Read Online When the Rogue Returns by Sabrina Jeffries - Free Book Online
Authors: Sabrina Jeffries
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“If you attempt to leave town, I will hunt you to the ends of the earth. I’m not letting you off so easily this time.”
Temper flared in her pretty brown eyes. “Nor I you,” she surprised him by saying. “I don’t know what it is you’re up to, but I won’t rest until I find out.”
She thought he was up to something? The very idea made him want to shake her.
Or take her, over and over. Because now he was only too aware of her painfully familiar scent—violets and honey—and of the softness of her flesh beneath his fingers. Of the way her breath was quickening, as if she felt what he did—the echoes of their past reverberating around them.
“Mrs. Franke!” Lochlaw cried. “Are you coming?”
“Yes,” she said lightly. “Right away.”
Pushing free of Victor’s hold, she said in a low voice, “One more thing. Do as you want with Lady Lochlaw. But if you hurt Rupert in any way, you will have to answer to me .”
And with that peculiar statement hanging in the air, she left.
The hell Rupert was merely a “friend.” She was protective of the man; clearly, she had deep feelings for him.
Victor had to restrain himself to keep from following them. But there was no reason to rouse the baron’s suspicions; surely he could find out where she lived from someone in town. It was time to start doing what he’d been paid to do—investigating.
Now that she had as much as admitted her culpability in the theft, he meant to learn everything he could about what she’d done with the diamonds. There were a few hours before he must dress for the theater, and he would use them to study Mrs. Franke’s life in Edinburgh. The next time he saw his wife, he would be better armed for the encounter.
4
I SA SHOOK UNCONTROLLABLY on the first part of the ride to her cottage on the outskirts of Edinburgh, and not because of Rupert’s manic driving. Granted, he narrowly dodged hackneys and wheelbarrows at full speed, like a hare escaping a hound, but she was used to that. Thankfully, it made conversation impossible. After her encounter with Victor, she needed to settle her nerves.
It hadn’t gone well, what with Victor insisting that she’d deserted him and looking daggers at Rupert and trying to bully her into letting him drive her home. In that moment, she’d known she had to escape him . . . and take Rupert with her.
For one very good reason.
“Rupert?” Now that they’d left Edinburgh proper and Rupert had finally slowed on the quieter country road, she could learn what she needed to know. “Have you ever told your mother about Amalie?”
“No, indeed.” He clicked his tongue at the horses.“She already disapproves of our association. If she knew you had a child, she’d make even more trouble over it.”
Relief coursed through her. At least Victor couldn’t find out about Amalie through Lady Lochlaw.
Then the rest of Rupert’s words registered. “‘Even more trouble’? What do you mean?”
He stiffened. “It wouldn’t be gentlemanly for me to say.”
Her heart stumbled. “I need to know.”
“Oh, all right. She forbade me to invite you to the house party. And I told her that I wanted you there.” A mulish look crossed his face. “I reminded her that I am lord of Kinlaw Castle, so I can invite whomever I please. So we compromised. She said I should bring you to the theater tonight, and she would judge for herself whether you could behave with propriety in good society. If you could, she wouldn’t make a fuss over your coming to the house party.”
Isa gaped at him. Lady Lochlaw never ceased to amaze her. The woman had one set of rules for her son and an entirely different set for herself. “I don’t need to attend your house party. Don’t invite me, and make your mother happy.”
With a dark scowl, he flicked the reins. “I can’t abide those things. If it weren’t a family tradition, I’d refuse to have it. But if I do that, everyone will assume there’s some horrible
Temper flared in her pretty brown eyes. “Nor I you,” she surprised him by saying. “I don’t know what it is you’re up to, but I won’t rest until I find out.”
She thought he was up to something? The very idea made him want to shake her.
Or take her, over and over. Because now he was only too aware of her painfully familiar scent—violets and honey—and of the softness of her flesh beneath his fingers. Of the way her breath was quickening, as if she felt what he did—the echoes of their past reverberating around them.
“Mrs. Franke!” Lochlaw cried. “Are you coming?”
“Yes,” she said lightly. “Right away.”
Pushing free of Victor’s hold, she said in a low voice, “One more thing. Do as you want with Lady Lochlaw. But if you hurt Rupert in any way, you will have to answer to me .”
And with that peculiar statement hanging in the air, she left.
The hell Rupert was merely a “friend.” She was protective of the man; clearly, she had deep feelings for him.
Victor had to restrain himself to keep from following them. But there was no reason to rouse the baron’s suspicions; surely he could find out where she lived from someone in town. It was time to start doing what he’d been paid to do—investigating.
Now that she had as much as admitted her culpability in the theft, he meant to learn everything he could about what she’d done with the diamonds. There were a few hours before he must dress for the theater, and he would use them to study Mrs. Franke’s life in Edinburgh. The next time he saw his wife, he would be better armed for the encounter.
4
I SA SHOOK UNCONTROLLABLY on the first part of the ride to her cottage on the outskirts of Edinburgh, and not because of Rupert’s manic driving. Granted, he narrowly dodged hackneys and wheelbarrows at full speed, like a hare escaping a hound, but she was used to that. Thankfully, it made conversation impossible. After her encounter with Victor, she needed to settle her nerves.
It hadn’t gone well, what with Victor insisting that she’d deserted him and looking daggers at Rupert and trying to bully her into letting him drive her home. In that moment, she’d known she had to escape him . . . and take Rupert with her.
For one very good reason.
“Rupert?” Now that they’d left Edinburgh proper and Rupert had finally slowed on the quieter country road, she could learn what she needed to know. “Have you ever told your mother about Amalie?”
“No, indeed.” He clicked his tongue at the horses.“She already disapproves of our association. If she knew you had a child, she’d make even more trouble over it.”
Relief coursed through her. At least Victor couldn’t find out about Amalie through Lady Lochlaw.
Then the rest of Rupert’s words registered. “‘Even more trouble’? What do you mean?”
He stiffened. “It wouldn’t be gentlemanly for me to say.”
Her heart stumbled. “I need to know.”
“Oh, all right. She forbade me to invite you to the house party. And I told her that I wanted you there.” A mulish look crossed his face. “I reminded her that I am lord of Kinlaw Castle, so I can invite whomever I please. So we compromised. She said I should bring you to the theater tonight, and she would judge for herself whether you could behave with propriety in good society. If you could, she wouldn’t make a fuss over your coming to the house party.”
Isa gaped at him. Lady Lochlaw never ceased to amaze her. The woman had one set of rules for her son and an entirely different set for herself. “I don’t need to attend your house party. Don’t invite me, and make your mother happy.”
With a dark scowl, he flicked the reins. “I can’t abide those things. If it weren’t a family tradition, I’d refuse to have it. But if I do that, everyone will assume there’s some horrible
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