Read Online Devil in Her Dreams by Jane Charles - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jane Charles
Tags: Espionage, alpha male, Anthology, regency anthology, catherine gayle, jerrica knightcatania, jane charles, ava stone, regency england
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die.
“
Don’t ever do something so foolish again.”
Louisa smiled against his chest. It was a promise she could not make, but it was unlikely she would find herself in a similar situation again. Marston leaned back and looked down at her, concern etching his brow. “We should return to the house. You must be shaken from this ordeal.”
“
Yes, where are my smelling salts? I am sure I must lie down.”
He arched a brow and narrowed his eyes.
Really, did that man not witness what just happened? She saved his hide. Did he honestly think she still needed protecting? Though, her legs were a bit weak. It was a good thing he was holding her.
“
I don’t know what I would have done if anything had happened to you.” He bent and took her lips with his.
Louisa sighed and leaned into him. Marston needed to feel he was in control, be the protector and shelter her. Was it really so bad to let him think he was all of those things. It was very quiet pleasant being in his arms.
He broke the kiss, and together they turned and followed John and the others back to the house.
As they reached the sitting area outside the library, Elizabeth rushed out, gun in her hand. “Is everyone all right?” She slipped on loose gravel, and her hand came down of a delicate cup sitting on a table. It splintered and she brought her hand up. Blood gushed from her palm, streaming down her wrist.
Everything began to go dark.
“
Someone catch her,” Elizabeth yelled from a place far away.
Louisa woke to the sound of voices but kept her eyes shut. What had happened? There was a wet cloth on her brow. Oh dear, she must have fainted. Elizabeth cut her hand. Louisa immediately blocked out the image.
“
I’ll think of some story she’ll believe,” Marston said.
“
A mad intruder?” John suggested.
Did they really think she was so daft that she would believe there was a mad Frenchman wandering the area who just happened to choose this estate to take people hostage, looking for a Lisette and Jean Pierre? Really, it was too much. “You know, Elizabeth, when I learned you were a spy—” Louisa took the cloth from her head and sat as they gasped “—I thought it sounded all very exciting.”
“
Spy?” Marston questioned. “You are a spy?”
“
As is John, as you well know,” Louisa answered.
Marston seemed even more shocked. The man really should be on the stage.
“
How do you know?” Elizabeth finally asked.
“
I listened at doors, of course.” Louisa grinned.
Elizabeth groaned. “I had forgotten how apt you were at eavesdropping.”
“
I am shocked,” Devlin protested, a hand over his heart.
Louisa leveled her eyes on him. “Really? Weren’t you in Paris with them?”
He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, but no words came out. At least he wasn’t going to tell her an outright lie.
“
I could see you from the window that first day, when you sat on the terrace talking with Elizabeth and John.”
“
She also has excellent eyesight and can read lips,” Elizabeth explained.
“
You thanked them for the warning. If Elizabeth and John hadn’t had their backs to me, I would have known everything that was said.”
Marston walked to the sideboard.
“
You no longer think it’s exciting?” Elizabeth asked.
Marston poured a glass of wine and handed it to Louisa.
“
I am sure it is.” She took a sip. “But I have no wish to ruin a dress, or another pair of shoes. And if I injured someone and they bled, it wouldn’t go well for me, I am sure.”
“
You kept your head when you bloodied the Frenchman’s nose,” Marston reminded her.
That was true. “I was about to faint when you yelled at me. The urgency must have kept me conscious. But I promptly fainted when Elizabeth cut her hand. I think I will stick to the more genteel pursuits.”
“
I won’t be returning to the Home Office,” Marston announced. “Warning Elizabeth and John was my last assignment.”
“
Are you still in
“
Don’t ever do something so foolish again.”
Louisa smiled against his chest. It was a promise she could not make, but it was unlikely she would find herself in a similar situation again. Marston leaned back and looked down at her, concern etching his brow. “We should return to the house. You must be shaken from this ordeal.”
“
Yes, where are my smelling salts? I am sure I must lie down.”
He arched a brow and narrowed his eyes.
Really, did that man not witness what just happened? She saved his hide. Did he honestly think she still needed protecting? Though, her legs were a bit weak. It was a good thing he was holding her.
“
I don’t know what I would have done if anything had happened to you.” He bent and took her lips with his.
Louisa sighed and leaned into him. Marston needed to feel he was in control, be the protector and shelter her. Was it really so bad to let him think he was all of those things. It was very quiet pleasant being in his arms.
He broke the kiss, and together they turned and followed John and the others back to the house.
As they reached the sitting area outside the library, Elizabeth rushed out, gun in her hand. “Is everyone all right?” She slipped on loose gravel, and her hand came down of a delicate cup sitting on a table. It splintered and she brought her hand up. Blood gushed from her palm, streaming down her wrist.
Everything began to go dark.
“
Someone catch her,” Elizabeth yelled from a place far away.
Louisa woke to the sound of voices but kept her eyes shut. What had happened? There was a wet cloth on her brow. Oh dear, she must have fainted. Elizabeth cut her hand. Louisa immediately blocked out the image.
“
I’ll think of some story she’ll believe,” Marston said.
“
A mad intruder?” John suggested.
Did they really think she was so daft that she would believe there was a mad Frenchman wandering the area who just happened to choose this estate to take people hostage, looking for a Lisette and Jean Pierre? Really, it was too much. “You know, Elizabeth, when I learned you were a spy—” Louisa took the cloth from her head and sat as they gasped “—I thought it sounded all very exciting.”
“
Spy?” Marston questioned. “You are a spy?”
“
As is John, as you well know,” Louisa answered.
Marston seemed even more shocked. The man really should be on the stage.
“
How do you know?” Elizabeth finally asked.
“
I listened at doors, of course.” Louisa grinned.
Elizabeth groaned. “I had forgotten how apt you were at eavesdropping.”
“
I am shocked,” Devlin protested, a hand over his heart.
Louisa leveled her eyes on him. “Really? Weren’t you in Paris with them?”
He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, but no words came out. At least he wasn’t going to tell her an outright lie.
“
I could see you from the window that first day, when you sat on the terrace talking with Elizabeth and John.”
“
She also has excellent eyesight and can read lips,” Elizabeth explained.
“
You thanked them for the warning. If Elizabeth and John hadn’t had their backs to me, I would have known everything that was said.”
Marston walked to the sideboard.
“
You no longer think it’s exciting?” Elizabeth asked.
Marston poured a glass of wine and handed it to Louisa.
“
I am sure it is.” She took a sip. “But I have no wish to ruin a dress, or another pair of shoes. And if I injured someone and they bled, it wouldn’t go well for me, I am sure.”
“
You kept your head when you bloodied the Frenchman’s nose,” Marston reminded her.
That was true. “I was about to faint when you yelled at me. The urgency must have kept me conscious. But I promptly fainted when Elizabeth cut her hand. I think I will stick to the more genteel pursuits.”
“
I won’t be returning to the Home Office,” Marston announced. “Warning Elizabeth and John was my last assignment.”
“
Are you still in
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