Loretta Chase - The Devil's Delilah by Loretta Chase Read Free Book Online Page A

all dull," said Delilah smoothly when Jack proved mute. "He's spent the last quarter hour explaining it to me. How remarkable, is it not, that he understands Greek so well, to be able to translate such complicated horticultural theories?"
    The earl's eyes glazed over. "Yes, yes, I daresay. All the same, Jack, you must come off your hobby-horse and be sociable. No more reading. Take the book home with you when you go, if you like it so much. It's yours. I'm sure I'll never miss it, and Greek is not Tony's forte, as you know."
    "You are too generous, My Lord," said Jack, nervously eying Mr. Desmond. "I can't possibly accept."
    "Take it, take it," said the earl irritably as he moved to the door. "But mind you appear for tea or her ladyship will be most vexed with you."
    "But My Lord — " Jack called after the earl's retreating back.
    "Don't be ungrateful, Mr. Langdon," said Mr. Desmond. "Mustn't hurt his lordship's feelings, you know." He winked and followed the earl out of the room.
    Delilah was just opening her mouth to speak when her papa put his head back in the door. "My dear, hadn't you better go upstairs and let Joan do something about your hair? I'm afraid you're all atumble again. You will not wish to outrage your hostess's sensibilities, I'm sure."
    Miss Desmond shot Mr. Langdon a resentful glance and hastened from the room.

    Mr. Langdon had scarcely a minute to recover his composure before Nicholas appeared, bearing a heavily laden tray. "If you please, sir," he said, "her ladyship has asked me to convey her wishes that you take a bite to sustain you until tea time."
    "Yes, yes, of course," Jack muttered.
    The servant deposited the tray upon a side table, drew out a chair, and stood waiting.
    "Was there anything else, Nicholas?"
    "I beg your pardon, sir, but she told me I was not to stir from the room until I actually saw you begin to eat," the servant said apologetically.
    Jack sighed, placed the troublesome volume upon the writing desk, and sat down before the repast.
    He lifted a napkin, glared at it, and dropped it onto his lap. With the air of a man condemned to hard labour, he took up his silverware and began to eat.
    Nicholas waited a few minutes, then bowed and exited.
    "I shall not need to enter a monastery," Jack grumbled to himself when the door had closed. "By nightfall they'll have packed me off to Bedlam."
    When he'd made a reasonable show of attending to his victuals, Mr. Langdon took up the so-called work on horticulture and went in search of Mr. Desmond. He finally ran that gentleman to ground in the billiard room, where a thick grey haze showed that Mr. Desmond had retired to enjoy a cheroot in solitude.
    "I must speak with you, sir," said Jack without preamble.
    "Yes, I thought so. Well, have a seat. Will you join me?" the older man asked as he offered his cigar case.
    Jack, whose meal had not settled very well, shook his head. "I won't be but a moment," he said. "I only wanted to return your manuscript to you."
    "Ah, but I'd much rather you didn't," said the Devil, sending up a lovely grey billowing cloud that curled about his head much as darker, more ominous smoke must hover about his namesake. "You see, it's no longer safe in my custody," he explained. "That is why I'm obliged to relinquish it to yours."
    Mr. Langdon had already had one disagreeable experience in connexion with this volume. Now he began to scent danger, an aroma as palpable as that of Mr. Desmond's cigar. Jack also sensed that he'd have a very difficult time dissuading this gentleman from involving him.
    Mr. Desmond's easy courtesy and low, drawling tones could not disguise a most formidable will. He was, Jack thought, the Irresistible Force personi-fied. Obviously, more than the man's escapades had earned Desmond his nickname.
    "I'm flattered you repose such trust in me," Jack said cautiously, "but I really don't deserve it. I'm not reliable. Ask anybody."
    "I have," said the Devil, "and what I hear only confirms my belief