The Rake's Redemption Read Online Free Page A

herself criticising John, though she knew the effort was wasted. He wouldn’t listen and their quarrelling only served to upset father, yet John’s air of careless indulgence always managed to provoke her. Her brother had dropped his wavering smile at the rebuke, and Judith quickly changed tack to try to avert hostilities. “Will you join us for nuncheon?”
    “I must disappoint you. Judith. My presence is promised elsewhere.” He hardly bothered to veil the derision and Judith could feel the itch to slap him. But at least this morning he could stand without staggering and she wasn’t going to miss this opportunity to find out what his latest trouble was.
    “John, father seems to be worried.” She faltered, unsure how to continue without the words sounding like the accusation they were. “We’ve been going over estate receipts this morning. The yields lag, John.”
    “Beyond the usual, eh?” He grinned as if something clever had occurred to him. “Tell father to take Thor for a gallop. That usually clears my head of worries.”
    “John!” His crassness in suggesting their father ride the huge stallion removed the last of Judith’s restraint. “There is no money for whatever your scrape is, John. Father won’t say what it is, but I know something brought you home. How much is it going to cost this time?”
    “You really do have the soul of a cit, Judith. Small wonder you’ve not found a husband. Who could tolerate a wife who wants to keep the books?” The grin on her brother’s face had a distinctly unpleasant tinge to it.
    “John, it can’t go on.” John showed no intention of responding, picked idly at the leather spines of his father’s books instead. “It’s not just being purse pinched now, John. Father is worried sick, and I won’t have it, John. I won’t.”
    “Ring a fine peal, don’t you Judith.” His breath still carried stales fumes from last night’s drink when he pushed his face in front of hers. “You forget, sister. I am the heir now, so the matter does not concern you. When I inherit I’ll make sure to find someone who’ll take you, Judith. Then you’ll learn to make your manners agreeable, little sister. So don’t go pluming yourself that Oakenhill is your domain.”
    Jeremy Hampton’s death in Spain had robbed Lord Hampton of his intended heir. It had robbed Judith of much more than just her adored elder brother. John had shown scant restraint since the certainty of inheritance emboldened him. For two years now she’d struggled with his wildness while her father withdrew more and more into himself. Unless she chivvied and pleaded constantly father responded to hateful reality only when a crisis loomed.
    “I fear for father, John.” Judith hated the desperation she could hear in her voice. “Have you no thought for him? Is it just money for you?”
    “It’s not your money, Judith. It’s family money. And since I shall be head of the family, it will be my money. So it’s not as if I’m spending father’s money.” John smiled with satisfaction at his exposition and turned toward the door. To come face to face with his father.
    “What have you not been spending my money on, John?” Three inches shorter than his son, Lord Hampton still managed to diminish the younger man. At least briefly.
    “Hello, father. Nothing, nothing at all, Judith is being a little choleric. I’m on my way to barracks.” He looked as if were about to execute a pas de dance, his weight shifting from one foot to the other, before his father moved to one side to let him leave the room.
    “He’s impossible, father. You need to tell me what’s he done.” The flame of Judith’s anger was hot enough to melt the deference she normally showed her father.
    “John is unwise, Judith. But he is still my son.” The inadequate answer did nothing to ease her temper. Unless John was stopped he’d ruin Oakenhill, and father knew that, but still he did nothing. The words were on the tip of her