The Bellerose Bargain by Robyn Carr Read Free Book Online Page B

a moment, the porcelain handle of the pitcher still in her hand. He did not look dead, but her first thought was that she had killed him. Yet he seemed peacefully asleep. A look of contentment seemed to rest over his eyes and mouth like a warm blanket.
    Ah, he was handsome.
    A handsome fool, her anger answered loudly. He deserved at least a bump on the head for what he might have done.
    There was a knock at the door and Alicia’s eyes jumped from the sleeping form on the floor to the sound. Her heart began to pound again, for now she was caught. Though she did not think herself outside the law in defending herself, she did not expect to be let out of blame easily once it was discovered that she had wounded this man. His clothes were rich. It was possible he was someone of importance, robbing and assaulting women for sport rather than for sustenance.
    Again the knocking. Her eyes began to sting with tears. There was no one to help her. "Blast that oaf," she muttered under her breath. "He promised to be near."
    And at the moment Rodney crossed her mind, she heard his voice outside her door. "Alicia?" he questioned from the other side.
    She went to the door quickly and attempted to open it, grateful enough for tears to spill just because of his presence outside. She wiggled the latch once before she remembered that her attacker had the key safely tucked in his pocket. She went back to the unconscious man and frantically searched through his coat until she retrieved the key. It took her, in all her sobriety, nearly as long to unlock the door as it had taken her intruder. She actually frowned over her shoulder at the man, for it had not occurred to her that it was a difficult lock. She assumed his clumsy drunkenness made the task time-consuming.
    Rodney carried a tray of food which he nearly dropped when he saw the body on the floor. Alicia watched him as she saw, for the first time, a look of absolute fear on his face.
    "What has happened?" he whispered as he studied the broken crockery and the injured man.
    "He’s likely as dead of drink as of the blow," Alicia said quite easily. "He meant to do his worst."
    Rodney shook his head and kicked the door closed before setting the tray on the table. He knelt by the injured man and opened his eyes and checked his head.
    "I thought I’d die of hunger, and now you’ve brought something, I doubt I can eat it. Where have you been?"
    "In the common room for the most part, explaining you to Lord Seavers. He had a mite to drink, but when I left him, his condition was not this poor."
    "I was afraid this man would take my money," Alicia explained, still uncertain what they should be doing about this situation.
    "He wouldn’t have taken your money, lass. This is the man who gave it to you. Geoffrey Seavers."
    "God above," she sighed, dropping heavily to the stool by the table. That explained the insults perfectly. He was appraising her to see how she would fit that part they planned for her to play. And judging by his earlier reaction, she didn’t fit the bill. She sighed softly and looked away from the sleeping noble. "I suppose I’ll be on the next coach."
    "If luck is with us he won’t remember clearly," Rodney said, rising. "You say he was fairly drunk?"
    "Not fairly, sir. He could barely stand without the wall."
    Rodney fought to keep from chuckling aloud. "I don’t suppose you could have dropped him so easily were he able to walk."
    "Don’t be too certain," she said wryly. She nodded toward him. "Is he drunk often?"
    "Seldom. I should have expected this. He was...ah...upset with the circumstance."
    "Then he will have none of me?"
    "I think he’ll come around to it, lass. He is honest to a fault, and therein lies his problem. Robbing the crown of an inheritance does not sit well with the man. He’s the most loyal man Charles has at the moment."
    "You’re wrong, sir," she said very quietly. "He did not find me good enough in any way. He said so."
    Rodney stood and looked down at