The Wicked House of Rohan by Anne Stuart Read Free Book Online Page B

Nanny’s howl of protest. Jacobs said nothing—he knew there was no other choice. Lydia rose. “I’m going with you, Nell.”
    â€œYou certainly are not. If I walk into that den of iniquity I know I’m safe. They’d be on you like a pack of ravening wolves.”
    â€œI think you overestimate my irresistibility,” Lydia said with a grin.
    â€œAnd I think you underestimate it. Nanny said they drink the blood of virgins, remember?” she said with just enough lightness to allay her sister’s fears.
    Unfortunately Lydia could see right through her.
    â€œYou’re a virgin too, darling, unless you’ve been keeping something from me. They’ll drink your blood too.”
    Elinor didn’t even flinch. “They won’t be drinking anyone’s blood. They thrive on scandal and secrecy, but I suspect they’re not nearly as dangerous as they pretend to be,” she said in a matter-of-fact voice.
    â€œThey murder babies,” Nanny contributed helpfully.
    â€œHush,” Elinor said. “I’m hardly a baby. Jacobs will takeme to the house of the Comte de Giverney and we will extract our mother and be back before midnight.”
    â€œBegging your pardon, miss, but they were heading out of town,” Jacobs said. “I think they’ve gone to his château.”
    Elinor remained calm. “And how far away is that?”
    â€œNot far, miss. An hour out of town if we hurry.”
    â€œThen we’ll be back by dawn,” she said. “Safe and sound, and this time we’ll tie mother to the bed when we can’t watch her.”
    â€œAnd how do you intend to get there?” Lydia said.
    â€œLast I heard we had no coach, nor horses, nor money to rent them. Are you intending to walk?”
    Elinor shared a knowing glance with Jacobs, who backed out of the room without another word. “Jacobs will handle it,” she said smoothly. “In the meantime I’m counting on you to make certain Mother’s room is clean and ready for her. We’ll probably have to use the restraints we had from the time she was raving. It will depend on how much gin she’s drunk and if she’s been fed anything else dangerous.”
    â€œI don’t want you going there alone.”
    â€œI’ll go with her,” Nanny said, bless her elderly heart. She was so crippled with the rheumatics that she could hardly walk, but she’d fight a dragoon of soldiers for her babies.
    â€œNo, Nanny,” she said gently. “I need you to look after Lydia.” She met Nanny’s gaze for a moment, and a world of understanding passed between them. If by any bizarre chance Elinor didn’t come back Lydia would need someone, and Nanny was their only choice.
    Nanny nodded her head, and Elinor could see tears shining in her eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous, you two. I’m not walking into the gates of hell. The Comte de Giverney is just a man who throws decadent parties, not Satan himself, and I’m hardly the type of female to inflame his darker passions. Besides, Jacobs carries a pistol, and he’d shoot the first man who tried to harm me. I’ll go in, ask for my mother, and they’ll probably be happy enough to get rid of her. So there’s nothing to worry about.”
    â€œExcept the diamond brooch,” Nanny said grimly.
    If Elinor had been closer she would have kicked one of Nanny’s painful shins. The old lady had a very gloomy outlook on life, and right then Lydia needed to be hopeful. She didn’t need to learn their last hope of rescue had vanished, and if the jewelry was lost they were well and truly doomed.

Anne Stuart loves Japanese rock and roll, wearable art, Spike, her two kids, Clairefontaine paper, her springer spaniel Rosie, her delicious husband of over thirty years, fellow writers, her two cats, telling stories and living in Vermont. She’s not too crazy about politics and