by HELEN HARDT
“The constable will decide what to do with you.”
“Please, I only needed some food for my ill mother. I’m all she has. Neither of us has eaten in days.”
Evan softened a bit. The lad could very well be lying, but something within him wanted to give the boy the benefit of the doubt.
“Take me to your mother, lad. If things are as you say they are, I will make sure you are both fed.”
The boy nodded and led Evan down the alley to a ramshackle flat. Evan followed him in. A sickly old woman lay on a cot in the only room. A small table and a chair occupied the rest of the dwelling.
“Mum,” the boy said, “this nice lord is going to bring us some food.”
“Madam,” Evan said, “how long have you been ill?”
The woman opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.
“She’s too weak,” the boy said. “She had the consumption, and she never fully recovered. We couldn’t afford to have the doctor come.”
“How have you been taking care of her?”
“Stealing mostly. I don’t like to do it, but I’ve had no other choice. There’s no work to be had, and the landlord comes around every week or so wanting his rent.”
“I will find my servant and coachman and see that the two of you are taken care of for the next few months. Are you able to work, lad? I can give you a job at my townhome.”
“I cannot leave Mum.”
Evan nodded. He couldn’t very well take responsibility for the sickly woman. “Is she able to travel? My family has an estate in Wiltshire, and we have tenant homes available. If you are willing to work, we could probably find a solution.”
The boy shook his head. “I’m sorry, sir. I cannot see how that will work.”
Evan nodded. If the boy was willing to work, Evan would find a way to move his mother and him and get them the help they needed. “I can arrange for transport for you both.”
“We cannot take advantage.”
“I am giving you the advantage,” Evan said. “Don’t be a fool.”
“No, sir. If you could just give us the food you promised…”
“Lad, I’m offering you more than a few meals—”
Evan stopped as his eye caught a glint of glass on the floor. A whiskey bottle. And another. At least a dozen were scattered in the corner of the room.
These people didn’t really want his help. They wanted his charity. They were not going to change.
“Very well, then.” Evan took out his purse and retrieved several coins. “Buy some food. This will last you a couple of weeks. Make sure your mother gets fed decently.” He met the boy’s gaze. “And do not spend the money on the drink.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And give me your blade.”
“But sir…”
“Consider it payment for the food.”
The boy reluctantly handed over the knife.
Evan shook his head as he left the humble dwelling. The boy wanted to take the easy way out. It was so very clear.
Was Alexandra any different? She wanted to marry Nathan Landon for his money. Granted, it was difficult for a woman to make it on her own in this world, but she’d obviously found a way to make a little bit of money selling her stories.
Evan’s dander rose again. She’d probably made more from using his business to publish The Ruby.
He sighed. He had done all he could for the lad and his mother, and he had done all he could for Alexandra. He had given her his love, willingly, but she did not want it.
Right now his priority was Sophie. He would return here at midnight.
* * *
“Here you are, Lady Alexandra,” the grey woman said, bringing in another sparse meal.
Sophie shot her eyebrows up. This was the first time they had called her something other than my lady. She had been right. They had mistaken her for Ally. She did nothing to correct the error.
She simply nodded as the grey woman set the small meal on the table. The woman then took her chamber pot and left the room. A few minutes later, she returned it.
“Aren’t you going to eat, my lady?”
Sophie was not hungry. She had not been hungry since they took her. What she really wanted was a basin and pitcher to wash the grime off her face and hands. But she wouldn’t ask. She was at their mercy now, and if they wanted her clean, they would bring her a basin and pitcher. “Yes, of course.” Sophie picked up the sandwich and took a bite out of the dry bread. She took a gulp of the water that had been brought with it. Maybe she could get some answers from the woman. “I’m sorry, but who are you again?”
“It’s like Mr. Ryland told you. We are members of a group against the publication and distribution of obscene literature. We seek to punish those involved with it.”
“Why not let the legal system take care of that?” Sophie said.
“The legal system is a joke, my lady. Publication of such material is a common misdemeanor. The constables look the other way, just like they do with the whorehouses.”
“Why do you care so much about it?”
“Because it is obscene, my lady.”
Who gives you the right to decide what is obscene and what is not? The question sat on Sophie’s tongue, but she did not ask it. They had not hurt her so far, but they were clearly fanatics who thought they were above the law. She could not trust that they would not do her harm. After all, they had kidnapped her.
If only Ally had not gotten involved with this. Well, Ally was Ally. Sophie would protect her, with her life if necessary.
* * *
Darkness had fallen when Evan returned. Woods met him at the door, his expression unreadable.
“My lord, I’m not sure how to tell you this.”
“What is it, Woods?”
“I have heard from your father. He and the countess will be returning in a few days’ time. They will be stopping here in London first before going on to Wiltshire to the estate.”
Evan rubbed his jawline. Just what he needed—his father home, and he had managed to lose one of his stepsisters. “Lord,” he said.
“I’m afraid that’s not all,” Woods said.
What could be worse? Then he realized he already knew.
“She’s gone, isn’t she?”
Confessions of Lady Prudence
by Madame O
Amelia, I cannot even begin to tell you the pleasure I felt. Not being able to move my arms, not being able to sift my fingers through his glorious tresses, heightened the sensation. I tugged at my restraints, willing them to release me so that I could touch him. To no avail. Yet he continued to plunder me, licking my pussy until I screamed.
“Lars! Release me, please! I must touch you!”
He only chuckled, his voice sending further tremors through me as it vibrated off of my folds. He pushed my thighs forward, baring me further to his view. He forced his tongue in and out of my entrance, and he sucked on my nether lips. His tongue slithered farther now, to my most secret opening. He licked it, teasing it, and Amelia, such shocks quivered through me.
“Release me!” I begged again.
And again he only chuckled, teasing my anus, and then breaching it with a finger.
I nearly jerked off the bed, so intense was the pain of the breach. He continued eating my pussy while he fingered me, the pain slowly subsiding. In and out, in and out, and Amelia, it began to feel absolutely amazing. He sucked my folds into his mouth again and then he teased at my clitoris, licking, sucking, until I exploded in an earth-shattering climax.
“Oh, Lars, how wonderful! Now, please release me, and I shall do the same for you.”
Lars only chuckled again and moved forward on top of me, straddling me. At some point he had disrobed, and oh, was he a sight to behold! Lighter skin than Christophe or Mr. Peck, and lean muscles and a nearly hairless chest! His sculpted cock sprang from a triangle of copper.
He nudged my lips with his erection. He had no intention of releasing me, Amelia. He was going to fu
ck my mouth just like this. And I found, to my utter surprise, that I was thrilled.
He said nothing, only inched his cock past my lips, which I opened for him obediently. He placed his hand behind my neck and raised my head off the pillow, bringing my mouth into closer contact with his cock. He held my head fast, controlling the movement. I had never sucked cock before where I was not the one in control, Amelia, and it was something splendid indeed. He forced himself into my mouth, moaning, groaning.
“My lady, that is so good,” he said.
I, of course, could say nothing in return as his cock filled my mouth. However, his pleasure coursed through me, giving me greater pleasure myself. I wanted him to climax, yet I didn’t, because if he climaxed now in my mouth, he would not be able to fuck me. I yearned for that big cock in my pussy.
As if reading my mind, he left my mouth and slid downward. He forced my thighs forward, my feet resting on his shoulders, and he entered me with one swift thrust.
Oh, the ecstasy! He filled me so deeply, so completely, that I nearly shattered at first contact.
He plunged and he plunged, and I was just on the verge of my climax, when the door to my bedchamber opened.
Chapter 19
Evan stood, immobilized. No good would come of berating Woods or any of the other servants. Alexandra possessed magical powers when it came to getting what she wanted. Putting her under house arrest was futile. He’d tried it before, to no avail, and obviously it wasn’t working any better today.
What would he say to his father and his new stepmother? Now he had lost both of their daughters.
“I’ve questioned some of the servants,” Woods said. “None of them know where she went.”
“How could she have escaped the manor undetected?”
“Your guess is as good as mine, my lord. She is a very smart young lady—fair of face, strong of will, and crafty of mind. I’m afraid that’s a lethal combination.”
Evan drew in a breath. All things he admired greatly about Alexandra—and what might become his undoing.
He should call his brother, but Jacob was at the other Brighton London residence, the larger one, of course, in full enjoyment of the end of the season with Marvella. Evan definitely didn’t want one of Jacob’s big brother talks.
How had he come to this? He’d managed not only to fall in love with one of his new stepsisters but also to lose track of both of them. And his father and new stepmother were on their way home at the moment and would be back, stopping in London, in two to three days. Could he have blundered this any worse?
He would fix this tonight, for he knew exactly where Alexandra had gone—32 Chilton Place. He shuddered at the thought of either her or Sophie in that vile neighborhood.
He pulled his timepiece out of his pocket. A few more hours until midnight. He didn’t know what to expect, so he prepared for the worst. He’d been told to come alone, but he wasn’t that stupid. He would bring a few loyal servants and leave them in the coach a few blocks away, just in case.
His stomach growled. He didn’t feel the slightest bit hungry, but he had not eaten since lunch. He strode quickly to the kitchen and bid a servant to quickly fix him something.
* * *
Ally fished several coins out of her reticule to pay the hansom cabbie.
“This ain’t the greatest area, milady,” the cabbie said. “You sure you want me leaving you here?”
“I will be quite fine, thank you.” Ally, a dark cloak covering her, handed him the coins, hoping the words she spoke were true. The area was poverty-stricken, not unlike where she had grown up. They had lived in town during her teens, rather than on the Longarry estate, which her father couldn’t afford to keep in repair. Ally had hoped never to see areas like this again in her lifetime. She wouldn’t have to, if she got through tonight. After she saved Sophie, she would marry Mr. Landon, and they would both be taken care of forever.
To be legal, the marriage would have to be consummated. She had looked forward to sleeping with Mr. Landon…until she had slept with Evan. She couldn’t imagine that the two would compare. Although she enjoyed her kisses with Mr. Landon, comparing his kisses to Evan’s was like comparing a coddled egg to the most decadent cheese soufflé.
Nothing to be done about that. She had made a decision, and she intended to see it through.
There were still a few hours until midnight. She would go to the address, look around, and find a good hiding place. She fingered the kitchen knife in her pocket. It wasn’t much, but it gave her a bit of confidence. Evan would show up at midnight or a bit before, and she would be here to help him if he needed her.
The cobbled street was littered with refuse and waste. Ally held a handkerchief to her face and breathed through her mouth. Rats scattered away from her, and tomcats strode the alley mewling and looking for females in season.
Yes, this was all too familiar to Ally. After tonight, though, this type of life would truly be in her past.
None of the doors of the building were open, though one window was broken. She walked toward it and touched the jagged glass. “Ouch!” She had not expected it to be quite so sharp. A bead of blood pearled on her fingertip.
Why would anyone bring her sister to such a godforsaken place? Who had Sophie?
Darkness surrounded Ally. Even if she had come here at high noon, she still would have felt the darkness. Neighborhoods like this were just dark.
Quick as lightning, a blur ran past her and grabbed her reticule.
“Wait!” Her feet started to move, but she rethought the action. She would never catch the perpetrator. She hadn’t brought much money with her, but how would she get back? She hadn’t really thought this out. Evan was right. She was impulsive. All she knew was that she had to rescue Sophie.
After all, this was her fault.
She found a spot on the side of the building where she was out of sight of the moonlight. She sat and waited.
* * *
Sophie was blindfolded and gagged again. They had placed her in a rickety old coach and they were now driving who knew where. Her heart thudded as fear barreled through her. If these people were part of a group against the publication and distribution of obscene literature, what did they plan to do with her?
Kidnapping her wouldn’t gain them anything. Perhaps they were just eliminating people who were associated with what they called obscene literature.
She gulped, refusing to let the fear overtake her. She would protect Ally at all costs. After all, she owed her.
The horses stopped, and Sophie was forced from the carriage. Her hands were bound, and she was still blindfolded and gagged. She was pulled and pushed forward into what she assumed was a dwelling.
* * *
Ally’s ears perked up at the low voices. She stole toward the front of the building, taking care to stay out of the light. A broken-down coach stopped, and two people—no, three people—emerged, one woman blindfolded and gagged.
Sophie!
Ally resisted the urge to cry out her sister’s name. A woman unlocked the door, and the two forced Sophie in.
Now what? Ally’s feet were glued to the ground. She had no idea what to do. What had she been thinking, coming here? Evan was right. She would just be in the way. Her eyes misted with tears.
Ally, don’t cry like a ninny. This is all your fault!
She readied to knock on the door and demand that they let Sophie go, to tell them that she was Alexandra. She again resisted her impulses. That would just give them two hostages instead of one. They would not let either of them go, and Evan would have to save them both. She could not do that to Evan, and she might end up putting Sophie in even more danger. She bit her lip. What to do?
She stood, hidden, until a large dark figure approached the dwelling. She cowered, fear coursing through her, until—Evan! He was all in black, his hair pulled back, a black hat upon his head. Had he truly come alone? Without even a horse and coach?
Against the side of the building, she fel
t the vibrations when he knocked on the door.
The door opened and Evan was ushered in. If words were exchanged, Ally could not hear them.
* * *
“All right, I’ve come alone, as you asked.” And Evan had. At the last minute, he’d decided not to ask servants to accompany him. The fewer people who knew about this dratted situation, the better. He would trade himself for Sophie and then deal with the aftermath. If he died, what would it matter? The woman he loved had betrayed him. What was there to live for anyway? “Where is Lady Alexandra?”
“Mr. Ryland, bring her in,” the lady who had answered the door said. “Evan Xavier is here.”
A man pushed a bound and gagged Sophie before him. He pushed her at the woman and then frisked Evan.
Evan shoved Ryland away and moved quickly toward Sophie. “My God, are you all right?”
She nodded.
“For God’s sake, take that gag off of her!”
“In good time,” the man called Ryland said. “It is not every day that I meet a pornographer.”
Evan clenched his hands into fists, and raw anger surged into him. “How dare you? I am no more a pornographer than you are a prize citizen of London. Release her. Whatever argument you may have with me, she has nothing to do with it.”
“You must really think me a fool, Xavier. She is one of your prized writers of that little gem you call The Ruby.”
“Let her go,” Evan said through clenched teeth.
“Why should we?” Ryland stood his ground. “She’s as guilty as you are.”
“So that’s your modus operandi. You kidnap everyone associated with what you feel is obscene literature. What do you expect that to prove?”
“We took her to draw you out as the publisher,” Ryland said. “We’re going to get rid of both of you tonight.”
“Oh my God, you are insane.” Evan stepped back a bit. He hadn’t come unarmed, as bid. As he had hoped, they hadn’t checked his stockings. A sharp blade sat snugly against his skin. He could get to it quickly if need be.