The Russian's Tenacious Lover by Nic Saint Read Free Book Online Page B

something so dear to her heart had been a blow the kind-hearted woman had been unable to overcome. Even though the love and devotion of her family might have seen her through, the theft had coincided with the loss of something else she’d greatly valued: her fortune.
    When Papa had married her, Lydia had still possessed a minor fortune, the Moorhouse family trust. Because of the complicated nature of the legal construction, Papa hadn’t been allowed to manage it for her, and through sheer incompetence, the law firm in charge had squandered the money, leaving nothing in the family coffers but the crumbling skeletons of old money.
    And then there was the necklace.
    Not merely the monetary value had been significant, but even more so the emotional one. Lydia had come to identify the pearls with her family’s heritage, reminding her of her childhood, when the Moorhouses had been the dominating force in the county, the most prestigious family, a force to be reckoned with in postwar Britain. Now all that was gone, as were most of her relatives, and when the pearls were stolen, the blow had been too much for a woman who was already in a fragile state of mind.
    She’d never recovered.
    Though the doctors doubted whether she would ever be herself again, Glynis thought the return of the necklace might offer a glimmer of hope to the woman she loved more than anyone else in the world.
    She hated Thomas Spencer and hated him with all the power of her being—hated him as much as she loved her mother, and if she could have pulled the trigger and undo the damage that callous man had wrought on her family, she would have done so in a heartbeat, her life and career be damned.
    Reason had returned to its throne, however, when she realized he was more useful to her alive. He would get those pearls back if it was the last thing he did. Then, perhaps, she would show mercy and simply hand him over to her superiors. If not, perhaps she might put the hand to the executioner’s weapon after all, and deal with the man with a swiftness justice couldn’t provide in this day and age of high-powered lawyers and a broken system that allowed the rich and famous to walk away from their crimes with impunity.
    “Let’s go,” she told the man, and when he eyed her suspiciously, she took him by the shoulder and forced him to his feet. “I said, Let’s go,” she hissed, and gave him a push in the direction of the door.
    “Where are you going to put him?” Dad wanted to know.
    “I thought the dungeon would be appropriate. I’m sure we still have some old chains and shackles down there, and more than a few rats to keep him company.”
    Thomas visibly shivered at the mention of the furry little rodents she’d envisioned as his prison pals.
    “Don’t be harsh,” he suggested. “I’m still a human being. Doesn’t the human rights treaty apply to the likes of me?”
    “No, it doesn’t,” she bit and gave him a shove that almost sent him sprawling to the floor.
    He suddenly turned on her, a flash of anger in his eyes she hadn’t seen there before. Taken aback, she realized there was more to this man than the casual callousness she’d come to despise. Then, before she had the chance to respond, his eyes had softened, the mask of suavity firmly back in place.
    She brusquely took him by the arm and led him to the hallway.
    “Where are you taking me?” he inquired. He directed a worried frown at her. “Not… the dungeon?”
    “I would love to,” she announced gaily, “but unfortunately Dad is of the opinion we should treat our guests nicely, even rats like you. So I’m taking you to your room, where you will stay until the pearls are safely back in Mama’s hands.”
    “I really don’t see what all the fuss is about,” he grumbled. “Just a few measly pearls. Doesn’t your mother have other, more precious possessions?”
    “No, she hasn’t,” Glynis snapped, the anger bubbling up inside her once again. “Those pearls were a