Free The Abduction of Julia by Karen Hawkins Page A

off to the Winnifreds’ tea.”
    “Where will she be tomorrow?”
    “The theatre. Said I might see her there. She’s wearing an atrocious gown the exact pattern of my mother’s window shades, gold with green stripes. I told her not to wear it, but—”
    “Of course she will be at the theatre,” Lucien interrupted. “The whole world attends the new play. And then, on Thursday night, you can be assured the lovely Fanny will attend the Seftons’ rout. She is accepted everywhere. No breath of scandal has ever touched her name.” He shrugged. “So long as one is discreet, one may do as one pleases.”
    Edmund bounded from his chair. “By Jove, you are right, Luce! I hadn’t thought of it like that. All Alec has to do is show Julia how to get on and teach her to be discreet. You and I can see to it that he does the thing in style.” He stood, wide-eyed and annoyingly eager. “Where shall we begin? Tattersalls, to look for a carriage? Or should we attempt to soften Lady Birlington?”
    “First, you and I have an errand of a more delicate kind.”
    “Oh? And what’s that?”
    “We are about to start a rumor of our own.”
Chapter 5
    The solicitor examined the marriage license, his long nose flaring ever so slightly. Julia stared, fascinated, wondering if the little man could smell the ink.
    Alec shifted impatiently in the hard chair. “When can you transfer the funds?”
    Julia suppressed a sigh. Alec had been in a foul mood since this morning, no doubt regretting their hasty marriage. It was a great pity he felt that way, because once she had been revived by a hot bath and a swallow of rum, she’d felt only dreamlike wonder at her changed circumstances. Dreamlike wonder, and the tiniest bit of excitement.
    Mr. Pratt’s gaze lifted over the rim of his glasses as he placed the marriage license back on the desk. “It appears the document is legal.”
    “Of course it’s legal,” Alec growled. The chair creaked as he leaned forward. “The will does not specify which late Earl of Covington, so the conditions have been met. I expect the funds to be placed in my account by this afternoon.”
    The first thing she needed to do, Julia decided, was work on improving Alec’s uncertain temper. She glanced at her impatient husband, then wished she hadn’t. He looked wildly handsome, a scowl darkening his brow, his eyes snapping a frosty silver. Her heart quickened and a hot prickle traveled slowly up her arms and came to rest on the nape of her neck. She had to fight the urge to shiver.
    The solicitor rested his elbows on the desk and pressed his fingertips together. “My lord, this is a very delicate matter. Your grandfather’s instructions were explicit. I’m afraid it will take days, maybe even weeks, before the executors authorize the release of the funds.”
    ‘The executors be damned. I want the money transferred today .“
    “Just who are these executors?” Julia glanced from her scowling husband to Mr. Pratt. Thank goodness Alec had returned her spectacles. She wouldn’t have been able to see the condescension in the solicitor’s smile, and it was important to know just where one stood in matters like these.
    “Lady Hunterston, the executors are men of value and worth, carefully selected by the late earl to oversee the distribution of his estate—”
    “They are a bunch of prosy bores.” Alec glowered. “Where in the hell did my grandfather meet up with such cheese-paring fops, anyway?”
    The solicitor’s nose flared in earnest. “I assure you, my lord, these sentiments don’t become you. Your grandfather had your best interests at heart in selecting such honorable men.”
    Julia wished the man would just cease speaking. His pontificating was annoying Alec into a lather. Hands clenched around the arms of his chair, her husband tensed as if coiled to spring. Julia placed one of her hands over his and leaned toward the solicitor. “I’m sure the executors are exemplary men, Mr. Pratt.”
    He