Fantasy 03 - Double Fantasy by Cheryl Holt Read Free Book Online

made him soft and portly—and possessed a dangerous, assertive air that Percy lacked.
    She arched up, urging Percy to feast. She'd shut her eyes, would ride him and make believe he was Merrick, that the filthy pirate was taking her against her will.
    Percy had just dipped to suck on her nipple when someone burst into her boudoir.
    "Fornicators!" a familiar, croaking voice charged. "Fornicators!"
    Percy lurched away as if Ophelia had the plague. She glared over to where aging, crazy Edith was quivering with indignation.
    "Oh, for God's sake," Ophelia barked at Percy. "I thought you locked the door."
    "I thought I had, too," he barked back.
    "I can't deal with this. Get her out of here."
    Despite his unholy proclivities, Percy was one of the few people who could still persuade Edith to do anything. With her wits so addled, she frequently assumed that Percy was her deceased husband, and she'd meekly obey his dictates, which was the only reason Ophelia hadn't smothered Edith in her sleep. Once Percy lost the ability to control her, she was a dead woman.
    "Edith!" Percy said. "Why are you out of bed? You know you're not permitted to wander."
    "You must listen to me! It's a sin, I tell you. A sin!"
    "Edith!" he snapped more testily. He grabbed her by the elbow and escorted her out.
    As he stepped into the corridor, he peered at Ophelia over his shoulder, his exasperation clear, his lust unassuaged. He was visually promising to return, and Ophelia nodded her assent, though she didn't mean it.
    Edith's ranting would keep him occupied for hours, and Ophelia wouldn't wait for him.
    The second he walked off, Ophelia raced to the mirror to check her hair and straighten herself. Jamieson Merrick was in the adjoining bedchamber, and it was high time she paid him a visit.
     
    Hello, Miss Carstairs." At hearing a male speaking from so close by, Sarah Carstairs jumped in alarm. When Jack Merrick emerged from the shadows, she calmed a bit, but not much.
    With all the changes in the house, it had been impossible to relax, and she'd finally given up and strolled outside. Apparently, she wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep.
    He'd been quiet as a prowling cat, leaned against the balustrade and watching her from farther down the veranda, and he neared till he was right next to her. He was tall, six feet, and broad shouldered, and with her being just five foot six, he seemed incredibly large and manly in a fashion she enjoyed.
    His size and stature flustered her, as did his attractive looks. With his black hair and piercing blue eyes, he had a rough, menacing manner that intrigued her, and she hated that she'd noticed him in such a physical way. It had been an eternity since a man had drawn her attention, and she knew she should spin around and go in, but she didn't.
    "Hello, Mr. Merrick," she greeted.
    "I see your insomnia is as bad as mine," he said.
    "Who could rest with all this drama?"
    He chuckled. "Jamie has a knack for theatrics, doesn't he?"
    "He definitely does. Was he always this way?"
    She was fishing for details, but too polite to come right out and ask what she was dying to know: Would Jamieson Merrick actually force Anne to marry? And what would happen both if she did and if she didn't?
    "Yes, he's always had a flair for arrogance," Merrick admitted. "When we learned that he'd been born an earl, I wasn't surprised in the least The tide fit him exactly."
    "There have been so many awful stories," she said. "Is he a good man?"
    "As good as can be expected."
    It was an enigmatic response and did nothing to ease her anxiety.
    "If he marries my sister, will he be kind to her?"
    "As kind as can be expected."
    She scowled. "You're not being very helpful."
    "This is new territory for me. If we were on a ship's deck and pillaging another pirate's bounty, I could tell you precisely what he'd do. But in this situation, I haven't a clue."
    "But you know his character. It wouldn't alter merely because he's in a different location."
    "No, it