To Love a Wicked Lord by Edith Layton Read Free Book Online

the girl home, and get you to London,” Whitney said. “When you’re there you can ask to do something else. Maybe this peace will last, and you won’t have to do anything more.”
    â€œAnd maybe the newly self-proclaimed First Consul for Life Napoleon Bonaparte will retire and cede France to our king after kissing our beautiful prince on both cheeks and wishing him long life,” Maxwell said, staring into the blazing hearth.“Then we can build a bridge to Paris and live as one nation, happily ever after.”
    â€œSome people think that may be.”
    â€œSome people,” Maxwell said, “think the moon is made of cheese. I’ll have that brandy now, thank you. Then I’ll scan these reports. You can go over them too and see if I’ve missed anything. I don’t think our missing lover is a spy. Nor do I think he’s anything but wise to be shut of this lady. But I promised to look, and I’m a man of my word. And who knows? He may be Bonaparte in disguise.”
    His friend rose and went to a sideboard to pour another goblet of golden liquor. “You think the peace is temporary?”
    â€œI think it may be over by the time I finish reading these papers. I know Napoleon wants to rule the world, and I don’t care to be under his thumb or his foot. Although, come to think on, I wouldn’t have to be. Because one of the first things he’d do would be to detach my head and those of my family and friends, as the Revolution did for my mother’s relatives. He has an aversion to the nobility, remember? I’d take tea with three thousand dizzy dowagers to prevent that.”
    Maxwell accepted a goblet of liquor from his friend and sighed. “Thank you. But whatever else I do, I must find out what Carstairs’s granddaughter’s suitor was doing, if only because I hate loose ends. And then even if I have to give up the case because there’s no end to it, I’ll go to London. You’ll follow I suppose.”
    â€œI should be honored to,” his friend said, sitting down again.
    â€œAs well you should be,” Maxwell agreed, settling down to read his papers.
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    â€œThat is quite the loveliest gown I’ve seen you wear in a long while,” Lady Carstairs said, gazing at her granddaughter.
    Pippa’s gown was a long-sleeved column of saffron-colored silk, embellished with tiny gold rosettes. Yellow roses had been woven into her gilded hair, and a simple golden locket lay at her white throat.
    â€œAnd yet all we’re doing is meeting the marquis for dinner,” her grandmother mused.
    Pippa’s fair skin showed pink at her momentary discomfort. Then she shrugged. “It’s April, it may soon be too warm to wear it.”
    â€œThere is that,” her grandmother said cheerfully. “And certainly the marquis will find it beautiful. Then perhaps he won’t be so snappish with you. Do you think he’s come up with Noel’s whereabouts?”
    â€œI don’t know, Grandmamma. It’s been three days since we met with him. That’s why we’re going to dinner with him this evening.”
    â€œHe might just want to see us again,” Lady Carstairs said brightly. She gazed at her reflection in the looking glass, and preened. “He may seem cold to you but there’s no question he likes me. I may have aged a bit but I still attract the gentlemen.” She positioned her diamond necklace so that it lay perfectly on the very rounded breast of her blue gown and smiled. There was no self-mockery in her comment or her smile.
    Pippa bit her lip. There was no question that her grandmother’s conversation was growing strange. But then, she thought guiltily, it may have been so for months now. She hadn’t noticed. First Noel had taken up all of her time, and then she’d been absorbed in the mystery of Noel’s leaving. This was the first time she’d passed in the sole