Free Sinful (Hot Regency Romance Novella) by Sharon Page

in the Thames. I’ll—”
    “Stop this, Laura, please,” Estelle said
firmly. Her eyes met his and he could see the guilt and horror in
them. He wanted to keep his heart hardened. He didn’t want that
imploring look to touch him. But it did.
    Then Estelle did what he could not. She found
the right words, though they were blunt ones. She told Laura
everything—Lady Maryanne’s elopement, their suspicions about
Cavell, Nick’s attack. She had her arm around Laura as she did, and
she soothed his sister through each step of the story. While she
spoke, he hauled Nick to his feet, with the blackguard’s hands tied
in front of him with the cord fetched by Estelle.
    With Nick subdued, he dragged his former
partner with him and got his own pistol. “Don’t move,” he muttered
softly so Laura wouldn’t hear. “Don’t try to overpower me or hurt
Estelle, or even touch Laura. I will shoot you if you try
anything.”
    At the very end of her explanation, Estelle
said softly, “Laura, you must know which man you can trust—the one
you should keep in your life. Your brother.”
    If only Estelle had come to him at the
beginning. If only she’d trusted him. But that was the problem,
wasn’t it? She hadn’t trusted him a few days ago, just as she
hadn’t been able to believe in him and trust him ten years ago. He
had to remember she hadn’t said yes to his marriage proposal.
    It meant she would never trust him. Never
open her heart to him.
    Filled with impotent rage, he dragged a bound
Swan to his feet. “Was it also your job to go after Lady Maryanne
Bryght?”
    Nick’s eyes shifted and his mouth hardened,
revealing the truth.
    He shook Nick. “Did you find her? Hurt
her?”
    At the silence, he gripped Nick by his
throat. “Tell me where you found her. Tell me what you did to her
and Peabody, or I’ll kill you now.”
    Laura let out a soft sob. Estelle hugged the
girl tighter. He hating doing this—tormenting Laura with fear or
pain—but he had to help Lady Maryanne. “Take her away from here,”
he growled to Estelle. “I don’t want her to see this.”
    “All right,” Estelle whispered. Gently, she
led his shaking sister from the room. He heard the thud of
footsteps—the innkeeper and servants summoned by the noise, he
guessed—and he hoped Estelle could keep them from entering the
room.
    To Nick, he snarled, “Give me the truth and
things might go better for you.”
    His former friend gave a vicious laugh. “Good
luck finding them. I caught them two days ago, but by then they
were wed.”
    “Cavell had sent you to kill them if they
were.”
    Nick gave a sly grin. “He wanted the lovely
and rich bride for himself. I was to get rid of the husband. But
the little witch outfoxed me. I had cut up the gent and was ready
to finish him when Lady Maryanne pulled a pistol on me. They
managed to escape. I had to return—Laura was waiting to elope with
me.” He smirked to Lyan. “I assumed you would pay a lot of money to
get her back and make me go away.”
    “Oh, my goodness. You…you cad!”
    It was Laura, still standing in the doorway.
She had turned a heart-wrenching shade of white—almost as pale as
Estelle.
    “Laura, come with me.” Estelle grasped his
sister by the arms and drew her back from the open doorway. “We
will get you a sherry in the parlor. This man truly is a cad, and
you need to begin to forget him as of now.” She turned and gave
crisp orders to unseen people, asking for sherry and hot tea. She
also firmly instructed the servants not to enter the room,
explaining that the Earl of Delamore, who had been a Bow Street
Runner, was dealing with a villain. She instructed the innkeeper to
have the magistrate fetched.
    Lyan felt a grim smile touch his lips. The
suddenly deferential voices proved it was useful being an earl. But
he sobered and growled at Nick. “Where did you find them?”
    Nick shrugged insolently.
    Fortunately he knew his former partner well.
Nick Swan was a coward at