Free Sacrifice (Fashionably Impure Book 3) by Natasha Blackthorne

chambers at the Inns of Court.
    She felt every male stare burning into
her. She imagined that she could hear their titillated whisperings among each
other as she was seen entering the Earl of Ruel’s office.
    How unwise to come here but she couldn’t
help it. She had to do something.
    Anything.
    When Ruel tried to make light of the
matter of Adrian’s continued absence, to tease her, she thrust the letter under
his nose.
    “Look, look at that. Is that your
cousin’s normal handwriting?”
    Ruel frowned and took the letter, closely
examining it. He glanced back up at her, his gaze serious. “If we do not hear
something more assuring from him in another two weeks, I will go to America
myself. I promise you. I’ll bring him home to you and Davey.”
    He refolded the letter carefully before
placing it back in her hand. She tucked into her reticule. Then he enfolded her
hand with both of his large, strong ones.
    The warmth of his hands bled through her
silk gloves and the concerned, paternal aspect to his regard comforted her.
    She took a deep, ragged breath.
    “Now don’t worry,” he said, the deep
timbre of his voice, not like a father, for he was too young for that. But he
was her husband’s older, male cousin. A powerful, wealthy earl.
    And he was willing to be friendly to her,
to offer his power and wealth and experience to aid and protect her.
    It was the closest thing she had ever
known to being in the shelter of a regular family.
    She wasn’t alone in this.
    He cleared his throat softly. “Promise me
that you will not worry and make yourself sick. You women have a way of doing
that and it won’t solve anything.”
    “I’ll try not to worry,” she replied.
    He smiled, ever so slightly. “I’ll drag
him home by his heels if I have to.”
     
    ****
     
    The night had seemed hotter than it
should. Miranda rolled onto her stomach then thrashed her legs that seemed
hopelessly tangled in the damp sheets but she couldn’t get comfortable.
    Eight months.
    Adrian had been gone eight months.
    Eight months of aching for him all alone
in her bed. These last few months of worry over what was happening.
    Irritation poured over her and she rolled
on her back and stared at the ceiling.
    Lord Ruel had his travel plans made and
he would leave for America within the next week.
    More waiting.
    Waiting for him to arrive in America and
to write to her.
    She would have gone with him. But Davey,
in his growing sorrow and apprehension over Adrian being gone so long, had
begun to suffer from nocturnal stomach aches and nightmares again.
    She didn’t want to subject him to the
rigors of sea travel nor did she wish to leave him behind.
    She had written to Adrian about Davey’s
condition.
    And heard nothing for over a month.
    Hot anger flooded her, making her feel
hotter than ever. With a groan, she extracted herself from the damp tangle of
sheets then arose from bed.
    She stumbled to the kitchen and asked her
sleepy-eyed housekeeper for some tea.
    “Don’t you want some toast and cheese?
There is some of that cold duck as well?” Mrs. Williams, the housekeeper, said,
concern in her tone and her broad forehead creased with a frown.
    Miranda shook her head.
    She felt too sick at heart to eat.
    “My lady, forgive the impertinence.”
    Miranda nodded, listlessly.
    “You don’t eat. You don’t sleep. You just
stay up, pacing in the corridor and the garden.”
    Miranda said nothing. She did not feel
emotionally close to this new housekeeper and it was uncomfortable to have her
personal moments watched so closely.
    The matron continued. “My lady, you are
losing too much weight. You really should eat something.”
    Miranda placed a hand to her stomach.
“Please, just the tea. Lots of honey and cream.”
    When it was ready, she took the tea out
to the garden and sat there slowly sipping, watching the sky turn from night to
a grayish sort of dawn.
    The wind began to gust, carrying the
scent of rain. The briskness refreshed her and