The Bluestocking and the Rake (The Regency Gentlemen Series) Read Online Free Page A

rather hard grey eyes upon his friend. “Research? What research?”
    “She knows about the duel.”
    His lordship rolled his eyes. “ Everyone knows about that.”
    “No, the other duel,” said Sir Julius with a meaningful look.
    There was a short silence.
    “The other…how the devil―?”
    “Exactly. See? I told you. She knows things. And now all of society knows about it too.”
    The earl snatched the pamphlet from his friend’s hand.
    “Third page, second paragraph,” said Sir Julius helpfully, a hint of triumph in his voice.
    There was a silence while his lordship read the offending piece, a frown between his brows. “Devil take her.” he muttered under his breath. “Who is the woman anyway?”
    “I told you,” said Sir Julius with some irritation. “Miss Blakelow . Don’t you ever listen?”
    “Yes, I heard you the first time but that does not tell me who she is . ”
    “She knows things,” said his friend ominously.
    “But I’ve never even heard of the woman…wait…Blakelow, why is that name familiar to me?”
    His friend stared at him. “Her father was your neighbour, Rob.”
    “Was he? Damned if I can remember.”
    “Sir William Blakelow. Gamester and profligate and that description could equally be applied to either the son or the father. Seems to me that the daughter knows your business and if I were you, I would look to my household.”
    The earl threw down the pamphlet. “What do you mean?”
    “Ten to one, your servants have been blabbing what they shouldn’t.”
    His lordship shook his head. “My servants don’t b lab―not if they wish to retain their positions in my house. Besides, they don’t know anything.”
    “You’d be surprised,” said Sir Julius gloomily. “They have a way of knowing everything.”
    “Well mine don’t…not everything .”
    “You may say that, but somehow she kn ows about the Diana Ingham affair and I certainly didn’t tell her.”
    A gleam of annoyance stole into his lordship’s eyes. “Does she indeed?”
    “She knows you covered it up and that you went to great lengths to do it.”
    The earl pushed back his chair and flung down his napkin on to the table. “Can I not eat my breakfast in peace?”
    “I’m telling you March; you will have to take her to task. Pay her off or something.”
    “Pay her off?” repeated Lord Marcham. “I will not.”
    “I will lay odds that she’s writing another one.”
    “Let her. Who is she that she dare question me?”
    “She says, and I quote, that she is hell bent on ‘exposing the corrupt attitude of the nobility and their belief that any woman is fair game.’ There. Did I not warn you? This chit is a troublemaker.”
    “You don’t say.”
    “Have you and she…you know? Had relations?” asked Sir Julius.
    The earl pulled a face. “Hardly, when I can barely remember her name.”
    “That never stopped you before,” his friend pointed out helpfully and received a glare for his trouble. “She’s a jilted lover of yours looking for recompense.”
    “She is not a jilted lover of mine,” insisted the earl.
    “Did you get her with child? You needn’t glare at me like that, March. It’s not exactly impossible, is it? It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if you had a brat or two come out of the woodwork,” said Sir Julius, pulling forth his snuff box. “You’ve ploughed a field or two in your time.”
    “Thank you for reminding me,” said his lordship dryly.
    “Well you have,” reasoned his friend. “There have been women you’d dropped, throwing themselves into the Serpentine just because you’d found yourself a new lover.”
    Lord Marcham picked up his tankard and drank from it. “There was only one lady who did that and she was as mad as a box of frogs,” he said, setting down his ale again. He turned to Sir Julius with a look of extreme distaste on his face. “And do we have to talk about this?”
    “You ran wild for years. I think your mother was never more glad than