The Last Hellion Read Online Free Page A

well-informed populace by observing unflinchingly and reporting upon the metropolis as though it had a hundred eyes. For instance, Miss Grenville's article concerning the unfortunate young women—"
    "I thought there was only one," said his master. "The addlepated chit who got herself trapped in the tomb with the snakes. Typical," he sneered. "And some poor sod must gallop to milady's rescue. Only to die of snakebite for his pains. If he's lucky."
    Thickhead , Jaynes thought. "I was not referring to Mr. St. Bellair's story," he said. "Whose heroine, for your information, escaped the tomb with no outside assistance. However, I was speaking of—"
    . "Don't tell me—she talked the snakes to death." Ainswood hoisted the ale tankard to his lips and emptied it.
    "I was speaking of Miss Grenville's work," Jaynes said. "Her articles and essays Loretta Chase - The Last Hellion
    are exceedingly popular with the ladies."
    "God save us from bluestockings. You know what their trouble is, don't you, Jaynes? Due to not getting pumped regular, females take the oddest fancies, such as imagining they can think ." The duke wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
    He was a barbarian, that's what he was, Jaynes thought. His Grace belonged among the Vandal hordes that had once sacked Rome. As to his views of women, those had rapidly regressed to antediluvian since his elevation to the title.
    "Not all women are witless," the valet persisted. "If you would take the trouble to become acquainted with women of your own class, rather than illiterate whores—"
    "The whores give me the only thing I want from a female, and don't expect anything from me but the fee. I can't think of one good reason to bother with the other kind."
    "One good reason is, you'll never get yourself a proper duchess if you refuse to come within a mile of a respectable female."
    The duke set down his mug. "Devil take you, are you going to start that again?"
    "You'll be four and thirty in four months," said Jaynes. "At the rate you've been going lately, your chances of seeing that birthday are approximately nil. There is the title to consider, and its responsibilities, the foremost of which is to get an heir."
    Ainswood pushed away from the table and rose. "Why the devil should I consider the title? It never considered me." He snatched up his hat and gloves. "It should have stayed where it was and let me alone, but no, it wouldn't, would it?
    It had to keep creeping on toward me, one confounded funeral after another.
    Well, I say let it go on creeping after they plant me with the others. Then it can Loretta Chase - The Last Hellion
    hang itself on some other poor sod's neck, like the bleeding damned albatross it is."
    He stalked out.

    Some moments later, Vere had reached the end of Catherine Street and started west, intending to quiet his inner turmoil by the river, with the aid of a few more tankards of ale at the Fox Under the Hill.
    As he turned into the Strand, he saw a cabriolet burst through the crush of vehicles at Exeter 'Change. The carriage narrowly missed spitting a pie seller on its shaft, veered perilously toward an oncoming cart, corrected in the nick of time, then swung aside sharply—straight toward a gentleman stepping off the curb to cross the street.
    Without pausing to think, Vere hurtled forward, grabbed the fellow, and dragged him back to the footway—an instant before the carriage rocketed into Catherine Street.
    As it thundered past, he caught a glimpse of the driver: a black-garbed female, with a black mastiff for a passenger, an obviously panicked horse under the ribbons—and no tiger on the platform behind to help her.
    He set the fellow aside and hurried after the vehicle.

    Lydia swore when she saw her prey dart into Russell Court. The cramped passageway was too narrow for the cabriolet, and if she made the long circuit round Drary Lane Theater, she was sure to lose them. She drew the carriage to a halt and leapt from it, Susan close behind. A