Deverell's Obsession: A Risqué Regency Romance Read Free

since young Delaney was in short coats, so he was used to his master’s unique interpretation of things that were amusing. Once Baxter assumed the position of butler to the household, such knowledge did not, however, make life any easier.
    Clouds scudded across the sky, harbingers of rain later. Dev glanced up as he clattered through the London streets, heading for the docks. It was his hope that whatever the weather chose to do that day, it would do it when he was safely under some shelter.
    He didn’t dare trot or canter; the streets were now quite busy with people going about their daily business. The nearer he got to the river, the more wagons he saw, loaded with goods, either heading to or away from the cargo ships he knew were tied up alongside the wharves.
    It was a rough area, full of working men with short tempers and long thirsts, and he’d rather not traverse a few of these streets at night, alone. But his destination was a surprisingly quiet road with tidy houses, many of which had been converted into shops. The traffic there was a great deal more orderly than would now be rumbling alongside the water.
    His appearance was expected, since he had no sooner pulled his horse to a halt than a sprite of a girl with brilliant red hair dashed out of the door, and almost got herself knocked over.
    “I’ll take yer ‘orse, Mister Sir.” She grinned at him, showing a prominent gap where a tooth had fallen out.
    “Wee Brenna, is it?”
    “Aye ‘t’is that. Fancy yer recallin’ ma name.” She danced from one foot to the other, eyes wide.
    Dev dismounted and looked at the tiny girl, then at his horse. His horse, to do him credit, had stilled and behaved himself in a gentlemanly fashion. But that didn’t stop him from rolling his eyes at his master.
    “I know. I know.” Dev soothed the Roman snout. “Brenna, what will you do with him? He’s a big lad.”
    “Och, ‘t’isn’t a worry, sir. I’ll take ‘im round back into the mews. We’ve a hitchin’ post there. Give ‘im an apple, mebbe. Would ye like that, feller?”
    She reached up her little hand and touched his nose.
    Dev blinked as his damned horse, whose temper was notorious, dipped his head and whuffled affectionately into Brenna’s palm.
    “Well look at that.”
    “That’s our Brenna. Got a way with animals, she has.” The voice came from a woman with greying hair and a modest dress, who stood in the doorway.
    “Mary, isn’t it?” Dev surrendered the reins to wee Brenna and moved toward the door. “Thank you for the note. It’s a mystery we must solve, I believe.”
    “Indeed it is, Mr. Deverell. We’re obliged you took us seriously.” The other half of this delightful couple welcomed Dev into the house.
    “A pleasure to see you again, Eileen.”
    “Kind of you to recall us, sir.” She dropped him a quick curtsey.
    “Stop,” Dev held up his hand. “None of that, if you please. I’d like to think we’re friends, thanks to Lady Julia. So you don’t curtsey, I don’t bow, and it’s Dev , not sir.” He headed toward an open door. “Right. That’s settled. Now, where is she?”
    “Keep going, s…Dev.” Mary blinked and caught herself. “Right through. She’s resting on the chaise.”
    He walked into the room, finding it filled with sunlight. So bright that for the first few moments he could see little detail.
    But he put his hand up and in the shade he saw the chaise, up against the wall and beneath the windows.
    On it was a figure, lying down with her head on several cushions. She seemed to be in a nightgown with lots of ruffles, and covered with a blanket.
    He walked over, looked down…
    And his heart stopped.
    It was her .
    He fought for some semblance of control over himself, since his first reaction was to fall to his knees and babble uncontrollably.
    However, since his practical nature reasserted itself and reminded him that any kind of magic spell or mystical illusion wasn’t likely to have manifested near the