Read Online Duchess 02 - Surprising Lord Jack by Sally Mackenzie - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sally Mackenzie
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the ton , Nan.”
Her brows slanted down and she opened her mouth as if to argue . . . but sighed instead. “You’re right, of course.”
“And what the hell were you doing alone with him if you thought he was the Slasher? Do you have a death wish?”
She shrugged, but wouldn’t meet his gaze. “Albert would have come if I’d called.”
Nan knew better than that. “Even if Albert had been able to reach you in time—and you’re well aware speed is not his forte—everyone, including Ruland, knows you just have to tap the fellow on the jaw and he’s down for the count.”
Her face grew pale, making the rouge on her cheeks stand out as if she had a fever. “But what if the next victim is one of my girls, Jack? I can’t stand by and let that happen. I have to do something.”
“I understand, Nan. I’m frustrated, too.” Frustrated and furious. “But acting foolishly is not going to catch the villain. I—”
The baby whimpered again. He had to get him to his house for children in Bromley where Ursula, the woman who ran the place, could find him a wet nurse. “I’ve got to go, Nan, but I’m back in London for the foreseeable future. I’ll try to discover the Slasher’s identity, but you must send word if you or your girls hear anything.”
“Yes, of course I will.”
He opened the door and stepped into the foyer to find Francis sitting on the bench, trapped between two of Nan’s girls, face red, hands protecting his crotch as if he was afraid he was about to be castrated. Albert stood nearby, looking worried but doing nothing to help.
“I said I am not interested.” The boy sounded both angry and desperate.
“Bessie, Alice, leave the poor lad alone.” Damn it, he should have realized this might happen.
“I told ye Lord Jack wouldn’t be ’appy,” Albert said.
Bessie dropped her arm over the boy’s shoulders. “We were just trying to entertain the lad while you were busy, Lord Jack,” she said, leaning over to kiss Francis on the cheek.
Francis wiggled his shoulders and shot his elbow into the girl’s stomach; then he snapped his hand back to shield his privates.
“Ouch!” Bessie glared at him.
He glared back. “Go away .”
Jack opened his mouth to castigate Bessie, but Nan, who’d followed him into the foyer, spoke first.
“Stop that. Both of you, get up. Can’t you see the boy doesn’t like it?”
Alice stood at once, but Bessie stayed where she was, pouting. “He should like it. All men do.”
“But he doesn’t,” Nan said. “He’s too young. He doesn’t even have a beard yet.”
Bessie lifted her hand to touch Francis’s cheek, but Francis shoved her away, scrambled off the bench, and strode to the door. “I’m leaving.”
“Not without me.” Jack collared him before he could escape and then looked back at Nan. “I’ll let you know when I learn anything—and don’t take any more risks like you did just now.”
Albert opened the door for them. There was the dog, still sitting in front of the building. He jumped up, barking and dancing, as soon as he saw them.
“Quiet, sir!”
The animal clearly recognized the voice of authority. He sat at once, tilted his head, and looked up at Jack hopefully.
“Albert, you must need a dog to help you keep away the riffraff.”
“No, milord.” Albert peered out at the mongrel. “I don’t like dogs. Besides, ’e looks like riffraff ’imself.”
“I’m sure he’ll improve with a bath, but very well.” He didn’t have time to argue. Perhaps if he was lucky, the dog would stay at Nan’s.
He wasn’t lucky.
“He’s following us,” Francis said as they set off down the street back to the Nag’s Head and his curricle. The boy’s voice was markedly subdued.
“I see that.” The poor lad must be worrying about what had happened at Nan’s. Damn Bessie. He shifted the baby to his other arm. Couldn’t she see Francis was hardly more than a child? “I’m sorry those women troubled you.”
The boy
Her brows slanted down and she opened her mouth as if to argue . . . but sighed instead. “You’re right, of course.”
“And what the hell were you doing alone with him if you thought he was the Slasher? Do you have a death wish?”
She shrugged, but wouldn’t meet his gaze. “Albert would have come if I’d called.”
Nan knew better than that. “Even if Albert had been able to reach you in time—and you’re well aware speed is not his forte—everyone, including Ruland, knows you just have to tap the fellow on the jaw and he’s down for the count.”
Her face grew pale, making the rouge on her cheeks stand out as if she had a fever. “But what if the next victim is one of my girls, Jack? I can’t stand by and let that happen. I have to do something.”
“I understand, Nan. I’m frustrated, too.” Frustrated and furious. “But acting foolishly is not going to catch the villain. I—”
The baby whimpered again. He had to get him to his house for children in Bromley where Ursula, the woman who ran the place, could find him a wet nurse. “I’ve got to go, Nan, but I’m back in London for the foreseeable future. I’ll try to discover the Slasher’s identity, but you must send word if you or your girls hear anything.”
“Yes, of course I will.”
He opened the door and stepped into the foyer to find Francis sitting on the bench, trapped between two of Nan’s girls, face red, hands protecting his crotch as if he was afraid he was about to be castrated. Albert stood nearby, looking worried but doing nothing to help.
“I said I am not interested.” The boy sounded both angry and desperate.
“Bessie, Alice, leave the poor lad alone.” Damn it, he should have realized this might happen.
“I told ye Lord Jack wouldn’t be ’appy,” Albert said.
Bessie dropped her arm over the boy’s shoulders. “We were just trying to entertain the lad while you were busy, Lord Jack,” she said, leaning over to kiss Francis on the cheek.
Francis wiggled his shoulders and shot his elbow into the girl’s stomach; then he snapped his hand back to shield his privates.
“Ouch!” Bessie glared at him.
He glared back. “Go away .”
Jack opened his mouth to castigate Bessie, but Nan, who’d followed him into the foyer, spoke first.
“Stop that. Both of you, get up. Can’t you see the boy doesn’t like it?”
Alice stood at once, but Bessie stayed where she was, pouting. “He should like it. All men do.”
“But he doesn’t,” Nan said. “He’s too young. He doesn’t even have a beard yet.”
Bessie lifted her hand to touch Francis’s cheek, but Francis shoved her away, scrambled off the bench, and strode to the door. “I’m leaving.”
“Not without me.” Jack collared him before he could escape and then looked back at Nan. “I’ll let you know when I learn anything—and don’t take any more risks like you did just now.”
Albert opened the door for them. There was the dog, still sitting in front of the building. He jumped up, barking and dancing, as soon as he saw them.
“Quiet, sir!”
The animal clearly recognized the voice of authority. He sat at once, tilted his head, and looked up at Jack hopefully.
“Albert, you must need a dog to help you keep away the riffraff.”
“No, milord.” Albert peered out at the mongrel. “I don’t like dogs. Besides, ’e looks like riffraff ’imself.”
“I’m sure he’ll improve with a bath, but very well.” He didn’t have time to argue. Perhaps if he was lucky, the dog would stay at Nan’s.
He wasn’t lucky.
“He’s following us,” Francis said as they set off down the street back to the Nag’s Head and his curricle. The boy’s voice was markedly subdued.
“I see that.” The poor lad must be worrying about what had happened at Nan’s. Damn Bessie. He shifted the baby to his other arm. Couldn’t she see Francis was hardly more than a child? “I’m sorry those women troubled you.”
The boy
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