Free The Seduction of Miss Amelia Bell by Paula Quinn

cheeks. He ignored
     the battering of his heart against his ribs. He liked her. He’d wanted to kiss her
     and he did. Now it was over and time to get serious about what needed to be done.
     He wished there was another way.
    There wasn’t. He would stay his course, steady and relentless, seeing his duty to
     Scotland through. Nothing would stop him. He was born to do this and no mere lass
     would get in the way.
    “Follow the road to Canongate,” he told Darach. “Luke will meet ye there.”
    “What aboot ye?”
    “I must leave the letter fer Queensberry and Seafield. Once that’s done, I’ll retrieve
     Grendel and catch up with ye. I don’t know where Cal is, but he knows the plan. He’ll
     be there.”
    Darach nodded and hefted Amelia over his shoulder.
    “And Darach,” Edmund called out before Darach left the garden. “If she awakens before
     I get there, reassure her that no harm will come to her, aye?”
    Darach nodded again, then left without another word.
    Edmund watched him go. He would make certain that no harm came to her. She was a valuable
     pawn in Edmund’s cause. But there was more to it than that. He’d kidnapped her. Now
     she was his responsibility. He hoped he didn’t regret it.
    All that was left now was to pen a note to Amelia’s uncle and one to her betrothed.
     If they wanted to see her alive again they should disband their commissioners and
     publicly denounce the Treaty of Union. He would be in touch with them after that about
     her return. He would write it in French just to throw them off and keep them guessing
     for a while.
    He smiled as he headed for the duke’s study. Soon, Scotland would be liberated.

 
    Chapter Seven
    E dmund narrowed his eyes on his troupe waiting for him in the distance. He was glad
     for the dawn and the light it afforded. He could see Amelia sitting straight up in
     Darach’s saddle. What would he say to her? How would he explain what he’d done? Why
     he’d done it? Would she understand, when her own uncle was the one rallying for the
     act to be signed? Her father had even fooled himself into believing Scotland would
     be better off in subjugation to England. Then again, mayhap Edmund was being too kind.
     Mayhap all John Bell cared about were his coffers and that was why he’d secured a
     wealthy husband for his daughter.
    Edmund gritted his jaw. What did he care about the lass and whom she married? He planned
     on never seeing her again when this was all over. Still, the memory of her sweet lips,
     her soft yielding body against his, her easy laughter…
    He shook his head, trying to rid his thoughts of the memory.
    Grendel, cantering at his horse’s side, took off at a full gallop when he heard Lucan’s
     voice. In the early dawn Edmund saw Amelia recoil at the dog’s approach. He called
     out and Grendel screeched to a halt and returned to him.
    “Where the hell is Cal?” Luke asked when Edmund reached them. “We need to be away
     from here before the sun comes fully up.”
    Edmund nodded. Damn Malcolm for doing whatever he was doing instead of being there
     with them. Edmund would have words with him later. Right now, he set his eyes on Amelia.
     The fury in her gaze almost made him look away.
    “I know ye’re—”
    “Please.” She held up her hand, then grimaced with pain and cradled her hand in her
     lap. “Do not speak to me. I’ve heard enough lies from ye fer one night.”
    “What is the matter with yer hand?”
    When she didn’t answer him, he turned to Darach, then to Luke.
    Luke answered first. “She refused to let me relieve her of Darach.”
    “I didna’ even know she was hurt.” Darach shrugged. “She tried to take a bite out
     of me and leaped from m’ horse.”
    “I didn’t leap,” Amelia corrected him sharply. “I’m not a fool. I fell off when I—”
    She squealed with either surprise or fright, or both, when Edmund reached over his
     saddle, fit his hands under her arms, and swung her onto his