The Geek Girl and the Scandalous Earl by Gina Lamm Read Free Book Online Page B

estate room, carrying a candle with him. Snapping his fingers at the foot of the stairs as he usually did, he waited for his hound to appear. The darkened hallways were empty. Baron was nowhere to be seen. Bemused, Micah walked up the stairs. Could the dog have been shut in his bedchamber all evening?
    Micah entered his room. The light in the hearth flitted lazily, illuminating the empty rug that Baron usually inhabited each night.
    “Baron,” Micah commanded in a low voice. “To me.”
    No answering click of toenails on polished floors sounded. With a sigh of exasperation, Micah journeyed down the corridor. Occasionally, the hound would bed down in one of the empty chambers if one of the maids left a door ajar. But that is only in the summer months , his subconscious objected. Shaking his head, he peered into each room.
    Rounding the corner of the hallway, a faint glint of light caught his eye. It was coming from beneath the door of the yellow bedchamber. What the devil?
    His hand closed on the cool brass doorknob. The door opened with a soft squeak, and his blood stirred at the sight of Miss Marten lying across the cream and yellow bedding, asleep. Her hair, now bound in a braid, lay like a velvet rope across the pillows. And there, beside her, lay the traitorous greyhound, the thin skin over his ribs moving like a bellows as he dreamed.
    If Micah called to Baron, she’d surely wake. For a long moment, Micah stood in the doorway, watching her sleep. Her forehead delicately wrinkled as she dreamed, a heavy sigh blowing from her lips. So beautiful , he thought. It would be no onerous task to take her as his mistress. It would be quite pleasant for the both of them.
    She turned then, snuggling into her pillow, and Micah felt like a lecherous bastard. She’d made it quite clear that she was no loose-moraled Cyprian, despite her odd manner of undress. Even though he desired her, he’d made her a guest in his household, and he’d not take advantage of the young lady. Leaving Baron to watch over the sleeping maid, he shut the door softly and headed back to his lonely bedchamber. All the while, he wondered what to do about his damned inconvenient sense of honor. And also, what had she done with that small device with the cross birds?

Six
    Jamie stretched and yawned. The warm body next to her adjusted slightly, and she rolled over to wrap her arms around Logan. When she encountered smooth fur instead of skin, her eyes flew open.
    Baron lapped at her nose.
    “Hey, dog.” She sighed and wiped the slobber from her face. She’d forgotten where and when she was. Unfortunately, she hadn’t been sucked back into her own time during the middle of the night, as she was half hoping she would. She’d have to keep up the countess lessons for a while longer, until she could convince Mrs. Knightsbridge to have Wilhelmina send her home.
    A soft knock came at the door.
    “Yes?”
    The hinges squeaked softly as Muriel entered the room. Baron saw the open door and bolted. Guess it was time for his morning constitutional. “Good morning, miss. I have your chocolate here.”
    Jamie’s ears perked up. “Chocolate?”
    “Yes, miss. Hot chocolate. ’Tis just the thing for the morning. And Cook’s is delightful.”
    Muriel set the tray on the bedside table and handed Jamie a steaming cup. She took a wary sip. What if chocolate meant something different than she was used to? Fortunately, Muriel was right. It was damn tasty.
    “Ah, that hits the spot. Thanks, Mur.”
    The maid giggled. What, did nobody have nicknames in the past? “My pleasure. Now, Mrs. Knightsbridge said I am to help you dress.”
    Jamie looked down at her nightgown. “Well, I don’t really have anything other than the tank top and shorts I showed up in yesterday.”
    Muriel’s pale face was clueless, light blue eyes blank. “Tank…top?”
    Jamie waved her hand in the air. “Never mind. I don’t have anything you people will let me wear.”
    “Oh, his lordship