Free His Wicked Embrace by Adrienne Basso

heart, and without taking the time to carefully consider her actions she had impulsively agreed to travel to Whatley Grange.
    However, now that her common sense was reasserting itself, Isabella was having misgivings. Whatever had possessed her to agree to such an outlandish idea? Conjuring up the earl’s steely gray eyes in her mind caused Isabella to shudder. As she remembered her initial impression of the earl’s dangerous strength with utter clarity, Isabella’s doubts increased.
    And his kiss. The feel of the earl’s lips and the force of his hard body had totally disarmed her. How could she possible consider placing herself in his household? Jenkins had already warned her there were not many female servants in the house, but she had been so caught up in the drama of coming to the earl’s aid and helping him raise his motherless children, she did not question the valet too closely. Now she wished she had.
    The carriage stopped at a comfortable inn just as darkness approached, but there was no further opportunity for Isabella to speak privately with Jenkins. She was given a small but clean room for the night and slept fitfully.
    By the following morning Isabella was still having serious doubts about proceeding to the earl’s home. While sharing a quiet breakfast with Jenkins, Isabella debated how best to voice her doubts. She opened her mouth to express her fears just as Jenkins noisily pushed back his chair.
    â€œI’d best be seeing about the carriage, Miss Browning,” Jenkins stated, rising to his feet. “If the roads aren’t too muddy from all the rain, we should reach The Grange by midday.”
    Isabella quickly shut her mouth and her stomach jumped in nervous anticipation. Swallowing hard, she watched the servant leave without saying a word. Chiding herself for her cowardly behavior, she deliberately focused her thoughts away from her forthcoming confrontation with the earl. He probably wouldn’t even offer her the position, she reasoned. And even if he did, she did not have to accept it. If she felt uncomfortable in his presence, she could merely proceed to her grandfather’s estate in York and stay there until she found a suitable position. Feeling a bit less, trapped, Isabella waited for Jenkins to return.
    A shadow fell over the table, and Isabella glanced up quickly, expecting to see Jenkins. Instead, a tall, thin, fashionable dressed middle-aged matron was peering down at her with a quizzical expression on her pointed face.
    â€œPray, forgive my forwardness, but I saw you breakfasting with the earl’s valet . . .” The woman’s reedy voice trailed off, and she bent her lanky frame forward to obtain a closer look at Isabella’s lovely face. She brought a gold-rimmed quizzing glass up to her eye and rudely scrutinized Isabella through the glass. “Extraordinary,” the woman whispered in awe.
    â€œLady Edson.” Jenkins’s surprised cry suddenly filled the air. He approached the two women quickly, effectively interrupting before Lady Edson could say anything else to Isabella.
    â€œMr. Jenkins.” Isabella gazed at the valet with undisguised relief. “Are we ready to leave?”
    Lady Edson ignored Isabella’s question completely and in a nasal voice commanded the valet, “Introduce us, Mr. Jenkins.”
    The matron listened with undisguised curiosity as the valet reluctantly complied.
    â€œLady Edson, may I present Miss Isabella Browning,” Jenkins said in a formal voice. “Lord and Lady Edson are neighbors of the earl’s in Warwickshire.”
    Isabella knew she should rise to her feet and make a proper curtsy to Lady Edson but the woman’s pretentious behavior irked her. Isabella instead acknowledged the introduction with a slight nod of her head and fixed an unfriendly stare on Lady Edson, hoping the older woman would see her displeasure and take the not-so-subtle hint to leave.
    â€œAre