Miss Frazer's Adventure by Alexandra Ivy Read Free Book Online Page A

growing frustration.
    What was the damnable maiden thinking? Or not thinking.
    She was an intelligent, sensible woman. Or at least she had been until she had seemingly plunged into this fit of madness.
    Certainly, she was intelligent enough to realize it was sheer stupidity to place herself at the mercy of a strange man.
    Anything could happen.
    Anything.
    Slamming a fist into his open palm, Luce spun on his heel and paced back across the room.
    Fifteen minutes.
    Fifteen more minutes and he was going in search of Kate.
    Even if he had to tear apart every room in the hotel.
    He paced to the window, to the armoire, and back to the door. Five minutes passed. Then another five. Then, just when he was debating which room to begin with, he at last heard the sound of footsteps in the hall. With long strides, he crossed the floor and wrenched open his door. Hurrying down the hall, he turned the corner into the side corridor. He was quick, but not quick enough, as he caught just a glimpse of Kate’s slender form before she stepped into her room and the door swung shut.
    For a moment, he halted in indecision. There had been no cry for help. No sound of struggle. She was seemingly well and locked in her chambers. The sensible choice would be to return to his bed and speak with Kate tomorrow.
    Unfortunately, Luce was not in the mood to be sensible.
    He wanted to assure himself that Kate was indeed unharmed. And perhaps just as importantly, he had to know if she was alone.
    Refusing to dwell upon the wisdom of his decision, Luce moved to the door and raised his hand to knock. At the same moment, the sound of breaking glass resounded through the air. His heart nearly halted as he slammed his fist against the smooth wood.
    â€œKate,” he called roughly. “Kate, open this door.”
    A nerve-racking moment passed before the door opened and Kate regarded him with a puzzled frown.
    â€œLuce, what do you want?”
    â€œI heard a crash.” Without ceremony, he stepped past her slight form and into her room. A battalion of French could not have kept him out. “What occurred?”
    â€œOh.” Allowing the door to close, Kate moved toward a nearby table. With an oddly unsteady motion, she sank to her knees next to the shattered crystal vase that had fallen and spilled numerous blood red roses over the carpet. “I knocked over the lovely flowers that Lord Thorpe sent to me.”
    â€œRoses. Predictable,” Luce muttered, casting a jaundiced glance around the small but tidy chamber. “Where is the lecher?”
    Her head abruptly lifted to stab him with an unfocused glare. “Lord Thorpe is not a lecher. He is a perfectly respectable gentleman.”
    â€œA perfectly respectable gentleman who no doubt has made a practice of seducing and abandoning young ladies.”
    â€œIf you are going to be unpleasant, my lord, then you may take yourself to your own chambers,” she huffed, clenching her hand about the crystal shards in her hand without thinking. “Ow.”
    â€œHere, let me,” Luce commanded in impatient tones, bending down beside her to take the sharp glass from her fingers.
    Clearly caught off guard, Kate hastily attempted to retreat from his proximity. Her awkward motion, however, succeeded in nothing more than sending her sprawling backward on the carpet.
    â€œHumph.”
    Dropping the glass, Luce regarded the ungainly form with a gathering frown.
    Once again, she had managed to discover a gown that was a breath from indecent. A silver satin creation with a bodice that only made a token effort to cover the slender curves. Less than a token effort at the moment, as the skirts were deliciously tugged up to her knees, revealing slender legs and a disturbing glimpse of lacy stockings.
    Desire as sharp as a rapier sliced though him before he rigidly gritted his teeth.
    â€œKate, are you foxed?” he accused in strained tones.
    â€œCertainly not,” she denied, then