Taken by the Earl (Regency Unlaced 3) by Carole Mortimer Read Free Book Online Page A

Instinctively, she knew his suggestion had very little to do with exploring the historical maze in Lady Eckles’s garden. It was more likely to be an invitation for her to explore him .
    Just the thought of it made her heart pound, her palms dampen inside her gloves, and caused that wetness to increase between her thighs.
    “If I might have a word, my lord?”
    Fliss had been so lost in her emotions that she had not heard or seen the approach of one of Lady Eckles’s handsome footmen. Young men with whom, it was rumored, that lady amused herself whenever she was here in Kent.
    “Yes?” Sin scowled his displeasure at the interruption.
    “One of her ladyship’s grooms has reported your stallion is unwell, my lord,” the footman related politely.
    Sin’s frown darkened. “Why did my own groom not come and tell me as much?”
    “It seems he is also unwell, my lord.”
    Sin glanced at the woman beside him, remembering her dire warnings yesterday evening and wondering if this sudden illness of both his groom and horse could merely be coincidental.
    Except Sin did not believe in coincidences.

Chapter 6
    Fliss followed Sin as he strode across the lawn toward the stables at the back of the house, determined he should not leave her behind. There was something decidedly odd about both his horse and groom becoming ill at the same time, and she knew from the look she and Sin had exchanged a few minutes ago, he thought the same.
    She sincerely hoped that neither man nor beast were in serious ill health, but perhaps now Sin would at least believe her warnings that someone here meant to harm him. Quite what his assassin hoped to achieve by deliberately making Sin’s groom and horse ill—perhaps by the administration of poison?—Fliss could not imagine.
    Except the earl was unlikely to leave Eckles Manor, as Fliss had urged him to do last night, whilst his horse and groom were ill.
    She hurried to catch up with Sin as he entered the busy cobbled stable yard, where several grooms carried water and feed to the horses in the many stalls. “My lord.” She rested her gloved fingers on his forearm. “Do you think it possible poison was involved—”
    “We will not discuss this now, Fliss,” he cut her off tersely.
    “But—”
    “I said not now.” He came to a halt as he turned to face her, eyes narrowed in warning. “Nor is this the place for you.” He looked down pointedly at the dirt-strewn cobblestones. “I will come to your bedchamber once I have ascertained the cause of this…illness, and we will discuss the matter further then.”
    Fliss’s cheeks warmed at the knowledge several of the grooms in the yard could not have helped but overhear the earl talk so casually of visiting her bedchamber. As if he did it all the time. Which, considering Fliss’s visit to his bedchamber the night before and his own to hers this morning, would be difficult to deny. Even so, she did not take kindly to being dismissed in such a manner.
    “Very well, my lord.” She gave a stiff inclination of her head. “I am in need of refreshment after our walk in any case, and have yet to meet the Eckles’s other guests.”
    “Fliss.” Sin reached out and captured her arm to prevent her from leaving. “Perhaps we might meet them together later?” He gave her a pointed frown.
    She raised haughty brows. “I am in need of refreshment now, not later.”
    Sin was not a man given to violence, despite his size possibly implying otherwise. But Mrs. Felicity Randall was well on her way to receiving physical retribution from him if she did not heed his unspoken warning. He had made it more than clear he did not wish her to deliberately put herself amongst Maria Eckles’s unscrupulous guests. A lamb amongst wolves. One of which might be the wolf after Sin’s throat.
    He freely admitted to having been skeptical in regard to Fliss’s tale of plots and assassins. But his horse, Dante, had been in perfect health when they arrived at Eckles Manor