Her Only Desire by Gaelen Foley Read Free Book Online Page B

stake, including your brothers’—and mine. You must not discuss this with anyone, or you could jeopardize the entire mission. I’m here to secure the peace between ourselves and Janpur, and there are many powers in India who would like to see me fail.”
    â€œI would
never
jeopardize the cause of peace, Lord Griffith. As I’ve already told you, I will not and haven’t told a soul.”
    â€œGood. See that you don’t.”

    Heavens, for a diplomat, the man was awfully rude! Georgie thought. Just then, the sound of a carriage rolling up outside drew their attention. She glanced out the window and saw that her footman had arrived with Lord Griffith’s servants and his luggage.
    Brushing off her frustration, she turned back to her guest with her most winning smile. “Ah! Your things have arrived. Let me show you up to your room. Now that we’ve got all that sorted out, you might as well stay and make yourself comfortable—”
    He interrupted her with exasperated laughter. “Your persistence is to be admired, my dear young lady, but I cannot possibly stay. It would be entirely improper, as you well know.”
    â€œBut Purnima’s here—”
    â€œDo you really think your ayah’s presence is enough to satisfy the local gossips?” he cut her off. “My dear, I do not ruin young ladies.”
    â€œYou’re not going to ruin me!” She scoffed. “Oh, why must we stand on ceremony? We’re practically family.”
    â€œBut we’re not,” he replied in a pointed murmur. “We are definitely…not.”
    Her heart skipped a beat at the potent innuendo beneath the surface of his words. “Perhaps not,” she admitted, inching closer. “But, Lord Griffith…I trust you.” She lowered her head and peeked up at him from under her lashes. “Everyone knows you have the most sterling reputation.”
    He snorted. “It’s your reputation I’m worried about.”
    â€œNobody has to know,” she coaxed him. “Besides, it’s only one night—and then we’re off for Janpur.”
    â€œNo!” He pulled away. “You are not coming with me, Georgiana!”
    She lifted her eyebrows at his use of her first name; he even seemed to have startled himself with how easily it had rolled off his tongue. Well, maybe he didn’t have quite so much starch in his cravat as he pretended, she thought with a faint, mischievous smile.
    â€œPardon—Miss Knight,” he corrected himself in a clipped tone, reverting to formal mode once more. “The point is, this is no time for a social call. Besides, it’s much too dangerous. Speaking of which, will you please send for the constable now? They’re waiting for me at Government House, but I will stay with you until the constable sends men to guard the house in case that mob comes back. Frankly, I am shocked that your brothers would leave you here unprotected—”
    â€œOh, please. They would never do that.” Georgie raised her hands and loudly clapped twice.
    At once, a dozen armed sepoys in turbans, red coats, black breeches, and riding boots came jogging into the entrance hall and halted in formation, swords gleaming. They dropped the butts of their bayoneted muskets to the floor with a loud bang in unison.
    When their captain saluted her, she nodded to him, then glanced proudly at Lord Griffith and couldn’t help gloating a wee bit. “Aren’t they smart?”
    Her brother Gabriel, one of the most feared men in India, had trained them himself.
    The marquess regarded her bodyguards dryly. “May I inquire why you did not see fit to bring these chaps with you to the, er, bonfire, Miss Knight?”
    â€œCertainly. If Lakshmi’s kin had seen me coming with all my bodyguards in tow, they’d have known at once what I intended, and would not have let me close enough to save her.”
    â€œAh.