My Fallen Angel by Pamela Britton Read Free Book Online

to look so unrumpled wasbeyond her. She had no doubt she looked like something the barn cat had played with and then left behind.
    “I caught her as she fell out of a tree.”
    Lucy stiffened, her appreciation of him disappearing in a puff of pique.“You didn’t catch me,” she huffed.“I would have landed just fine without you.”
    Garrick quirked a brow at her. Lucy had the sudden urge to wire his mouth shut using the gold hoop in his earlobe.
    He turned back to her aunt with a droll expression schooling his face.“We had to climb the same tree again to break into the earl’s home.” He paused, as if debating how much more to tell her. His gaze caught hers.
    Not much,
Lucy begged with her eyes.
    He frowned, once more looking at her aunt.“Suffice it to say, it was a long night.”
    Thank you, God,
she silently prayed.
    “The good news is that we discovered the name of the countess’s solicitor. With any luck the man will be the key to discovering where the boy’s former guardian resides, but it will require a trip to London.”
    Cornelia’s gray brows arched. She had the appearance of a woman who knew there was more to the story, but had decided she’d heard enough. Instead she looked between the two, rubbing her temple with a hand that shook “Have you any idea how many years you’ve taken of my life, young lady?”
    Lucy felt the familiar sting of a blush fill her cheeks. She looked at the floor as if it held the answer to getting back into her aunt’s good graces.
    “And what will Harry say when he hears of thisevening’s fiasco?” She stiffened.“Dear Lord, what if he decides not to ask you to wed him?”
    Lucy plucked at a string on her sleeve. That Garrick had to overhear this conversation fostered fresh waves of humiliation.
    “No, I won’t frighten myself by thinking such thoughts,” Cornelia mumbled.
    The thread grew longer. Suddenly Lucy realized why. Her sleeve came off. Just slid right down her arm and landed in a pool of dirty white at her feet. She looked up, hoping against hope that Garrick hadn’t noticed.
    He had.
    For some reason, the realization made her want to cry.
    She looked away. Nothing had gone right tonight, she thought, absolutely nothing. And her aunt was correct. Dear Harry would be furious when he discovered tonight’s escapades, not that it mattered much to Lucy. Her aunt pressed the match. It had seemed like a good idea to Lucy, too, until she’d met Garrick.
    “I can’t thank you enough for your assistance tonight, my lord,” her Aunt Cornelia continued.“I’ve no doubt my niece would be spending the night with the local magistrate if not for you. It was most wise of His Grace to ask you to watch over us, but you should have made your presence known to me long before now.”
    “I was afraid the duke’s concerns might alarm you, my lady.”
    “Yes, I see your point. Still, it would have alarmed me
more
if I’d spied you skulking about in our trees. I suppose you’re staying at the local inn?”
    “Indeed.”
    “Hmm, well, at least it’s clean, and you won’t be staying there for long should you decide to go to London. I only hope your theory about the solicitor being the connection between the countess and Tom’s former guardian proves correct, although I must confess, I have my—”
    “But Aunt Cornelia, don’t you see?” Lucy interrupted, biting back her irritation that her aunt gave Garrick the credit for something she’d discovered. Plus she needed to show Garrick how little his derision affected her.“The countess would never have associated with a man such as Jolly. She had to have hired
someone
to do her dirty work, someone she trusted implicitly. Why not a solicitor? Indeed, she wouldn’t have to tell him what her business with Jolly was. Only order the man paid.”
    “Lucy, what happened to your sleeve?”
    Lucy colored, momentarily thrown. She could have sworn Garrick laughed.“Er, ahh, nothing, Aunt. I must have gotten it stuck in