Trapped by Scandal by Jane Feather Read Free Book Online Page A

than a clogged film at the bottom, but she did what she could, watched by the two men. “Do you think you’ll recognize the man I traveled with?” she asked, sketching swiftly, as if capturing something before it could leave her. “Why would you?”
    â€œAnyone traveling secretly from England to France these days is either with us or an enemy,” William said. “It’s not a journey anyone makes for pleasure anymore.”
    Which made sense, Hero reflected, shading the image with a few deft strokes. “There. That’s the best I can do with the tools I have.” She frowned at her handiwork before pushing the paper across to William. “One of his eyebrows was oddly shaped, like a question mark. Do you see?” She pointed with the tip of the pen.
    William stared at it. “Yes, I see.” He passed the paper to Marcus. “What do you think . . . the Lizard?”
    â€œCould be, with that eyebrow,” Marcus agreed, holding the sheet closer to the candlelight. “Did he speak at all, Hero?”
    â€œNot to me, but he said something to the fishermen. Not much, but he was French . . . or at least, that’s what I assumed. Who’s the Lizard?”
    â€œAn agent of the Committee of Public Safety,” William replied. “A dangerous man. We’ve been watching him for quite a while. He’s a hunter.”
    Hero absorbed this in silence for a moment before saying, “A hunter of men . . . men like you, who are helping families get out of Paris.”
    â€œPrecisely.”
    â€œIs that what Alec is doing at the moment?” Finally, she asked the question directly.
    â€œYes, he was helping to get the Latour family out of Paris and to the coast. If all went well, he and the others will be back here sometime tonight.”
    Hero nodded. It merely confirmed what she’d thought. “Do you know what happened to the St. Julien family? Alec was here to look—” She stopped in mid-sentence at the sound of a brisk rap at the kitchen door behind her.
    Marcus was already on his feet as the door opened and a man slipped into the kitchen, closing the door quietly behind him. He, too, was dressed as a sansculottes, his red bonnet pulled low over his forehead.
    â€œStephen. Is all well?” William greeted the new arrival by filling a pewter cup with wine.
    â€œAye, we all made it through the gates before curfew,” the man said. “We split up as usual through thecity . . . the rest’ll be here in their own time.” He took the cup with a nod of thanks and sprawled with a sigh of exhaustion onto the bench at the table. He frowned at Hero. “Who do we have here?”
    â€œAlec’s sister,” Marcus supplied. “The Lady Hermione Fanshawe.”
    â€œGood God,” Stephen said simply, and drank deeply from his cup.
    William chuckled. “That was rather my reaction. Food?”
    â€œIf there is any.” Stephen regarded Hermione with frank astonishment. “Alec said nothing about a sister.”
    â€œHe didn’t know I was coming,” Hero told him, bristling a little at the sense of being discussed as if she were some exhibit in a museum.
    Marcus set a bowl of stew on the table in front of Stephen. “Hero, let me introduce Stephen Baynard, one of our little band of brothers.”
    â€œHero . . . welcome.” Stephen nodded matter-of-factly as he took a spoon to his stew. “A woman might be useful to us, William.”
    â€œCertainly,” William agreed.
    â€œWhat’s Alec going to say to that?” Marcus asked, refilling tankards from the flagon. “I doubt—”
    â€œJust a minute.” Hero interrupted him sharply. “Alec has nothing to do with what I choose to do or how I choose to do it.”
    William smiled. Hero’s reaction didn’t surprise him in the least. “Which of you