Free My Seductive Innocent by Julie Johnstone Page A

met at Almack’s, and he turned out to be a fortune hunter. When he realized my daughter had no fortune to offer him, he lured her into the garden and thought to plunder what she did have. His Grace chanced by, rescued my girl, and made sure the villainous gentleman would never mention a word of the incident to anyone.”
    “How did he ensure that?” Nathan sounded too good to be true, which in her experience meant he most likely was.
    “I believe it had something to do with the murderous tone of His Grace’s voice as he threatened to disembowel the gentleman should one unkind word pass his lips in regard to my daughter. At least that’s what she told me.”
    Sophia grinned. Though she barely knew Nathan, she’d seen him deliver a similar threat to Moses, so it wasn’t difficult to picture him offering a menacing warning to this other gentleman in a cool, unaffected tone, as if it wouldn’t bother him at all to gut a man like a pig, except for the fact that it might soil his expensive clothes. And that last part she instinctually knew was just for show. She highly doubted Nathan would blink an eye at dirtying his clothing if the need arose. Being a popinjay did not fit what she’d glimpsed of his character.
    The physician shut his bag with a snap that brought her thoughts back to the moment. “You’re leaving now?”
    “Yes. I’ll check in on His Grace tomorrow. Be sure to keep a watchful eye on him tonight.”
    She nodded and walked Dr. Porter to the door. After he disappeared out of her sight, she turned back toward Nathan. The physician had failed to cover him with the sheet, and as Sophia walked toward him and then clutched the sheet, her breath caught. His beauty struck her with wonder. He was like a dark angel from the tip of his thick black curls, to his long black lashes and dark stubble shadowing his chiseled jaw, to the dark hair that covered a small patch of his very broad, very muscled chest. She swallowed as her body tingled in places she’d not known could tingle.
    She followed the trail of his chest hair over the muscular planes, down to his taut abdomen and farther down to the top of his breeches. What would it be like for a man like this to turn his attentions to her? Nathan was more than handsome. Why, he was so exquisite one could almost call him pretty. The thought that he would ever notice her was ludicrous. Her mother had told her to hold hope in her heart, not ridiculous fantasies. With a decisive shake of her head, she pulled the sheet up to just under his chin and brushed her fingertips across his forehead. He didn’t twitch a muscle at her touch. Good thing, too, because it tended to get loud and rowdy in the pub at night, and the more he rested, the better.
    With a reluctant sigh, she left the room and headed downstairs to check on Harry. She found him in his usual place in the kitchen, washing dirty dishes with a smile on his face. She ruffled his brown hair, while leaning near to whisper in his ear. “Harry, we’re going to be leaving a little sooner than I planned. So when the time comes, you must promise to do exactly as I bid.”
    “I p-p-promise,” he said solemnly and turned to look at her with his clear blue eyes.
    “And remember, it’s our secret,” she said in a low voice.
    “I re-re-member. I would n-never t-tell Frank a thing. Don’t worry.”
    “When you’re done with the dishes, I want you to go up and pack a bag. Store it in our secret place.” Harry knew she kept the money in the loose floorboards under his bedroll. “I have to help a man who was hurt, so I may be a little late coming to bed tonight.”
    “Sophia!” Frank boomed, making her jump. “Get yer arse back upstairs, girl. Ye cannot let yer future husband die.”
    Sophia pressed a kiss to Harry’s forehead and rushed past Frank, but he grabbed her by the arm and stopped her flight. “How’s yer patient?”
    “The physician says he should be fine with good care.”
    Frank nodded. “Ye make