Redemption by Rebecca King Read Free Book Online Page B

jacket.
    Ben
snorted. “Work? You? I don’t believe you. Why, you have never done
a day’s work in your life, Pendlebury, and you and I both know it.
Unless there is something about the gaming houses and whore houses
that has changed, Pendlebury, you don’t know how to
work.”
    Julian
didn’t wait for Ben to say anything else and disappeared into his
study without a backward look. Ben wasn’t prepared to be dismissed
so easily though, and marched after him. His mind raced with all
sorts of possibilities as to where Lizzie might have gone but he
didn’t know for certain. Although he had listened to as much gossip
about her as he could, he really didn’t know her quite as well as
he would have liked. He didn’t even know where to start looking for
her, and needed information from Julian if he had any hope of
trying to get her back.
    Although
he had been keeping a careful eye on the beautiful Elizabeth Pinner
for several months now, he knew very little about her family. He
was aware that her father died some years ago, and her mother,
having hit upon hard times, re-married a profitable gentleman named
George Pendlebury. Their marriage had been successful, until both
parents had died in a carriage accident one particularly harsh
winter. Julian, Lizzie’s step-brother through marriage, was her
only surviving relative as far as Ben knew. There were certainly no
other Pendleburys in and around London. Unfortunately, in spite of
numerous attempts at gleaning more information about her, Ben had
been unable to ascertain any other intimate details about her
family because all anybody seemed to want to talk about these days
was the latest scandal surrounding Julian, and the spiralling debts
he didn’t seem able to repay. As a result, Ben had uncovered very
little about the Pinners.
    “I warn
you now, Pendlebury, that if I do not have word of Lizzie’s
whereabouts within the next three days, I shall destroy you.” He
narrowed his eyes when Julian slowly turned to face him, and stared
at him with eyes that were as cold and hard as they were furtive.
Whatever was going through Julian’s mind right then fuelled the
man’s inner scorn because the worry that had been on his face
earlier was now replaced with a derisive look. Ben wasn’t about to
be put off though. Before Julian could speak, he placed his hands
firmly on the desk and leaned forward until his face was mere
inches from Julian’s. He almost smiled when Julian leaned back
warily.
    “I will put word out that you cannot repay your debts, and
shall question publically what you have done with your sister;
step-sister. You made your hatred of her perfectly clear last night
in front of half the ton. People will gossip and speculate as to whether
she has been murdered or not. Together with your debts, it will
bring about your total and comprehensive downfall from all walks of
society. The ton won’t like your tossing your step-sister out of the house for
a minor indiscretion, and even your cohorts on the seedier side of
life won’t want to know you once you are under suspicion of her
murder.”
    “I
haven’t murdered her,” Julian growled. He attempted to sound
bullish but failed miserably.
    “Prove it. You will be persona non
grata whether you have hurt her or not
until you can provide proof.” He hoped to God that Lizzie was still
alive but needed Julian to provide the evidence in the form of the
woman herself. “I hope for your sake that she is still
alive.”
    When
Julian merely stared at him, Ben stood upright and straightened his
shoulders. “Three days, Pendlebury, then I shall take this scandal
to the magistrate to investigate. After all, at the moment a
single, unchaperoned female has suddenly vanished. You were the
last one to have words with her; scornful, hate-filled words at
that. You are a profligate, womanising, gambling wastrel who is up
to his eyes and ears in debt. Heaven only knows what went on in
here last night. I am not prepared to take