Read Online The Infamous Rogue by Alexandra Benedict - Free Book Online
Authors: Alexandra Benedict
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played out in silence. An hour later, exhausted, Sophia sensed her heart flutter as she spotted the weakness on the board.
Her brain throbbed. She scanned all the remaining pieces to make sure she wasn’t imagining their positions before she moved the queen forward to corner the jade king.
“Checkmate,” she whispered.
James frowned. He stared at the board for a few moments before he lifted his own somnolent eyes to meet hers. “You win, sweetheart…ask anything of me you wish.”
She bristled at the expression. She remembered the last time they had played chess, the last time she had heard him say those words:
Ask anything of me you wish.
Marry me, she had asked him—only to be rebuffed.
She dismissed the smarting pain in her breast. “Promise me you will not reveal our past to anyone.”
He looked at her for a good few seconds before he said, “I promise.”
Her breastbone shuddered with relief…but the joy was tempered by one haunting thought.
“You seem uncertain,” he said darkly. “Do you think the barbarian too dishonorable to respect a challenge loss?”
She looked at him pointedly. “You dishonored it once before.”
His lips twitched. “My word is not enough, then? You really have changed,” he said in a soft and chastising manner. “But so have I.”
She ignored the contempt in his voice. Let him huff at the “change” in her all he liked, she didn’t care. She had suffered enough hardship at the man’s hands to feel indifferent to his pompous scorn. All she wanted was his assurance, his real assurance he would keep quiet about the past.
“Very well,” he said in a rough whisper. “I promise on my father’s grave I will not betray our past.”
The oath was sufficient. He had adored and re spected his father. He would not dishonor the man’s name by breaking the vow, she was sure.
“Thank you.” She collected the players and collapsed the board, locking the box. “I should return to Lady Lucas.”
“I’ll call for the carriage to take you home.”
“No!” She lifted from the chair and adjusted her mantle before she took the box and approached the door. “I can’t exit your carriage in the dead of night.”
He stood, too. “But you can sneak into my house in the dead of night?”
She sniffed. “No one witnessed me steal into the house.”
“Ever the wildcat.” He perused her with a long and familiar stare. “You haven’t really changed, Sophia. Lady Lucas would not be pleased.”
She stiffened at the implication. “I have changed. I don’t flout convention anymore.”
He slowly lifted a brow.
She lifted a forefinger. “One time. And only because I needed to speak with you and settle this matter. Never again!”
“Fine.” He crossed the floor and disappeared inside the dressing room. “I’ll escort you home, then.”
The idea sounded just as dangerous. “What if we’re spotted together?” she called after him. “I’ll just hire a hackney coach.”
“Then I’ll follow behind you and the cab at a reasonable distance.” He returned from the other room. “But you are not going home alone!”
She snorted at the man’s whimsical gallantry, but she didn’t contest the point further. So long as he honored his word and maintained a sensible distance behind her, she would avoid scandal.
And just to be sure he honored his word, she strutted across the room and pushed a chair against the wall. She lifted her skirts and stepped onto the cushioned seat before she yanked the short blade from the wall and tucked it back into her bodice.
Chapter 5
I t was a warm summer day for a picnic. The tart lemonade was a cool and welcome refreshment. Sophia sat on the large white blanket purled with golden thread, admiring the bucolic landscape. She eyed the great house on the hill flanked by dense woods. The structure was two floors high, with rows of symmetrical windows and a sandy stone façade. The bright green turf stretched for acres in front of the house, the lazy countryside
Her brain throbbed. She scanned all the remaining pieces to make sure she wasn’t imagining their positions before she moved the queen forward to corner the jade king.
“Checkmate,” she whispered.
James frowned. He stared at the board for a few moments before he lifted his own somnolent eyes to meet hers. “You win, sweetheart…ask anything of me you wish.”
She bristled at the expression. She remembered the last time they had played chess, the last time she had heard him say those words:
Ask anything of me you wish.
Marry me, she had asked him—only to be rebuffed.
She dismissed the smarting pain in her breast. “Promise me you will not reveal our past to anyone.”
He looked at her for a good few seconds before he said, “I promise.”
Her breastbone shuddered with relief…but the joy was tempered by one haunting thought.
“You seem uncertain,” he said darkly. “Do you think the barbarian too dishonorable to respect a challenge loss?”
She looked at him pointedly. “You dishonored it once before.”
His lips twitched. “My word is not enough, then? You really have changed,” he said in a soft and chastising manner. “But so have I.”
She ignored the contempt in his voice. Let him huff at the “change” in her all he liked, she didn’t care. She had suffered enough hardship at the man’s hands to feel indifferent to his pompous scorn. All she wanted was his assurance, his real assurance he would keep quiet about the past.
“Very well,” he said in a rough whisper. “I promise on my father’s grave I will not betray our past.”
The oath was sufficient. He had adored and re spected his father. He would not dishonor the man’s name by breaking the vow, she was sure.
“Thank you.” She collected the players and collapsed the board, locking the box. “I should return to Lady Lucas.”
“I’ll call for the carriage to take you home.”
“No!” She lifted from the chair and adjusted her mantle before she took the box and approached the door. “I can’t exit your carriage in the dead of night.”
He stood, too. “But you can sneak into my house in the dead of night?”
She sniffed. “No one witnessed me steal into the house.”
“Ever the wildcat.” He perused her with a long and familiar stare. “You haven’t really changed, Sophia. Lady Lucas would not be pleased.”
She stiffened at the implication. “I have changed. I don’t flout convention anymore.”
He slowly lifted a brow.
She lifted a forefinger. “One time. And only because I needed to speak with you and settle this matter. Never again!”
“Fine.” He crossed the floor and disappeared inside the dressing room. “I’ll escort you home, then.”
The idea sounded just as dangerous. “What if we’re spotted together?” she called after him. “I’ll just hire a hackney coach.”
“Then I’ll follow behind you and the cab at a reasonable distance.” He returned from the other room. “But you are not going home alone!”
She snorted at the man’s whimsical gallantry, but she didn’t contest the point further. So long as he honored his word and maintained a sensible distance behind her, she would avoid scandal.
And just to be sure he honored his word, she strutted across the room and pushed a chair against the wall. She lifted her skirts and stepped onto the cushioned seat before she yanked the short blade from the wall and tucked it back into her bodice.
Chapter 5
I t was a warm summer day for a picnic. The tart lemonade was a cool and welcome refreshment. Sophia sat on the large white blanket purled with golden thread, admiring the bucolic landscape. She eyed the great house on the hill flanked by dense woods. The structure was two floors high, with rows of symmetrical windows and a sandy stone façade. The bright green turf stretched for acres in front of the house, the lazy countryside
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