The Abduction of Julia by Karen Hawkins Read Free Book Online Page A

housekeeper whisked herself out of the room, humming merrily. Alec closed the door with such force, Julia winced.
    An awkward silence filled the room. Julia cleared her throat. “You have very interesting servants.”
    Alec sighed and leaned against the door, crossing his arms over his open shirt. “Not one of them is capable of remembering I’m no longer a child.”
    “They’re fond of you.”
    “Fondness like that can kill.”
    “I think they are charming.”
    “You haven’t met Burroughs yet, my grandfather’s butler. He waits up for me every night with a glass of warmed milk.”
    She pressed a hand to her stomach at the thought of warmed milk. “Do you drink it?”
    “Never. I pour it out the window.” The corners of his mouth curved, his eyes crinkling with sudden mirth. “The plum tree in the garden is dying a slow and agonizing death.”
    Julia offered a weak smile. “I’d rather die by warmed milk than rum.”
    His face softened. “Drink the rum and make yourself eat something. You’ll feel better.”
    “A bath will help, too.”
    “Don’t soak too long. We must meet with the solicitor today and present him with proof of our marriage.” He pushed away from the door with a smooth gesture and opened it.
    “Alec.” Her call startled her as much as it did him.
    He regarded her intently, his lashes shadowing his eyes until they appeared almost black. The sight sent a shiver through her that had nothing to do with the coolness of the room. Desperately, she cast about for a safe topic of conversation. “Must we meet the solicitor today? My dress is sadly crumpled.”
    His gaze lingered on her wrinkled skirts. “I’ll send Mrs. Winston in to see what she can do.”
    Julia smoothed the creased muslin. “Perhaps it can be ironed.”
    Alec nodded, his distant expression telling her he had already dismissed her from his mind. “Then I’ll meet you in the front parlor at noon.”
    He swung the door wide. As he stepped to the threshold, she blurted, “Alec, where are you going?” She regretted the words as soon as she said them.
    His back stiffened. “You may possess half my fortune, my lady, but you do not possess me.”
    “No, of course not. I didn’t mean to—”
    “I will meet you in the front parlor at noon.” Without another word, he left, closing the door firmly behind him.
    Sobs threatened. Julia blindly reached for one of the glasses of rum and gulped. The liquid stung her throat, burning away the nausea and tears. She emptied the glass, then returned it to the tray and picked up the other.
    The rum caught the sliver of morning sun that escaped through the drapes. An explosion of sparkles glittered deep in the glass. There was something mesmerizing about the beauty of the amber liquid.
    With the greatest of will, Julia set the glass back on the table and rubbed her forehead. “Beautiful as those sparkles are, they make my head ache even worse.”
    Rather like Alec. Being with him was the most gratifying, exciting thing that had ever happened to her. But as with the amber sparkles, there was a price to pay. Though she wished it otherwise, she knew she was in danger of succumbing to his dark charm. And nothing would drive him away quicker than such a foolish action on her part.
    The handsome viscount was an enigma. Despite his depraved ways, he had proved himself to be an honorable man. Nothing else could explain why he had slept on the sofa last night or allowed his grandfather’s bothersome servants to inhabit his household.
    Therein lay the problem, Julia decided. The Devil Hunterston she had secretly sighed over from afar had been safe because he was beyond her reach. But the Alec MacLean who’d surreptitiously poured warmed milk out the window to spare the feelings of an elderly retainer was another matter altogether. “An entirely, altogether more difficult matter, indeed,” she said aloud.
    Julia pushed the basin aside and stood. She would just have to keep her heart under