Whisper To Me of Love by Shirlee Busbee Page A

and blows aimed at him barely making contact.
    Infuriated, as well as chagrined by her situation, Pip completely lost her head, and forgetting for a moment her dual language, through gritted teeth she snarled, “If I ever get free of you, I will indeed slice up your liver and bit by bit make you eat it!”
    â€œWill you indeed, my little tiger cub? But aren’t you mistaken?. . . Wasn’t it my, er, privates you wanted under the knife?” Royce asked lightly, one haughty eyebrow cocked at the beautifully accented English that came from the boy’s mouth. Interesting. Not only did the child bear remarkable resemblance to the Earl of St. Audries, but it appeared he spoke, in addition to the rough language of the slums, also the King’s English. How very bizarre! Scenting a mystery, Royce felt his curiosity about the boy intensify, and whatever half-formed plans he may have had for him changed in that instant. It wasn’t just a matter anymore of redeeming the boy from a life of misery and crime; there was a puzzle to be solved....
    Pip realized her mistake at once, and her eyes widened with dismay. Desperately trying to undo the damage, she began to struggle wildly again and muttered, “Aye, Oy will! Oy’ll dice it up fine afor Oy stuff it down your bloody throat, Oy will.”
    â€œOh, I’m quite certain that given half the chance, you would not hesitate to dismember me, but I’m afraid that as I have grown rather attached to my body, I cannot allow you to take that sort of liberty,” Royce remarked with a faint smile. A black look was the only answer to his words, and realizing from the way the boy’s struggles had weakened that the child was worn out, Royce stopped teasing. “If I set you down, have I your word that you will not attack me or the members of my household again?”
    More exhausted than she had realized, Pip longed to accept this unexpected offer, but fear and the overwhelming need to escape still dominated her. Again she began to wiggle in his grasp.
    While Royce might admire the child’s spirit, he was also growing short-tempered, and giving the boy a brief and less than gentle shake, he said bluntly, “You have nothing to fear from me or my household. We mean you no harm, although I’m sure that you would disagree on that particular subject. You cannot escape, and since I am much bigger and stronger than you are, we can remain here in this position until you pass out or you can accept my offer. Whether you continue this uneven struggle or not, the results will still be the same—you will remain under my control. Now, have I your word?”
    Reluctantly Pip nodded her curly, dark head. But defeat left a bitter taste in her mouth, and the gray eyes were angrily defiant and the slender body stiff with resentment as Royce slowly lowered her until her feet touched the floor and then released her. A surly cast to the delicately curved mouth, she stood there glaring at her captor, wondering what he intended to do with her next.
    Unhappily surveying his unwilling dependent, Royce was wondering much the same thing. The Lord knew that benevolence was not one of his more developed qualities, and if it were not for the mystery the boy represented, Royce was uneasily aware that he would have cravenly let the boy go. Immediately and with no further thought on the subject! Since by his own choice, that was an option no longer open to him, Royce continued to study the scrawny boy, considering precisely how the child could be made to fit into his already well-run and more than adequately staffed household.
    â€œWhat’s your name, boy?” Royce asked abruptly. He wasn’t the least surprised when the boy shot him a dark look and lifted his chin haughtily. It seemed the Devlins were arrogant from birth! Holding on to his temper, Royce tried again. “What about your parents? Won’t they be worried about you? Won’t you tell me