is someone we do not