Sinful Deeds by Samantha Holt Read Free Book Online Page A

husband is trying to say,” Viola put in, “is that you might be
better moving on. You’re a charming and handsome man. No doubt some other woman
will be more than happy to take her place.”
    Charming
and handsome. He sighed. Once that had seemed enough. He couldn’t be a marquess.
He couldn’t be the smartest man in the family. Hell, he couldn’t even be the
fastest or the strongest. But he could be the most charming and popular. Now,
he wasn’t so sure. But if he wasn’t charming and popular, what else could he
be?
    And if
those things wouldn’t win over Josephine, what else could he do?
    She
wanted a husband. A steady life. A sober, starch-collared bore most likely.
Well, he would never be any of those, but he could be serious. He wasn’t the
cleverest Cynfell brother but nor was he stupid.
    “I’m
not sure I want another woman,” he admitted quietly, quite surprised by the way
the words tripped out of his mouth.
    “Well,
then you shall have to think of some other way of winning her back,” Viola
said.
    Dante
flicked his gaze to her and narrowed his eyes. How did the woman do it? He
swore his sister-in-law saw straight through him. Bloody canny creature. No
wonder his brother had fallen for her.
    Slowly,
an idea came to fruition. He couldn’t do marriage. The word only made his
stomach churn. But he could prove to her that he was something more than a
rake.
    “A
job,” he said slowly, testing the word on his tongue. “I think—” he lifted his
head and eyed his brother straight on to see the startled look on his face “—I
need a job.”

Chapter
Six
    Many people, Josephine supposed, would
say she now lived too close to the docks. Indeed, even Diana had stated her
proximity to the bustling area of town made her nervous and her friend now
preferred to meet her at one of the hotels for tea rather than at her new home.
However, being so close to the docks had been part of its appeal when she’d
been considering leaving Dante.
    She
stepped off the doorstep and drew in a breath of coal-scented air. Her street
was very pleasant indeed, and she had many respectable neighbours. It was not
perhaps, as well-to-do as her previous lodgings, but they were hers. She was
paying for them all by herself. For the first time in her life, she was taking
care of herself.
    Josephine
avoided the rougher parts of the area and stuck to where she could promenade
along the riverfront in relative safety. As much as she enjoyed seeing the
ships come and go, being too close to the dock workers would not be a good
idea—as Diana liked to frequently remind her as if she were some kind of foolish
child.
    That
was the problem with her friends—and even with Dante. No one seemed to believe
she knew her own mind. As a widowed woman of seven and twenty had she not seen
enough in life to understand what she wanted?
    But the
truth was, even though her heart throbbed with the loss every time she even
uttered his name in her mind, the independence revived her like a breath of
fresh spring air. Admittedly, the air was not fresh here but the scent of
hard-work and industry invaded her lungs, bringing with it inspiration and
anticipation.
    Here,
at the forefront of England’s shipping industry, she found her artistic side
drawn forth. People, scents, and scenery mingled to create an atmosphere that
couldn’t fail to inspire. As she strolled along the riverfront, her hand
skipping over the iron bars that prevented a fall into the murky water, she
eyed a masted ship making its way down the Thames.
    Several
children stood upon the iron railing to view the frigate and their smiles
brought one to her own lips. If she let herself, she could almost forget Dante.
    Dante .
    She
stilled. No, it couldn’t be. She hadn’t seen him in five days. Josephine surmised
he had given up, that her message had finally broken through. Why would he be
in the area unless he was coming to see her?
    But he
didn’t appear to be searching her out. He strode along