Free Seducing the Heiress by Olivia Drake

sensed a
revulsion in the duke that went beyond mere dislike. It was evident in his
tightened lips and wrathful steps. She hastened to keep pace with his strides.
“Why do you hate Lord Ratcliffe?”
     
“His behavior
offends me. There is much you don’t know about the rogue.”
     
“I know you
believe he murdered his father.”
     
“There can be no question of his
guilt.”
     
“But he was never convicted in a court of law. Were you particular
friends with his father—or with someone else in his family? Did you hear
something that wasn’t told to the judge about circumstances of the
death?”
     
The duke scowled, clearly displeased that she would question his
verdict. “The subject is not for your tender ears. However, if you wish further
proof of Ratcliffe’s wicked nature, then know this—he also keeps his mother
confined at his country estate.”
     
“Confined?” Portia asked in astonished
confusion. “Do you mean . . . locked up?”
     
“Perhaps not in so literal a sense.
But he refuses Lady Ratcliffe permission to come to London, to enjoy the simple
pleasures of visiting her dearest friends and going to the shops. So you can see
how he ill-treats the women in his life. You would be well advised to avoid
him.”
     
The news about his mother deeply disturbed Portia. Was he truly so
cruel? Although she disapproved of his low morals, he didn’t strike her as
having a cold, heartless nature. Was the duke mistaken in his information? Or
had she herself been too dazzled by Ratcliffe’s charm to recognize the depths of
his depravity?
     
She glanced back, but a stand of boxwoods hid him from her
view. She certainly would avoid him, but not because the duke commanded
it. Rather, it would be extremely foolish to associate with a rakehell like
Ratcliffe. He could entrap her in a compromising situation. Especially now that
he had the miniature in his possession.
     
But all that would soon
change.
     
Tonight.
     
     

     
“The place looks deserted,” Lindsey whispered. “The
viscount must have taken the bait.”
     
Portia huddled with her sister in the
shadows of a plane tree. A gust of wind stirred the leaves, making her grateful
for the warm cloak that covered her revealing gown. The night had turned cold
and blustery, the mild weather of the afternoon now only a distant
memory.
     
Across the street, Lord Ratcliffe’s residence loomed at the end of a
row of narrow town houses. The darkened windows revealed no sign of life.
Ratcliffe must have gone to the appointed rendezvous.
     
So why did she feel a
prickly sense of foreboding? All evening, she’d had the jittery sense of being
watched. It didn’t make sense because her plan thus far had gone off without a
hitch.
     
She had attended Lord Turnbuckle’s ball, dutifully dancing with a
number of eligible gentlemen, including the duke. At a quarter past eleven, she
had gone to her parents and pleaded a headache, convincing them to remain behind
to enjoy the festivities while the coachman took her home. Little did they know,
she had slipped out a side door and escaped around the corner, where Lindsey was
waiting inside a hired cab along with the necessary change of clothing. Portia
had slithered hastily out of her fancy ball gown while the cab drove them to
this shabby section on the outskirts of Mayfair.
     
“I certainly do hope he’s
gone,” she murmured. “I’d feel more confident if I’d actually seen him at Lord
Turn-buckle’s house.”
     
“He wouldn’t have been invited,” Lindsey said with a
sniff. “But if the rat could sneak into your bedchamber, you can be certain
he’ll also find a way to slip into the garden to meet you.”
     
Lindsey was
right. Ratcliffe needed Portia’s dowry, and he would seize any chance to catch
her alone andcharm her into marriage. While he waited
there in vain, however, she intended to invade his home and search for the
stolen