The Forbidden Lord by Sabrina Jeffries Read Free Book Online Page A

she’d married to spite her indifferent parents.Whatever the case, rumor had it that her wit, intelligence, and forthright speech had garnered her respect and power among Scottish society despite her English upbringing.
    She straightened to find Lady Dundee examining her like a jeweler perusing uncut gems.
    “You’re probably wondering why I’ve brought you here, Miss Fairchild,” Lord Nesfield continued. “As you know—”
    “Randolph, must you be so rude?” Lady Dundee scowled at her brother. “Let the poor girl sit down first. And call for some refreshment, for heaven’s sake. We’ve been on the road for days, and I’m dry as a bone.” With a regal nod cast loosely in Emily’s direction, she added, “You must forgive my brother’s ill manners, Miss Fairchild. He’s very tired. We traveled all last night to make up the time we’d lost to poor weather.”
    Gesturing impatiently to the settee across from his sister, Lord Nesfield barked. “Sit down, Miss Fairchild,” then strode to the doorway, and bellowed for a servant.
    Emily did as he bade at once, not daring to do otherwise. While they waited for the tea, Lady Dundee peppered Emily with questions—about her parents, her upbringing, the sort of books she read. By the time the tea arrived, Emily was on the verge of rudely informing Lady Dundee that none of it was her concern. Goodness gracious, was this some sort of test? Or did all women of exalted society interrogate their guests?
    “Now then, Miss Fairchild,” Lord Nesfield began, “as you may have guessed, I’ve brought you here because I need your help.”
    Her help? How very strange. “Your footman said this concerned Sophie.” Emily sipped at her tea, alltoo aware of Lady Dundee’s intrusive gaze on her. “She’s not ill, is she? May I see her?”
    “I’m afraid that’s impossible,” Lady Dundee answered for her brother. “My niece is at my estate in Scotland with her uncle.”
    “Scotland!” Emily set her cup down so abruptly that tea sloshed over onto the delicate china saucer. “But I thought she was in London having her coming out!”
    “She was.” Lord Nesfield shoved his hands in his coat pockets, his expression grim. “Until she tried to run off with some bounder.”
    Emily forgot about her tea completely. “Sophie? Timid little Sophie? Off with some man?”
    “Yes. Timid little Sophie, off with some man,” he echoed sourly. “That’s when I whisked her away to Ophelia’s in Scotland. And that’s where she’ll remain until I find out who the scoundrel is.”
    “What do you mean? Don’t you know who he is?”
    “Unfortunately, no. One night a few weeks ago, I heard a sound and went downstairs to find Sophie sneaking out of the London house. I ran through the open door after her. A carriage awaited her in the street, but when the driver saw me, he set off at a frantic pace. I called for my horse and gave chase, but it was too late, of course. The man had disappeared. And I never got to see who he was. I still do not know.” A dangerous look entered his eyes. “But I will find out. You can be sure of that.”
    Emily might have thought this some strange joke if not for two things. One, Lord Nesfield never joked. Two, Lady Dundee was loudly seconding her brother’s vow to find the scoundrel.
    But who would have believed that shy, skittish Sophie would ever attempt elopement? Then again,Sophie had made that odd comment about the footman.
    Something in her face must have alerted Lord Nesfield and his sister to her thoughts, for they both burst out together, “You know who he is!”
    “No! Truly, I don’t! It’s just that…well, she was so nervous about her coming out that she jested about…running off with a footman.”
    Lord Nesfield’s face fell. “It was not a footman, I assure you. The scoundrel is of higher consequence than that, for I have had Bow Street Runners by the score trying to discover the driver of the hired hack to no success. It is as if