your ladyship.”
“I’m sure you are not, Mary, but there are better ways to earn a living. I can help you.”
“’Elp me t’ live like me mum, scraping out a livin’ and dyin’ o’ starvation? No thanks, says I.”
“It will not be like that. I will see to it that you learn a skill, and while you are learning it, you will have a decent place to live.”
Sheridan stepped closer, disbelief powering his feet. It was Lady Olivia, speaking to…but that was impossible! Surely, she was not so foolish.
“Look, I have written my direction on this card. If you should change your mind, come to this address.”
“I don’t know. I…”
“What the devil is going on?” growled Sheridan, stepping into the moonlight.
With a little screech, the girl vanished, leaving Lady Olivia alone to face him.
She bent to pick up the piece of paper. Shaking it, she stormed up to him and said, “Now look what you did! I almost had her! ”
“Dash it all, woman, have you lost your senses?” he shouted.
“Dash it all yourself, sir! I am here on a mission of mercy, and you have seen fit to ruin it! There is no telling where that poor girl will ends her days, thanks to you.”
She lifted her hand to slap his face, but he caught it handily.
Bringing his face close to hers, he spat out, “You don’t want to add to your foolishness by doing that, my dear.”
“Oh!” she yelped and stomped on his foot.
He threw her away from him. “Hellcat!”
“Overbearing popinjay! ”
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her against his chest. “Have you no sense? Do you have no idea what kind of danger you are in, wandering these dark alleys alone?”
“I am not in any danger.”
“Oh? And what is to prevent some ugly customer from doing this?”
He kissed her, his lips rough on hers. She stiffened, twisting her head, but he held her in his grip and continued. Then she was kissing him back, her lips searching his, her arms around his neck, her fingers ruffling his hair. He tasted her sweetness and only wanted more. His arms wrapped around her, pressing the length of her body against him.
They staggered, and Sheridan set her away from him.
His senses reeling, he panted. “See? What is to prevent that? Or worse!”
Her eyes were glazed, and she bit at her lower lip in the most provocative manner. Sheridan restrained himself from reaching for her again, but his anger was returning and he resisted temptation.
His breathing almost normal again, he demanded, “Well, what do you have to say for yourself?”
The fire returned to her eyes. “Harold!”
Sheridan took a step back when a large figure stepped into the light. Behind this giant was another, a youth also dressed in livery.
“What I have to say, Lord Sheridan, is that if you had been a ruffian, Harold and Rattle would have knocked you flat.”
She signalled to the servants, and they withdrew into the darkness again.
Sheridan couldn’t help but smile. She was drawn up to her full height—little more than a child—and looked like a kitten with the fur standing up on its back.
“And if I had produced a knife?” he asked, his amusement growing.
She reached for her reticule, but before she could produce the pistol hidden there, he heard the unmistakable sound of two pistols being cocked. When his gaze returned to Lady Olivia, she had pointed a small pistol at his chest. He raised his hands in defeat, and she smiled again, returning the pistol to its hiding place.
Offering her his arm, he said, “Would you care to accompany me to a more comfortable spot where I can try and reason with you, and you can tell me to mind my own business? I think there is a secluded arbour with a bench close by. If we are the first to think of it, we should have it to ourselves. I would like to hear more of your tale.”
A companionable silence fell as they walked to the small arbour. Sheridan was aware that Olivia’s servants were following. They didn’t speak, but their presence was
“I’m sure you are not, Mary, but there are better ways to earn a living. I can help you.”
“’Elp me t’ live like me mum, scraping out a livin’ and dyin’ o’ starvation? No thanks, says I.”
“It will not be like that. I will see to it that you learn a skill, and while you are learning it, you will have a decent place to live.”
Sheridan stepped closer, disbelief powering his feet. It was Lady Olivia, speaking to…but that was impossible! Surely, she was not so foolish.
“Look, I have written my direction on this card. If you should change your mind, come to this address.”
“I don’t know. I…”
“What the devil is going on?” growled Sheridan, stepping into the moonlight.
With a little screech, the girl vanished, leaving Lady Olivia alone to face him.
She bent to pick up the piece of paper. Shaking it, she stormed up to him and said, “Now look what you did! I almost had her! ”
“Dash it all, woman, have you lost your senses?” he shouted.
“Dash it all yourself, sir! I am here on a mission of mercy, and you have seen fit to ruin it! There is no telling where that poor girl will ends her days, thanks to you.”
She lifted her hand to slap his face, but he caught it handily.
Bringing his face close to hers, he spat out, “You don’t want to add to your foolishness by doing that, my dear.”
“Oh!” she yelped and stomped on his foot.
He threw her away from him. “Hellcat!”
“Overbearing popinjay! ”
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her against his chest. “Have you no sense? Do you have no idea what kind of danger you are in, wandering these dark alleys alone?”
“I am not in any danger.”
“Oh? And what is to prevent some ugly customer from doing this?”
He kissed her, his lips rough on hers. She stiffened, twisting her head, but he held her in his grip and continued. Then she was kissing him back, her lips searching his, her arms around his neck, her fingers ruffling his hair. He tasted her sweetness and only wanted more. His arms wrapped around her, pressing the length of her body against him.
They staggered, and Sheridan set her away from him.
His senses reeling, he panted. “See? What is to prevent that? Or worse!”
Her eyes were glazed, and she bit at her lower lip in the most provocative manner. Sheridan restrained himself from reaching for her again, but his anger was returning and he resisted temptation.
His breathing almost normal again, he demanded, “Well, what do you have to say for yourself?”
The fire returned to her eyes. “Harold!”
Sheridan took a step back when a large figure stepped into the light. Behind this giant was another, a youth also dressed in livery.
“What I have to say, Lord Sheridan, is that if you had been a ruffian, Harold and Rattle would have knocked you flat.”
She signalled to the servants, and they withdrew into the darkness again.
Sheridan couldn’t help but smile. She was drawn up to her full height—little more than a child—and looked like a kitten with the fur standing up on its back.
“And if I had produced a knife?” he asked, his amusement growing.
She reached for her reticule, but before she could produce the pistol hidden there, he heard the unmistakable sound of two pistols being cocked. When his gaze returned to Lady Olivia, she had pointed a small pistol at his chest. He raised his hands in defeat, and she smiled again, returning the pistol to its hiding place.
Offering her his arm, he said, “Would you care to accompany me to a more comfortable spot where I can try and reason with you, and you can tell me to mind my own business? I think there is a secluded arbour with a bench close by. If we are the first to think of it, we should have it to ourselves. I would like to hear more of your tale.”
A companionable silence fell as they walked to the small arbour. Sheridan was aware that Olivia’s servants were following. They didn’t speak, but their presence was
Similar Books
