Chills by Heather Boyd Read Free Book Online Page A

retainer and amused herself by wondering what Parkes might look like if the bushy brows he sported suddenly caught fire. If the butler ever wore an expression that wasn’t entirely proper and respectful, she would probably faint.

    ~ * ~

    Jack glanced up as the door to his bedchamber banged open. “Sister, what an unexpected pleasure.”
      “Tell me you didn’t do what I think you did.”
    The startling fury in Virginia’s voice surprised him. Jack tugged the ruined cravat from his neck, and tossed it onto the dresser. “What, specifically, is it you think I did? The list could be very long.”
    Instead of chuckling, Virginia strode toward him and stopped a bare inch away. “Did you or did you not write to Pixie as if you were me.”
    “I may have. You would need a man of experience, expert in the art of detecting forgeries, to prove it though.”
    The truth was bound to come out sooner or later. But did his former ward realize he’d been corresponding with her as Virginia these last years? She wouldn’t be happy when she learned.
    Yet he couldn’t be sorry. Appearances had to be maintained. As they had aged, Jack’s handwriting had remained similar to his sister’s. All it required was a little effort on his part and the use of the correct phrases in order to make a convincing replacement.
    His sister scowled. “You deceived my best friend. How could you, Jack?”
    “Very easily. You needed her here.” Inviting Pixie to London had been one of his better ideas, if her presence could transform his sister into this hissing viper. God, he had missed Virginia. “Is Miss Grange aware?”
    “Oh, will you stop calling her that. I know you remember her nickname.”
    “Yes, of course I know her name, but I won’t be using it. Does she know I wrote the letters?”
    “No. And I’m certainly not going to tell her. She’d be so embarrassed to realize the truth.”
    When Virginia scowled, Jack bit back a crow of triumph. “That is for the better.” He didn’t need another reason for Pixie to be irritated with him this week. It would be better to let her ire subside before she got any other distressing news. “In case you have failed to notice, Miss Grange is not particularly pleased with me of late.”
    “She said you were arrogant.”
    Old and arrogant. The list grew daily. “She has a right to her opinions, Virginia.”
    “But you could change her mind.”
    Jack raked his fingers through his hair, suddenly uncomfortable that the subject had switched to him. “Leave matters as they are. She is your friend, and she is here for your comfort. How she feels about me is beside the point.”
    Virginia scowled but there was a look about her eyes, as if she was assessing him and his current state of happiness. He hoped she didn’t consider him for too long. He was not very good at lying to his twin especially if she questioned him point blank about why he hadn’t done his duty and married to produce an heir. He was trying very hard to avoid that subject.
    Virginia snatched up his cravat and hurled it at his head. “Don’t think I shall forgive you for this, brother. You owe me.”
    Jack caught it. “I look forward to it.”
    Virginia’s swift exit left him with a sense of relief. He almost had his sister back, and all it had taken was one visit from a very small Pixie.

    ~ * ~

    Constance glanced at the drawing room clock again and grimaced at how late it was. Surely, the marquess wasn’t going to sleep the day away. He really was a beast—a cold-hearted beast. She hated calling people names, but the man deserved it. He must know she was anxious to learn how large the debt really was.
    “Well, there it is,” Virginia announced as she sanded the paper she had just written, holding it for Constance to see.
    The close-written sheet held a lot of names.
    She took the list and read each one. She didn’t know any of the gentlemen listed after the first one. To her considerable discomfort, Virginia had ignored