After the Abduction by Sabrina Jeffries Read Free Book Online Page A

to hang instead, who’d have been left to search for Morgan and take care of Charnwood? Remember, they had ample reason to despise me, since Lady Helena and Knighton’s friend Brennan were also thrust into danger while I was trying to extricate Juliet from Crouch’s clutches.”
    “So you didn’t execute the kidnapping perfectly after all, did you?”
    Shooting him a foul look, Sebastian rose and walked to the fireplace, where he crouched to throw a log on the fire. Blast, but it was cold up here and always had been. “I had matters well under control until they showed up. It wasn’t my fault that Lady Helena and Brennan blundered in where they shouldn’t have.”

    “And I suppose it’s not your fault that Lady Juliet’s reputation is now on the verge of being ruined by gossip.”
    “I had nothing to do with that!” Highly offended, he straightened to face his uncle. “What kind of wretch do you take me for?”
    His uncle took out his snuffbox to dip more snuff. “I don’t know. A kidnapper?”
    “Very amusing. But I took great care to keep Juliet and her reputation from suffering. I counted on her family keeping the matter quiet, which they did. As for this new gossip, I don’t believe there is any such thing. I’ve seen no mention in the London rags. And after all this time, why would anybody gossip about what happened? Who could know? If there truly is any gossip, it’s probably minor. They’re simply trumping it up to engage our sympathies, make me reveal myself. Which I refuse to do.”
    “So you’re going to let her suffer through it on her own?”
    Sebastian bristled. “See here, if I learn that there is indeed talk about her in London—which I highly doubt—I’ll do what I can to quell it. But after this matter with Morgan is settled.” He paced before the fire. “It’s not as if I actually did anything to her while I had her in my care; I acted with the utmost propriety.”
    “Did you?” Uncle Lew cast him a sly look. “That must have been quite taxing. The young woman is lovely, a temptation to any man with eyes.”
    Sebastian struggled not to scowl. It annoyed him that Uncle Lew had noticed Juliet’s loveliness, and his annoyance annoyed him, too. For God’s sake, Uncle Lew was over twice her age. “All the same, I behaved as a gentleman. I have nothing to be ashamed of.” Except for that one kiss. That one perfect, sensuous…
    By thunder, why must he keep thinking of it?
    “If you’ve done nothing wrong, tell the Knightons the truth.”

    “Certainly. Then on Knighton’s way out of town, he can stop by the magistrate’s and arrange to have me carted off to London in chains. I prefer to keep my neck the appropriate length, thank you very much.”
    “Surely Mr. Knighton is reasonable enough to understand your desire to rescue your brother.”
    Sebastian rolled his eyes. “You saw firsthand how reasonable he is.”
    His uncle’s face clouded over. “Ah, yes, the man with the ready fist.”
    “Coupled with Knighton’s ruthless business reputation…” Sebastian strode back to the table. “I’m not so much concerned about what he can do to me. I knew the risks. But I can’t have Knighton sticking his nose into the negotiations for Morgan’s return.”
    His uncle sighed. “I’d forgotten about that. Have you heard more from Morgan? Any explanation?”
    “Just that one brief letter saying that he’ll be home soon, and he’ll explain then.” With a scowl, Sebastian dropped onto a leather-bound stool. “How the devil can he explain showing up on the Pirate Lord’s ship?”
    His uncle shook his head. “I still don’t understand it. He joins some smugglers at the Home Office’s behest, the smugglers discover he’s a spy and imprison him aboard the Oceana, it goes down, we think he’s dead, and then that man from the navy informs us he was spotted aboard the Satyr when it took Lord Winthrop’s ship. It makes no sense. Why would Morgan take up with pirates