The Diabolical Baron by Mary Jo Putney Read Free Book Online

through Hyde Park discussing it while she replied in monosyllables. Yes, it was unusually warm for late April. Indeed, it was very pleasant; yes, rain would soon be needed for the crops.
    They tooled elegantly about during this scintillating discussion, attracting considerable attention from those fashionable folk in the park this early. No one could ever remember Radford taking a drive with a fe male who could be safely introduced in mixed com pany. And a marriageable miss just out of the schoolroom? It must be serious!
    Sublimely unaware of the speculations, Caroline was slowly starting to relax. While she would have preferred to be almost anywhere other than this con spicuous vehicle with its even more conspicuous driver, at least she was in no immediate danger. She was still unclear about what kind of danger Lord Radford represented, but she couldn’t shake that disturbing sense of unknown forces around her.
    They were heading back when a familiar voice hailed them. George Fitzwilliam trotted his horse over and gave a cheerful smile even though he saw his chances of owning Jason’s grays rapidly di minishing. “Good day to you, Miss Hanscombe, Jason. A splendid morning to be taking the air.”
    As he chat ted easily, he studied Caroline. The chit didn’t seem best pleased; the most positive thing one could say about her expression was “resigned.” Perhaps his wager wasn’t quite so hopeless after all.
    After George had moved on to greet others, Jason expertly gathered the reins and made a tricky turn around a badly driven barouche. “Tell me, Miss Hanscombe, do you have any special interests that you would like to discuss? I am exhausting my store of commonplaces, and it is your turn to suggest a topic.”
    Caroline glanced at him hesitantly. “I am ... very fond of music, my lord.”
    Jason managed to avoid groaning, “Spare me!” but she saw in his face the look of a man who had heard too many painful concerts by conscientious, untale nted maidens. So many weeping harps! Pounded pi anofortes! Voices either inaudible or all too easily heard in the next street.
    In a society where music was a necessary “accomplishment” for a young lady, great crimes against the human ear were perpetrated. She flushed again and looked across the park at a group of horsemen. “Of course it is of no importance,” she said stiffly.
    Jason sensed her withdrawal and felt a pang of re gret. She was so vulnerable. Was he going to have to watch every word for the next forty years?
    He sud denly realized he was almost old enough to be her fa ther. His mind digressed—about fourteen years’ difference in age? He grinned as he remembered Lizzie, the so-friendly dairy maid. Yes, technically he could have been her father....
    His off-leader shied slightly at another carriage, bringing him back to the present. Assuming a properly sober expression, he said, “I do wish, Miss Hanscombe, you were not quite so nervous in my presence. I am really not an ogre about to eat you.”
    “Are you not?” she said in an unexpectedly dry voice, slanting a quick glance up at him.
    Jason was startled both by her tone and by her surprisingly deep blue eyes. He realized it was the first time she had looked directly at him, and he had the uncomfortable feeling she might have seen more than he intended. Perhaps there was more to the girl than he thought. He smoothly retreated to safe topics and his quarry re sumed studying the surrounding traffic.
    As they headed back to Adam Street, neither was pleased with the way matters were progressing.
    * * * *
    While Jason and Caroline were circling the park, Sir Alfred had summoned his wife to his study to discuss their finances. A burly, choleric man, the baronet was a breathtaking example of selfishness. While he did have a modicum of interest in his fif teen-year-old heir, Master Colin, and he quite en joyed fighting with his wife, he had an almost total lack of interest in the welfare or comfort of anyone