Silent Surrender Read Online Free

there. All those years, and her making cow eyes at him. It could have been him.
    He’d banished such thoughts long ago, on the day when she’d asked for a kiss for her birthday. His heart had nearly stopped in his chest and he’d thought, stupidly let himself think, that she was in love with him, as he had grown to the love the young woman she’d become. Then he’d seen it, the sly twinkle in her eyes that proclaimed her interest was not motivated by love, but a child’s curiosity. The disappointment of his hope had hardened his resolve. He would never break the bond they had created as tutor and pupil. He would never sully it by trying to force it into a different mold. Perhaps if they had met under other circumstances, they might have loved each other. They hadn’t, and now her friendship would have to be enough for these last few days.
    The sounds in the room ceased, and he breathed a grateful sigh. He counted to ten, then to ten again. He wondered if she slept, or if they…well, they couldn’t converse. The brute didn’t have any means to sign to her, and he’d visibly recoiled from the sound of her voice.
    Oh, but he’d taken her money, quick enough. Shrinking from her voice, unable to speak to her, to look her in the eye and send his questions her way, he’d acted like she was some kind of feeble-minded idiot to be pitied. But he’d still gotten between her legs quick enough. He’d still accepted the arrangement.
    Jude pulled in a deep breath and held it for the space of a few heartbeats. She had made her arrangement, but he would amend it, somewhat.
    He said, low, beside the door, “Mr. Coal. Might I have a word?”
    Even through the door, he heard the unmistakable heavy tread of the stevedore’s feet. Had he left his boots on? Jude’s lip curled in disgust. “There is a dressing gown on the chair beside the door.”
    A few moments passed before Coal exited. The burgundy and navy silk of the dressing gown looked ridiculously feminine when draped over the shoulders of a man so vulgarly over-muscled. That put Jude off; it was his dressing gown.
    “Yeah, mate?”
    Jude tugged at the sleeves of his coat. “I am not your mate. I am your employer. Maintaining any pretense of friendship would be…unwise, on my part.”
    “Ah.” Coal looked amused, as if there were some grand joke Jude did not understand. “I’m here now, boss. What do you want of me?”
    “I want a little propriety. Discretion.” Jude’s face went uncomfortably hot. “It would be improper for me to broach the subject with her myself, but as her…lover, you might remind her that even in the bedroom, a certain amount of decorum is expected.”
    “Remind her? How do you think I’m going to do that? I can’t—” Coal made a crude flapping of his hands.
    “Please, do not do that,” Jude commanded sharply. If there was one thing he could not stomach, it was mockery, at least where Honoria was concerned. “You can speak to her. She reads lips tolerably well, if you face her and speak clearly. She was taught in that method before I took over her education. And she can speak to you, or would, if you hadn’t pulled a face at the sound of her voice.”
    “Bad on my part, yeah?” Coal looked actually remorseful, though Jude supposed it was an easy enough emotion to fake. “Can you tell her to give it another try? I was shocked, is all.”
    “I’ll speak with her. As for you, you may go upstairs. There’s a spare bed in the butler’s quarters. There are appropriate clothes waiting for you up there. If they need fitting, the housekeeper, Mrs. Freed, can assist in that. Dinner is served promptly at six. You will take yours in the kitchen.” Jude paused. “While you are here, you are to be clean, courteous and attentive to Miss Wallis. I haven’t a clue why she has chosen you, but she has. No matter how poor her choice, I would see her happy with the arrangement.”
    “If that’s the way of it, then I’ll excuse myself.”