A Secret Affair
Page 12
She pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes on him. “Secret? Are you a spy?”
His brow rose, and tension seemed to radiate through his body. “Would you aid me if I were?”
She pointed toward the door. “Get out,” she said through clenched teeth.
“Pardon?”
Her nails dug so hard into her shawl she was certain she would rip the fabric. “I may be accused of a murder I did not commit, but being called a traitor to my homeland is not an insult I will bear. If you are seeking my aid in that manner, you most certainly have come to the wrong person. I am not, and never will be, that desperate.” She turned toward the door to call for the gaoler.
The stranger quickly held up a hand. “I assure you, Your Grace. I am no spy.”
Kate snapped her mouth closed and turned back to him, still eyeing him warily. “Then what exactly do you want from me?”
He nodded slowly. “Your promise, first?”
She watched him, assessing him from the top of his handsome head to the tips of his precisely polished—and obviously expensive—top boots. Apparently, this man was willing or desperate enough to trust an accused murderess, too. Interesting. She had absolutely no reason to trust him, however. Every reason not to, actually. But conversing with a handsome stranger about whatever daft idea he had was preferable to counting the cracks in the walls of her cell or writing letters to … nobody. “Very well, you have my promise. Now tell me, who are you and why are you here?”
The stranger clicked his heels together and bowed again. “James Bancroft, Viscount Medford, at your service.”
She couldn’t help the tiny gasp that escaped her lips. An aristocrat. The man was a peer. Why on earth would a peer pay her a visit? “Why are you here, my lord?”
Brushing back his coat, he pulled papers from an inside pocket and tossed them on the wooden table.
Her eyes still trained on him, Kate stepped forward and picked up the papers. She scanned the first page. It was a pamphlet. She shuffled through the stack. But the pages were blank.
She gestured to the papers with her chin. “What is this?”
His mouth quirked again. Distracting, that. “You might say I have a bit of a hobby on the side. A printing press.”
Her gaze snapped to his face and she stepped back, clutching the pamphlet, genuinely surprised. And a little bit intrigued. “A viscount in trade?”
He grinned. “That’s the secret.” His grin faded and he strode forward. Bracing his hands apart, he leaned across the table. “I offer women in scandalous situations a unique opportunity. This, Your Grace, is a chance to tell your side of the story.…”
“What do you mean … exactly?”
His eyes blazed at her. His jaw tightened. “Write a pamphlet for me. It will be a top seller, I assure you.”
She shook her head. “A pamphlet? Telling my story? What do I stand to gain from it?”
His eyes, dark green now, captured hers. “What do you want?”
Kate spun around, pacing across the small room. A chance to tell her story? A frisson of hope skittered down her spine. Yes. An opportunity to inform the entire city what a hideous husband George had been. To tell the truth. Lord Medford didn’t know it, but he’d just offered her what she truly wanted. She must handle this carefully, however. There was something else she wanted. Well, two things actually. She turned back toward him. “And what exactly will the pamphlet be named, my lord?”
His jaw relaxed and his eyes lost some of their intensity. He stood up again to his full height and regarded her down the length of his nose. “Secrets of a Scandalous Marriage.”
Also by
VALERIE BOWMAN
SECRETS OF A WEDDING NIGHT
SECRETS OF A RUNAWAY BRIDE
SECRETS OF A SCANDALOUS MARRIAGE
(Coming soon)
Valerie Bowman grew up in Illinois with six sisters (she’s the youngest) and a huge supply of historical romance novels. After a cold and snowy stint earning a degree in English with a minor in history at Smith College, she moved to Florida the first chance she got.
Valerie now lives in Jacksonville with her two rascally dogs. When she’s not writing, she keeps busy reading, traveling, or vacillating between watching crazy reality TV and PBS.
Valerie loves to hear from readers. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and at www.ValerieBowmanBooks.com.
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
“A Secret Affair” copyright © 2013 by Valerie Bowman.
Excerpt from Secrets of a Scandalous Marriage copyright © 2013 by Valerie Bowman.
All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
www.stmartins.com
Cover art © Steve Gardner
Author photo © Mary A Behre
eISBN 9781466828612
First eBook Edition: July 2013