Read Online Silent Revenge by Laura Landon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Laura Landon
Ads: Link
If she truly was Tanhill’s stepsister, it would be possible to have every pound Tanhill thought to steal from the girl. And he could exact his revenge for what had happened in India.
Simon stared into the smoldering embers in the grate. If she’d told him the truth. She was, after all, a woman. No different from any other greedy, conniving woman God had placed on the face of the earth.
But she’d probably made up the whole story. She probably didn’t have a pound to her name but had come only because James had sent her. She’d probably only thought of marriage when she saw the amount of money James was willing to offer him.
He’d kissed her because he’d meant to teach her how dangerous it was to play her treacherous games. He’d meant to show her how risky it could be to tempt him with the money to save Ravenscroft but at a price he was unwilling to pay. He’d meant to enlighten her on how disastrous it could be for her to give in to her greedy ambitions and seek more than what she’d been sent to offer.
Bloody hell. Why had he kissed her?
Simon thought of James. He did not doubt for one moment that James had been the one who’d sent this Jessica Stanton to him. If that was her real identity.
He took a deep breath and tried not to be angry with his friend. If James were the one about to lose everything, he would do the same if he thought it would help him.
But what did James think would be accomplished by sending her to him? Didn’t James realize this woman held about as good a chance of becoming his wife as a snowball had of surviving in Hades?
Simon brought his glass closer, determined to drink until he could forget Jessica Stanton and the way he’d responded to their kisses.
It promised to be a very long night.
Chapter 5
J essica paced the length of the Duchess of Collingsworth’s bright, sunny morning room feeling as trapped as if Colin himself hovered outside the door waiting to have her committed to the asylum. She pushed a wayward strand of hair from her face and tried to make herself look more composed. It was hard. She’d never been more scared in her life.
She had five days until her twenty-fifth birthday. Five days until she became one of the wealthiest women in England. Five days to protect herself from her stepbrother’s greed and hatred.
She clutched a hand to her breast to calm her breathing. She needed James and Melinda’s help. She prayed to God they would give it to her.
Jessica clenched her fists in frustration. Never had she hated her deafness as she did right now. Never had she felt so helpless. So foolish.
Instead of pursuing a means of escape immediately, she’d wasted precious time and effort on her ludicrous plan to ask the Earl of Northcote to marry her.
How could she have been so blind? How could she have thought for a moment she could convince him that marrying her was the answer to his problems? Good Lord. Half of London still believed he’d killed his father. What lapse of sanity had made her go to him in the first place?
Jessica remembered the liberties he’d taken last night—the liberties she’d allowed—and shuddered. He was a rogue of the worst kind. She hesitated to think what that made her. His only redeeming quality was that he did not seem offended by her deafness. Although his refusal made it plain he would never want the stigma of a deaf woman as his wife. How could she have embarrassed herself so?
She looked out onto the cobblestone street and watched a carriage ramble silently past the town house. With an impatient sigh, she smoothed the white lace collar at her neck, then touched her fingers to her lips. Lips that still tingled from his kisses.
She’d never dreamed a man’s touch could cause such turmoil.
Her fingers touched the lips he’d kissed as she relived the emotions that had raced through her body. She tried to block out the image of him towering above her. But it was impossible to forget the muscled arms that had held
Simon stared into the smoldering embers in the grate. If she’d told him the truth. She was, after all, a woman. No different from any other greedy, conniving woman God had placed on the face of the earth.
But she’d probably made up the whole story. She probably didn’t have a pound to her name but had come only because James had sent her. She’d probably only thought of marriage when she saw the amount of money James was willing to offer him.
He’d kissed her because he’d meant to teach her how dangerous it was to play her treacherous games. He’d meant to show her how risky it could be to tempt him with the money to save Ravenscroft but at a price he was unwilling to pay. He’d meant to enlighten her on how disastrous it could be for her to give in to her greedy ambitions and seek more than what she’d been sent to offer.
Bloody hell. Why had he kissed her?
Simon thought of James. He did not doubt for one moment that James had been the one who’d sent this Jessica Stanton to him. If that was her real identity.
He took a deep breath and tried not to be angry with his friend. If James were the one about to lose everything, he would do the same if he thought it would help him.
But what did James think would be accomplished by sending her to him? Didn’t James realize this woman held about as good a chance of becoming his wife as a snowball had of surviving in Hades?
Simon brought his glass closer, determined to drink until he could forget Jessica Stanton and the way he’d responded to their kisses.
It promised to be a very long night.
Chapter 5
J essica paced the length of the Duchess of Collingsworth’s bright, sunny morning room feeling as trapped as if Colin himself hovered outside the door waiting to have her committed to the asylum. She pushed a wayward strand of hair from her face and tried to make herself look more composed. It was hard. She’d never been more scared in her life.
She had five days until her twenty-fifth birthday. Five days until she became one of the wealthiest women in England. Five days to protect herself from her stepbrother’s greed and hatred.
She clutched a hand to her breast to calm her breathing. She needed James and Melinda’s help. She prayed to God they would give it to her.
Jessica clenched her fists in frustration. Never had she hated her deafness as she did right now. Never had she felt so helpless. So foolish.
Instead of pursuing a means of escape immediately, she’d wasted precious time and effort on her ludicrous plan to ask the Earl of Northcote to marry her.
How could she have been so blind? How could she have thought for a moment she could convince him that marrying her was the answer to his problems? Good Lord. Half of London still believed he’d killed his father. What lapse of sanity had made her go to him in the first place?
Jessica remembered the liberties he’d taken last night—the liberties she’d allowed—and shuddered. He was a rogue of the worst kind. She hesitated to think what that made her. His only redeeming quality was that he did not seem offended by her deafness. Although his refusal made it plain he would never want the stigma of a deaf woman as his wife. How could she have embarrassed herself so?
She looked out onto the cobblestone street and watched a carriage ramble silently past the town house. With an impatient sigh, she smoothed the white lace collar at her neck, then touched her fingers to her lips. Lips that still tingled from his kisses.
She’d never dreamed a man’s touch could cause such turmoil.
Her fingers touched the lips he’d kissed as she relived the emotions that had raced through her body. She tried to block out the image of him towering above her. But it was impossible to forget the muscled arms that had held
Similar Books
