From Duke till Dawn: 2018’s most scandalous Regency read. Eva Leigh

Читать онлайн книгу.

From Duke till Dawn: 2018’s most scandalous Regency read - Eva  Leigh


Скачать книгу
would simply tell them what she’d said to Alex. None of them would pursue her with the same single-minded purpose, however. They were feckless men in search of the next amusement. So unlike Alex.

      “A word, Mrs. Blair?”

      Startled, Cassandra whirled to face Martin, standing behind her.

      “Apologies, Mr. Hamish,” she murmured. “I didn’t see you there.”

      Martin gazed at her sadly. “Unlike you.” He placed a hand on her back and gestured toward an alcove off the nearby hallway. “A word?”

      Dread pooled in her stomach. Whatever it was he had to say, she was in no humor to hear it.

      “Of course,” she said brightly.

      She permitted him to guide her toward the alcove, making certain that her face didn’t betray her edgy wariness.

      Once they were safely hidden in the nook, Martin faced her, his back to the room. He was a somewhat tall man, with a broad torso and she couldn’t see past him, which made her slightly anxious. A full view of any room was good. She craved the sight of windows. Damn those early years with her father in the Marshalsea. It didn’t take much for her to feel choked and uneasy.

      Martin’s eyes were concerned but alert. Despite their privacy, he didn’t drop his Scottish accent. “I worry for you, my dear.”

      “There’s no need for concern,” she answered.

      “You say that too quickly,” he noted. Always a keen observer, that Martin. “Didn’t even ask me what made me worried about you.”

      She shrugged warily.

      “You’re drifting through the place like a low-lying mist,” Martin said.

      “I’ve brought dozens of people to the tables tonight alone,” she replied defensively.

      Martin held up his hands. “Never suggested you weren’t doing your job. But I’m a bloke whose known you since you were a Southwark urchin, picking pockets for coin and handkerchiefs. That smile of yours looks as counterfeit as Dusty John’s forgeries, and your eyes just as dull as the coins he makes in his basement.”

      A wash of heat flooded Cassandra’s cheeks. She should be more difficult to read, but then, as Martin had pointed out, they knew each other well. Too well, perhaps.

      “Maybe it’s regret that makes you so distant tonight,” Martin speculated gently.

      “I’ve got nothing to regret,” she replied automatically. Only when the words left her mouth did she realize that wasn’t entirely true. She wished she’d never selected Alex as a mark, and she wished she’d never come to London.

      What was up and what was down? Left and right?

      She’d find her bearings again, once she had her share of the profits from the hell. When she left London, she’d never look back. And let heartbreak be her constant companion.

      Alex had no idea how easy his life was, or the comfort and security of his existence. A peculiar resentment bubbled up at the thought, but she forced it down. She’d never see him again, and he could go back to his sheltered life, leaving her to the peril of her own.

      “No?” Martin pressed. “Not even a grain of remorse for letting the Duke of Greyland slip through your fingers?”

      Her breath deserted her and an ache settled between her ribs.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEBLAEsAAD/4RzERXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgABwESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUA AAABAAAAYgEbAAUAAAABAAAAagEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAcAAAAcgEyAAIAAAAUAAAAjodp AAQAAAABAAAApAAAANAALcbAAAAnEAAtxsAAACcQQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTMyBXaW5kb3dz ADIwMTg6MDE6MjEgMDg6Mzg6MTgAAAAAA6ABAAMAAAABAAEAAKACAAQAAAABAAACK6ADAAQAAAAB AAADVgAAAAAAAAAGAQMAAwAAAAEABgAAARoABQAAAAEAAAEeARsABQAAAAEAAAEmASgAAwAAAAEA AgAAAgEABAAAAAEAAAEuAgIABAAAAAEAABuOAAAAAAAAAEgAAAABAAAASAAAAAH/2P/gABBKRklG AAECAABIAEgAAP/tAAxBZG9iZV9DTQAB/+4ADkFkb2JlAGSAAAAAAf/bAIQADAgICAkIDAkJDBEL CgsRFQ8MDA8VGBMTFRMTGBEMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAENCwsN Dg0QDg4QFA4ODhQUDg4ODhQRDAwMDAwREQwMDAwMDBEMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwM DAwM/8AAEQgAoABoAwEiAAIRAQMRAf/dAAQAB//EAT8AAAEFAQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAMAAQIEBQYH CAkKCwEAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAQACAwQFBgcICQoLEAABBAEDAgQCBQcGCAUDDDMBAAIRAwQh EjEFQVFhEyJxgTIGFJGhsUIjJBVSwWIzNHKC0UMHJZJT8OHxY3M1FqKygyZEk1RkRcKjdDYX0lXi ZfKzhMPTdePzRieUpIW0lcTU5PSltcXV5fVWZnaGlqa2xtbm9jdHV2d3h5ent8fX5/cRAAICAQIE BAMEBQYHBwYFNQEAAhEDITESBEFRYXEiEwUygZEUobFCI8FS0fAzJGLhcoKSQ1MVY3M08SUGFqKy gwcmNcLSRJNUoxdkRVU2dGXi8rOEw9N14/NGlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vYnN0dX Z3eHl6e3x//aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8At5XWev2tGP8AYMan1gWh32l7iNP+DrCF03L6pkYtFzjhspe1 rg0uufZA0h/5u5Tbl4GSa7KGPa5uoIcBr9yNiUsoobRQwljBDQ9xJ53fSQMD1/NcMg6fk8P9Yumn H6tlVAzW+cjHLjq9jzucGuP0n12HY9qsfVTDfb1SjOte37OGl9rj9MBoLbmNafzvTY/9L+5/wnsW 59aSy3pwouqYci54rwwTqLSW/pWvd7msqZ9NZ2F0jKx3WDHbGEWsa655DSbCNK3B3ufc+1j37Gf+ e61HklUeG9T/ANFlxR4jZ2/a9J9Xc573hxBrY6XNb2AJLg3+w1XetY9PVcqg/aG0NpaWneQB7o/S R9N2zb9FY3T3ZuI6LMd72RM1gv0/O9rfctjpuH0rqGV9rIHqDVztGuMDb+lafpe399RRN6dG16eL iPQNvqlXVGYHT8fp9/qX4p+0uyGN2sdDbKKKrKnOe13rPs+jv/M9ZDDLc1/2gvyKWyWms2vDSWmP UprcfUrps/Mrt96vPcW5jvSs9LGsLRXYIcGuaGsoLt3+AsrZ/wBNEbS0OdteHGSXBskAzt2+pA3J 0JHjOtdAPANfJRANXrd+aGvHqpb6ji4sbq9znmGtH07HGx30a2+9yLT1XpQqofbcKHZLXGuq1rhZ LDsvqcxof+mx7G+nfX/g0ato4IkHsRKLec8Bgw66HhxcLhfuEAj6TNn845/0bWP+n/pFMK6/mxCt v20gf1vo9YBGS143BrtsjaO9rt4b+iZ/J/qfziker9M9UV+rAIM2uBYwOBaz0v0jWu9Rznf2Pz07 h11u6KcN7uWl0j3Blnafo+r6bPp/zXq/v/orgr0PqtaToNm1uwbT9OtsOc31f5zY99nppxEf5FJ4 R/vtal7b6achgIZcxtjQYkB4DwHbdzfzkkc9gBA7RoEk3qtf/9DncT6yfZWCunG9Wpg/nHSCYXS9 C+slWbdawUNFWOwPtta5x1d7a62MLfc50fvbF5y6YE/EfBdR9URfXi5d1Ltu62thHIIa17iHf9uq XOeHGSAAdKZvu2ONayPmfmdr6yYtvWW1XY4bRdiknH3fnbtu71I+h9BmxWOjYdOcKHWVuiDc5znA vGWPVx8ipjPc1v2Z7X/rH/cf0EC7KyBi3ejWTc0AisakiR6npf8ACNr3urW101nTsbHrZSxuPVg0 evTY76TnWu/WG/vub6Ps9/v9b9Is+ZJqzr4s8QBsNOwStfRS4tc4ltIBe5x0H7o02tQcrLust9Rr i1z4EHkbfNZU3vLSSS1h9SPGw/Rc7/iW/Q/lqzj++wOvdDB+aBoj0pNeq3Qqv34FhybnYdFJF19t jZ2tH6VnpfvVNcz1PSd+j9b9H/N/o7HxPrj9W8jGc85D8b0AGtGQCLHMb7G/zLbfXtd+4z9Muf8A rV1pmN0v7DjEO/aDSbhG5pDHN3Ob+bVst9PauHrum8OcYaTDXngE9j/WU/LYRKJlK7JoHwCJREvB 9wotpzMX18S1tlNrTsvrhwE6d/z2/uPSowMel4fXbeC1u1o9UxtAc1jNv7le/wDRf6NecdHy8nEH 6O1+K+0bd7eWPH0X7foP2/uu/nK/0S6ToX1xbkvswerhlObjki22oH0yJDW3OZ+Yyzcz31/9t1qa WGQ+XX82HLE4xZPp6nt/eempwaKPTFVuQG0luyv13lgDNuxmz86v2N9iienVhjGV5ORU2vYA1tp2 7Gbf0XpjY39K1u17/wCcSbZZY8MpDrCdfYJEHh2+du1W2Y7yfSsd6dpEsaY93j7huUdlZxHusbK5 1OpKSt4rKQP5sstZo4O1Pxa793+qkkt6v//R8/dJbpqNrXfgG/8ARXYfVJgHRy4cvvsJ+QYz/vq4 9tgFDgPpTp8F0n1b6jdi4bWMZXfTc9zjW52x7bSQNlTvc3Zaz09u9ik5kXAV3bk5AUXpm17tYkjW Bzp4K452Pk49Vo22ZDy2j1WaOspa2zK9N+z/AEGz6b/f+Z/OrKb1mpx2/Zcit5AOga7ndt/Ob/o3 qWU6h1NOZ61jRQwZj8RjB7tWtebfo+lkM312/Tf6lf8AOfpPSVGUTpooTFWC3ntIB4110Ecp8Whz 3gRMmAs131gpJJGLkPOpOjWjQbtS57tvtKNX1POyi3FaWdOqs3C0s3W3hgO10Wsb+i9T3/pGU/8A pRERKTOLzn1l6zfk5WfjVkWdOZFTGkaCyj/tVU7/AEllvr1u/wBLi/8AF1bMaiqt+Q3BsG1pIY5z uzwdtxEfvfQWt1bJ6XjdLOPjBpyLQWOaCH7Gy47R6csp9mzf+l/6x/hFlZwYGOdI9S3ZcI/lj1I/ e9lj7GuV/BpEiuED/neP+ErGTqSHV6Y/1MG1lsm/EtbUZ7sh2xzv8xiN02259GaXOLvspAoaO1dz vtL3O/e2NWXgZsV5m

Скачать книгу