Read Online The Devil May Care (Brotherhood of Sinners #1) by Lara Archer - Free Book Online Page B

sword.
    He made another vicious drive at Lord Henry, his blade clanging hard and quick, and the older man backed up in haste, scarcely managing to fend off the blows. Sebastian's weapon flashed and slipped past Lord Henry's guard. It made a quick, neat slice in the air just by Lord Henry's left arm. The sleeve of Lord Henry's shirt gaped—a slit fell open just above the elbow.
    The blade had touched the fabric only, apparently, for there was no blood, but Lord Henry's eyes went harder than before.
    "Pardon," Sebastian said blandly. He steadied his blade in front of him, but did not strike again.
    Lord Henry tensed. He gave out a sudden bellow and sprang, his blade high and sweeping towards the side of Sebastian's face.
    For a horrible instant, the blow seemed sure to land, but then Sebastian's foil darted and caught Lord Henry's blade with an awful shriek, stopping it dead at the joining of the hilt.
    "Enough!" cried Lady Barham, a shrill of panic in her voice. She ran up perilously close to the combatants.
    Her presence stilled the men, but Lord Henry's stare stayed on Sebastian, an ugly look in the depths of it. A clear desire to hurt. Only after a long, tense pause did he finally disengage his weapon from Sebastian's and lower it to his side.
    Remarkably, the two men bowed to one another then, and shook hands.
    Rachel found that she was trembling.
    Lady Barham laughed, a laugh with a hitch of relief in it. "How ridiculous you are. Like two boys who forget they are merely playing a game."
    "We beg your forgiveness," said Sebastian, with a gallant bow of his head. "Sometimes when the blood is up, we lose hold of our civilized selves."
    "So you do," she said, laughing again and wrapping her arms around Sebastian's waist, a look of wanton invitation on her face. "That's part of the reason I love you so dearly. My savage." She kissed him hungrily on the mouth.
    Lord Henry’s posture was stiff, his lip pinched, and he spoke snappishly to a red-haired young footman who appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, to help him back into his neckcloth and coat.
    He gave Rachel a pointedly cold look as he passed her on his way to the door.
    Sebastian, though, seemed in an unaccountably good humor—remarkably unlike his usual elegant self, with his tawny hair mussed and a sheen of sweat on his brow. He smiled as he slid into his coat and slung his neckcloth haphazardly around his throat.
    When at last, despite the petulant protests of Lady Barham, they took leave of the company, Sebastian leapt up to their coach with extraordinary vigor. His sky-blue eyes gleamed as they had the day Rachel had met him, when he’d nearly goaded the Black Giant into hitting him.
    He enjoyed fighting.
    So this was why a man born to be a marquess had become a spy.
    The moment the coach rumbled forward, she spoke. “Who in blazes is Lord Henry Walters?” she demanded. “And what did you do to make him want to kill you?”
    The second question made him grin. “Who can say?” he said. “A great many people seem to want to kill me, wherever I go.”
    “A perfectly sensible response for anyone who’s spent time with you. But this man never met you before tonight.”
    His eyes sparkled. “I work fast.”
    “He nearly slit your throat.” She broke off, and tried to recover a more dispassionate tone. “Did you at least learn what you needed?”
    Sebastian’s gaze narrowed. “What makes you ask that?”
    “The way you moved, the way you let him hit you—you were testing him, weren’t you?”
    He shifted somewhat uncomfortably in his seat. “Observant of you. You’re more like your sister than I thought.”
    “Well?”
    Sebastian hesitated, brow creasing, as if in debate with himself. Then his forehead smoothed. “I learned a great deal, in fact. Lord Henry's not a liar about his fencing, in any case. He truly was trained by du Magnin—the style is unmistakable. And well trained, too.” He made a quick series of gestures in the air with an