Tempting a Sinner by Kate Pearce Read Free Book Online Page A

“It must be difficult to get staff in this part of the country.”
    “It is, indeed. Lindsey St. Joan is close by, but most of the inhabitants prefer to go and work on the fishing fleet rather than into service.” She sighed. “And this house isn’t the most convenient of locations. The rooms have been added over centuries. The kitchens are at one end of the house, the dining room the other, and the remains of the medieval hall plonked right in between them! The food is always cold by the time it reaches your plate. That’s why we’ve ended up eating in the kitchen.”
    He concentrated on finishing his food, using his bread to mop up the last of the delicious broth. Miss Doris watched him approvingly.
    “Would you like some more, sir?”
    He pushed the tray away. “No, I thank you. That was excellent.” He dropped his napkin on the tray, concealing the contents, and handed the whole thing back to her. He yawned and covered his mouth. “Excuse me. After that excellent repast, I think I’ll take a nap.”
    “Then I’ll make sure that no one disturbs you.”
    Her smile reminded him of her sister, but there the likeness ended. Where Doris was petite and fair, Mally was built like a queen, her hair the dark auburn of an autumn leaf. He guessed Doris was considerably younger than her sister, or had been protected sufficiently for her beauty to survive. Doris was sweetly pretty. Mally was formidable . He preferred the latter. It was more of a challenge.
    “Miss Doris, did you say you had lived abroad? I’ve always wanted to travel.”
    “Yes, indeed. Our mother was married twice to military men, so we traveled all over Europe.”
    “How exciting.”
    Her ready smile wavered. “Sometimes it was exciting, but most of the time it was quite frightening. If it hadn’t have been for Mally, I don’t think I would’ve survived.” She glanced down at the tray. “I must be getting this back to the kitchen.”
    Benedict let her go, aware that if they realized she’d been alone with him, she’d probably be interrogated by her sister or Gwen. He pondered what she’d revealed. He was in an old house, near the coast, and in a desolate area. The name of the village was familiar to him, and the description of the house had resonated too. The problem was, the harder he tried to pin something down—the more it dissipated into nothingness. The memories emerged randomly and at their own pace. It was quite infuriating.
    With a sigh, he retrieved his latest acquisition and focused on what he could control. He’d managed to steal his spoon, which could be used as a bigger wedge to separate the link of the chain.
    He set to work on the metal, easing the knife into the weld and cleaning out the rusted parts, shoving the thicker part of the blade ever deeper until he could finally wedge the end of the spoon in there. The link started to distort and he renewed his efforts, his fingers aching with the strain as he wrestled with the intractable metal. He had to find a way to detach it from the rest of the chain but also be able to put it back, at least temporarily, until he was ready to leave.
    He cursed as his fingers slipped and he scraped his knuckles. Wiping his sweating hand on the sheets, he assessed his work, took a deep breath, and managed to twist the link free. He listened intently but there was no sound of an imminent interruption, so he detached the link, leaving his ankle still enclosed in the metal band. At least he could now move off the bed. He placed his right foot on the floor and then the other and stood up. For a second, the room dipped and swayed, and he took a deep, shuddering breath.
    He’d been in bed for at least two weeks, maybe even three, and had lost both weight and strength. Instinct made him take two stumbling steps toward the door, before he forced himself to stop. There was no need to leave until his memory returned or he gained a sense of where to go. If he could recover his mobility without the