First Sinners by Kate Pearce Read Free Book Online Page A

voice to be heard.
    “There is a beach below us, but it is covered at high tide, and as you can see, fairly difficult at the best of times to access from here.”
    She pointed at the steps cut into the sheer black shine of the cliff that went almost vertically downward.
    “Is there no other access point?” he asked, leading her much closer to the edge than she liked.
    “If you walk about a mile down toward the village, there is a small harbor. You can hike around to the beach from there when the tide is out.”
    “And risk getting cut off if you don’t pay attention to the tides?”
    “Unfortunately, yes.” She peered out at the frothing, rolling sea. Where it thundered into the cove, it caught its own backwash, creating a treacherous, swirling vortex that could drag a person down, or trap them in the caves below the surface.
    “Does it frighten you, Miss Pelly?”
    “Not on a personal level.” She faced him and saw the droplets of salt glistening on his lips and eyelashes. “I’m simply in awe of such immense power and aware of how quickly a human life can be lost in such conditions.”
    “Is it always this stormy?”
    “No, sometimes it is as flat as a millpond and you can happily sit on the beach or explore the caves at the base of the cliff.”
    He leaned out even farther, and she had to stop herself from grabbing him and pulling him back. “Can a ship anchor in the cove?”
    “It’s too shallow, but if the tide is with you, you can row a boat in.” She swung around to face him. “You are full of questions this morning, my lord.”
    “I must admit to having a curious nature, rather like you.” He nodded, his intent gaze measuring the distance between the rocks and the curved entrance to the small cove. “I would love to see the caves.”
    “I’m afraid that won’t be possible until the storm dies down.”
    Was that what the man in the stables had meant? That whatever hadn’t been delivered was held up because of the storm? But if it wasn’t fish, and despite her airy words to Lord Westbrook, she knew it wasn’t, what was supposed to be delivered? She had a horrible sensation that it had to be something illegal. It wouldn’t be the first time the cove had been used for smuggling purposes after all....
     
     
    Ian watched a series of conflicting emotions pass over Miss Pelly’s remarkably open face, and waited to see if she’d blurt out anything helpful. Had she realized that the rendezvous she’d overheard in the stables might be about more than fish? He suspected she had, but she still didn’t trust him enough to confide the whole story to him. He found that galled him more than it should. With weather such as this, there was no way anything could be smuggled in from France or out of England. Perhaps a prearranged rendezvous had gone awry.
    Her reluctance to reveal anything led him to suspect it involved someone she knew. But whom did she think was involved? It could be anyone of the staff or guests currently at Pelly Hall. If the missing goods were trade, he’d suspect the staff; if it involved espionage, then his benefactor might be correct and someone the Pellys knew was selling information to France. It could, of course, be both.
    It was also obvious that Miss Pelly was becoming suspicious of his questions. Perhaps it was time to divert her attention into something more amoral.
    “Shall we walk on?”
    She glanced up at the leaden sky. “If you don’t mind a soaking.”
    “I am entirely in your hands, Miss Pelly. I have no aversion to getting wet.”
    “Why is it that every time you say something, I feel as if you mean something else?”
    He blinked slowly at her. “Perhaps because I do?”
    She stared into his eyes. “Because you are a rake and I shouldn’t trust you at all.”
    “Exactly. Now which path should we take?”
    She set off away from the edge of the cliff. They soon ran across another path leading through the barren fields. It was bordered with a combination of