The Rogue by Arpan B Read Free Book Online Page A

whispered.
    Rose
Tremayne must be a spy as well.
    After
a moment, he finished pouring his drink, then absently left it on the
decanter tray and walked away from it.
    He'd
known that, of course. He'd
suspected
.
    Yet
somehow, knowing for certain was something else altogether. Lively,
lithe Rose… a
spy
!
    Well,
it was a good thing they'd never come together then, wasn't it? Ethan
wanted nothing to do with spies of either side, thank you very much.
They were mad, all of them.
    What
the hell would make someone want to risk their life for the abstract
concept of "patriotism"? Oh, England was all right. He
certainly didn't want to harm England, but he didn't see any reason
why he should help her either. After all, what had England ever done
for him?
    No,
that sort of bizarre black-and-white thinking might work for
honor-bound blokes like Etheridge and Collis, but Ethan liked his
shades of gray just fine. Why fight when he could walk away?
    Ethan
went through the front entrance hall toward the stairs. He was going
out tonight. He went out every night. He much preferred it to sitting
about this deathly quiet house.
    As
usual, there was a pile of invitations on the hall table. Out of
curiosity, Ethan stopped and sorted through them, looking for one in
particular and frankly dreading finding it.
    And
there it was. "Lord and Lady Maywell, requesting the presence of
Mr. Ethan Damont for an evening of cards. Supper will be served at
nine…"
    Feeling
an uneasy prickle on the back of his neck, Ethan dropped the thick
card back on the table. He wasn't going and that was that. He had no
one to please but himself, no matter what Etheridge had to say about
it.
    As
he went upstairs to dress for his evening out, one thought kept going
through his mind.
    Rose
Tremayne… a spy.
    Who
would ever think that a woman could be a spy?
    Ethan
had first met Rose when she'd banged on his door at the ungodly hour
of noon one day. She'd demanded his help on the basis of his
schoolyard friendship with Collis, pumped him full of coffee, and
dragged him, red-eyed and hung-over, into the most frightening and
exhilarating adventure of his life, rescuing Collis and his fat
relation from the bowels of a traitor's munitions factory.
    Of
course, he'd hated every minute of it, except for the reward he'd
received from Collis's dear old Uncle Codger. And except for every
minute he'd spent in Rose's company, of course. He'd taken a fancy to
the extraordinary Rose but, as usual, it had been Collis who got the
girl in the end.
    Later,
Ethan examined himself in the cheval mirror in his dressing room.
Jeeves tied a mean neckcloth, that was certain. Ethan could find no
fault in his butler's arrangements. "I could seduce a widow at a
funeral," Ethan marveled.
    "A
worthy pursuit, I am sure, sir." Standing behind him with a
clothing brush at the ready, Jeeves betrayed no sign of irony.
    Ethan
pointed one finger at him. "Don't disparage my methods, O Butler
Mine. You'd be surprised at the gratitude one can inspire at such
moments."
    "I
am in no doubt, sir. It sounds like the true path to happiness
indeed." Jeeves put away the unchosen garments with blinding
efficiency. "May I inquire as to your destination tonight, sir?"
    Ethan
tugged at his cuffs. "Not to Maywell's, that is certain,"
he muttered resentfully.
    Jeeves
blinked mildly. "Indeed, sir? Did his lordship not invite you
for cards this evening?"
    "He
did." Ethan blew out a breath, then turned to his butler.
"Jeeves, have you ever been forced to do something you don't
want to do?"
    "Daily,
sir," was the prompt reply.
    Ethan
blinked. "Really? What is that?"
    "I
very much dislike dusting, sir. It makes my eyes water."
    Ethan
narrowed his eyes. "You're fishing for more servants, aren't
you?"
    "No,
sir. I am simply answering your question."
    Ethan
closed his eyes. "Very well, Jeeves. You may bring in a
housemaid."
    "Thank
you, sir," Jeeves said mildly. "However, I'd prefer to
bring in a footman. A young fellow about the