Read Online Shadow Play by Katherine Sutcliffe - Free Book Online
Authors: Katherine Sutcliffe
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evening when his mother was out, and found him alone...
Having forgotten the cigarette between his fingers, Morgan jumped and grimaced before flinging what was left of it to the ground. He lifted a hand and rubbed it across his forehead. Weakened and sweating, he swayed back against the cold, hard lamppost and closed his eyes.
"Mr. Kane?"
The feminine voice was caught by the wind and lost in an instant.
"Mr. Kane?" it called again, more urgently this time.
He opened his eyes. A drop of rain spattered the lapel of his fluttering coat as he turned to see a coach. A pale face appeared in the dark, glassless window. Lady Gastrop. He could smell the scent of violet water from where he stood.
"Thank God I found you," she said. "I've waited for nights..."
The coach door swung open as the lady's visage disappeared from sight. He gazed at the yawning entry before approaching and swinging aboard. The coach lurched into motion before he was settled into the velvet-covered seat across from his hostess.
They rode in silence down Water Street.
Finally he said, "I take it your husband is out of the country again, Lady Gastrop." He saw her head dip a little. Her hands clutched together in her lap.
"I've missed you these past weeks. I've thought of you often, Morgan."
"Really?" His mouth curled and he relaxed, his spine conforming to the plush contour of the seat, his body swaying in rhythm with the coach. He eased one leg between her knees before meeting her eyes directly. "You didn't seem eager to bid me hello two days ago when we bumped into each other on the dock, m'lady."
Her mouth pursed. "You aren't angry with me... you know it would be disastrous if we were seen together..."
"Because you're married? Or because of what and who I am?" When she didn't respond, he flipped his hand in dismissal and said, "Never mind."
"Don't be cruel to me tonight, dear Morgan. I've missed you too badly. I sent messages to your house—"
"I can't get away during the day. Some of us have to work for a living."
Cautiously, she touched his knee with her fingertips; they trailed teasingly up his thigh. "I hoped you would come to the house after dark." She leaned toward him and her per- fume washed over him in a sickening cloud. Her hand cupped the bulge in his pants and she lost her breath.
"Oh, God," she panted. "Morgan, we'll go back to the house—"
He closed his hand around her wrist and twisted, making her slump and gasp. "The children—" he whispered.
"Will be in bed asleep."
He tightened his grip, and she whimpered, slid off her seat so she lay half on and half off Morgan's lap, her face turned away from him in misery. He dragged up her skirt as he said in a low growl, "I don't screw women when there's children in the house, m'lady. Just what do you think discovering their mother in bed with someone who wasn't their father would do to them? Did you stop to think about that? How would it make them feel to learn that their mother is a slut and a whore? You don't do that to children, Lady Gastrop. Seeing that sort of ugliness does something to a child. It makes 'em feel dirty, and then you'll come to resent them for reminding you that you're a failure as a mother."
' 'I'm sorry.'' Her eyes closed, and as he pressed her back onto the seat and shoved open her legs with his knees, he said,
"Look at me."
Reluctantly, she did so. "You're cruel. So cruel."
"And you're a slut. Now open your legs. Wide. Wider."
He released himself from his breeches, and she groaned.
"Please. Please—"
"Please what?" he asked softly.
"Come inside me. Now. Please, now!"
He did, slowly, sliding and withdrawing little by little until she was twisting and whimpering and begging for surcease.
Morgan reached for the drape on the window, hesitating as the lights of the Governor's mansion shone out in the darkness. Then he eased the curtain down and got on with his business.
Chapter Four
Sarah peered through her veil at the stalls running the length of the
Having forgotten the cigarette between his fingers, Morgan jumped and grimaced before flinging what was left of it to the ground. He lifted a hand and rubbed it across his forehead. Weakened and sweating, he swayed back against the cold, hard lamppost and closed his eyes.
"Mr. Kane?"
The feminine voice was caught by the wind and lost in an instant.
"Mr. Kane?" it called again, more urgently this time.
He opened his eyes. A drop of rain spattered the lapel of his fluttering coat as he turned to see a coach. A pale face appeared in the dark, glassless window. Lady Gastrop. He could smell the scent of violet water from where he stood.
"Thank God I found you," she said. "I've waited for nights..."
The coach door swung open as the lady's visage disappeared from sight. He gazed at the yawning entry before approaching and swinging aboard. The coach lurched into motion before he was settled into the velvet-covered seat across from his hostess.
They rode in silence down Water Street.
Finally he said, "I take it your husband is out of the country again, Lady Gastrop." He saw her head dip a little. Her hands clutched together in her lap.
"I've missed you these past weeks. I've thought of you often, Morgan."
"Really?" His mouth curled and he relaxed, his spine conforming to the plush contour of the seat, his body swaying in rhythm with the coach. He eased one leg between her knees before meeting her eyes directly. "You didn't seem eager to bid me hello two days ago when we bumped into each other on the dock, m'lady."
Her mouth pursed. "You aren't angry with me... you know it would be disastrous if we were seen together..."
"Because you're married? Or because of what and who I am?" When she didn't respond, he flipped his hand in dismissal and said, "Never mind."
"Don't be cruel to me tonight, dear Morgan. I've missed you too badly. I sent messages to your house—"
"I can't get away during the day. Some of us have to work for a living."
Cautiously, she touched his knee with her fingertips; they trailed teasingly up his thigh. "I hoped you would come to the house after dark." She leaned toward him and her per- fume washed over him in a sickening cloud. Her hand cupped the bulge in his pants and she lost her breath.
"Oh, God," she panted. "Morgan, we'll go back to the house—"
He closed his hand around her wrist and twisted, making her slump and gasp. "The children—" he whispered.
"Will be in bed asleep."
He tightened his grip, and she whimpered, slid off her seat so she lay half on and half off Morgan's lap, her face turned away from him in misery. He dragged up her skirt as he said in a low growl, "I don't screw women when there's children in the house, m'lady. Just what do you think discovering their mother in bed with someone who wasn't their father would do to them? Did you stop to think about that? How would it make them feel to learn that their mother is a slut and a whore? You don't do that to children, Lady Gastrop. Seeing that sort of ugliness does something to a child. It makes 'em feel dirty, and then you'll come to resent them for reminding you that you're a failure as a mother."
' 'I'm sorry.'' Her eyes closed, and as he pressed her back onto the seat and shoved open her legs with his knees, he said,
"Look at me."
Reluctantly, she did so. "You're cruel. So cruel."
"And you're a slut. Now open your legs. Wide. Wider."
He released himself from his breeches, and she groaned.
"Please. Please—"
"Please what?" he asked softly.
"Come inside me. Now. Please, now!"
He did, slowly, sliding and withdrawing little by little until she was twisting and whimpering and begging for surcease.
Morgan reached for the drape on the window, hesitating as the lights of the Governor's mansion shone out in the darkness. Then he eased the curtain down and got on with his business.
Chapter Four
Sarah peered through her veil at the stalls running the length of the
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