Free Wicked Promise by Kat Martin

earl, who was dressed in a dark plum tailcoat and tight black breeches. A lacy white cravat nudged the dark skin at his throat and she found herself staring at the long lean muscles that moved whenever he spoke.
    "I am so enjoying myself," Aunt Sophie said, blessedly interrupting the train of her thoughts. "And such a marvelous day it is." She wandered into a corner of the cloth merchant's stall to examine a length of scarlet ribbon, and the earl led Elizabeth away to look at a painted fan in the stall next door.
    "Do you like it?'' he asked, his eyes on hers instead of the fan.
    Elizabeth had to force herself to look down at the object in her hand. "It's magnificent." She turned the fan over, lightly touched the tiny seed pearls that were sewn into the silk. The artist had incorporated them into the scene he had painted, a shimmering accent to the moonlit landscape on the fan. "I've never seen anything quite like it."
    Ravenworth smiled. "Then it's yours."
    "Oh, no, I couldn't possibly—"
    "You're my ward, Elizabeth. I have every right to buy you whatever I wish, and I wish for you to have it."
    A rush of pleasure spilled through her, curling warmly in her stomach. "Thank you, my lord."
    Nicholas Warring smiled again, and her eyes fixed on his mouth. It was finely carved, yet she thought that his lips might be softer than they appeared. The thought made her stomach flutter in an odd, unexpected manner and her mouth felt suddenly dry. She dragged her gaze away and studied her surroundings.
    "I wonder where Aunt Sophie has got off to?" She surveyed the overflowing stalls and the milling crowd but didn't see her. Aunt Sophie was in no danger and she often wandered about, yet a thread of worry began to niggle at her insides.
    Ravenworth also scanned the crowd. "She has probably just wandered away, but perhaps we had better go and find her." He turned to the men he'd brought with him. "Elias, you and Theo split up. See if you can find Mrs. Crabbe. We'll meet back here in half an hour. And remember to stay alert, keep an eye peeled for anyone who might look suspicious. There is every chance Bascomb's men have been watching the house. If they have, undoubtedly they followed us here."
    "We'll keep a sharp watch, milord." The fair-haired Theo grinned. "Won't we, Mr. Moody?"
    "Right ye are, old son." His eyes swung to the earl's. "With any luck, one of us will 'ave your missin' lady in tow by the time we meet again."
    Nicholas nodded and took hold of Elizabeth's arm. "You come with me and remember to stay close. I don't want to lose you, too." They started through the streets, both of them quietly searching.
    "Perhaps she got hungry," Ravenworth said. "I smell something roasting. We'll follow the scent and see if she is anywhere near." Resting a hand at Elizabeth's waist, he urged her off toward the aroma of roasting meat. Outside the Fat Ox Inn, a big boar turned over the hot coals of a fire pit. For a few shillings, a portion of meat was carved off and served with a chunk of coarse brown bread.
    Elizabeth's stomach growled but worry overrode her rising appetite. Aunt Sophie wasn't among the people standing in line for food and she wasn't at any of the tables inside the inn. It wasn't until they stepped into the alley at the side of the building that Elizabeth spotted her aunt's bulky figure bent over a heap of garbage, busily retrieving parts of a rusted hinge.
    Ravenworth stopped dead in his tracks. "Good God, what on earth is she doing?"
    Elizabeth's face went warm and her heart went out to her aging aunt. "Something in the trash has caught her eye. Please don't be angry. Aunt Sophie can't seem to help herself. It is some sort of odd compulsion."
    Ravenworth snorted. "That is ridiculous. Your aunt feels compelled to pick through other people's trash?" But he didn't move from his place in the shadows, and as he stood watching the woman gowned in pink silk who rummaged in the alley, a look of pity shifted across his features.
    He