The Devil to Pay by Liz Carlyle Read Free Book Online Page B

and he opened his eyes “Ruby?” he said. “Wha—?”
    She had the second stocking stuffed in his mouth so fast, he couldn’t draw breath. For a moment, he was dazed. Confused. Then sudden knowledge slammed into him.
    God damn her.
    The bitch was on her feet, rummaging through his pockets like a squirrel. Purse. Watch. Keys. Loose coins. Everything he carried she took.
    “Ah mm ghmm mmm!” he said.
    “Oh, keep it stuffed, Devellyn,” she said.
    An open valise sat on the night table, and she unceremoniously dumped the contents of his pockets into it. Then she jerked out a length of rope, and snapped the valise shut. He twisted his torso and swung one leg off the bed, almost catching her round the waist, but the little jade danced away, the valise in hand.
    “Oh, Devellyn, you bloody idiot,” she said, swiftly tying the bag to her body with the rope. “I wish you could see yourself now.”
    She took the key from the door lock and pitched it out the window, then snatched a gray cloak from a peg on the wall and threw it over her shoulders. Her every movement was quick and efficient. By God, she’d done this before. For that, he was going to strangle her. Twice. He tried to tell her so.
    “Amm ggnn kigg uggh!” he said, chewing furiously at the stocking.
    Ruby just smiled and pushed open the casement window. “Ta, lovey.”
    “Gnnn unngh!”
    “Lawks, yes, I almost forgot!” She stepped a little nearer the bed. “Promised you a peek at me dumplings, didn’t I?”
    The bitch. Rage ran bloodred through his brain. He shoved at the wad of stocking with his tongue, thrashing so hard the bed moved.
    “Now, don’t cut up so, Devellyn,” said Ruby, as she worked down one side of her bodice. “Not unless yer wants an audience up here.” She laughed as the creamy flesh spilled forth, not quite baring her nipple. And then he saw it. In the poor light, it was hard to make out, and she didn’t dare come closer. But he could guess at what it was.
    A black angel. She had a little black angel tattooed on the far side of her left breast.
    Devellyn got his tongue wedged under the stocking and spat for all he was worth. The stocking burst from his mouth and rolled down his chest, as limp as his now-lifeless cock. “You bitch!” he roared. “You vile, sneaking, cheating little strumpet! You don’t know what you’ve done, do you?”
    She lifted one delicate eyebrow. “Coo! Don’t I? P’raps you’d best explain it ter me.”
    “You’ve picked the wrong pocket this time, my angel!” he roared. “And this time, you’ll have the devil to pay, do you hear?”
    Ruby Black had one foot on the windowsill now, her hands braced wide on the iron frame. “Good night, my lord,” she said sweetly. “Sorry about yer shriveled tipstaff.”
    “The devil to pay, bitch!” he bellowed. “I am coming after you.”
    Then the Black Angel laughed and literally leapt into the gloom.

Chapter Four

In which we go Backstage with Julia
    “Oooh, I don’t like this, girl.” Julia had Sidonie’s head bent back over a chair and was scrubbing hard at the dark tint she’d helped Sidonie rub into her skin hours earlier. “No, not one bit, I don’t. Jumping out windows! Ropes and such! And if something happens to you, it’ll be blood on my hands, sure as I’d done the deed.”
    Sidonie tried to sit up straight. “I’m fine, Julia. Ow! Don’t scrub so hard.” She gentled her tone. “I’m home safe, aren’t I? And none of this is your doing.”
    Julia dunked her sponge into the basin again. “But the Marquess of Devellyn!” She stared into the steaming water as if unwilling to hold Sidonie’s gaze. “Lord help you, girl, what were you thinking!”
    Sidonie laughed. “Julia, I’m hardly a girl. In fact, I’m on the downhill slide to thirty.”
    “Aye, and not like to see it, either, running wild about Southwark with a Satan’s spawn like Devellyn.”
    “But, Julia,” Sidonie whispered in a teasing voice, “I got to