Ember Read Free

e r upp e r lip , so plu m p a nd fu ll . He ’d lick his wa y a cross th a t luscious curv e b e for e dipping his tongu e… Arch e r shift e d in his s a ddl e a nd gl a r e d at th e pyr am ids . N o . O n l y th e nights w e r e M ir a nd a ’s , only his dr eam s . S h e h a d no pl a c e in th e pr e s e nt .
    Sa v e th a t sh e did . He n ee d e d a cur e. F ind th e cur e a nd h e could cl a i m h e r . F ind th e cur e a nd his lif e could b e gin . He ’d s e nt h e r gr ee dy crook of a f a th e r e nough funds to k ee p h e r s a f e until Arch e r could co me for h e r . He r f a th e r , He ctor E llis , th e v e ry me rch a nt w ho’d p a id thos e d am n a bl e pir a t e s to st ea l Arch e r’s ship .
    Arch e r r e c a ll e d th e night h e ’d fin a lly tr a ck e d E llis down . I t wa s th e s ame night h e ’d me t his d a ught e r . M ir a nd a, th e w ill fu l , f ea rl e ss young l a dy who h a d f a c e d two thugs int e nt on r a ping h e r without flinching . M ir a nd a, who h a d ch a stis e d Arch e r for st e pping in a nd sc a ring th em off . T h e m o me nt th e y’d me t , Arch e r f e lt a liv e, f e lt lik e a ma n , not a th i ng .
    Arch e r h a d me t w ith E llis th e following m orning a nd h a d been disgust e d by th e ma n’s co we ring a nd sniv e ling .
    “ I shou l d kill you for wh a t you h a v e don e, ” Arch e r h a d told hi m. “ I shou l d do it s l ow l y , so you m ight e xp e ri e nc e e v e n a t e nth of wh a t I ’ v e been through . ”
    “ P l ea s e, m y lord! I did not know! I did not know it wa s you r sh i p !”
    Bas t a r d t ha t he was, A r che r had used eve r y ounce of i n ti m i da ti on t ha t he had at hand. And when E lli s had been r educed t o sobb i ng f o r h i s lif e, A r che r gave h i m a way ou t .
     
    “ De spit e m y b e tt e r judg me nt , I am willing to consid e r a tr a d e f o r you r lif e. ”
    Thus a bargain had been s tr uck. E lli s wou l d li ve, and A r che r wou l d wed t he man ’ s younges t daugh t e r , t he f a ir M ir anda. A r che r wou l d p r ov i de f unds f o r bo t h E lli s and M ir anda t o li ve o ff un til t he wedd i ng. The fir s t i ns t a ll men t of wh i ch shou l d a lr eady be i n t he man ’ s hands. A r che r knew he ough t t o f ee l gu ilt y f o r wha t he ’ d done. Bu t he cou l dn ’t . He me r e l y had t o p i c t u r e M ir anda ’ s l ove l y f ace and he r gaze, so d ir ec t when he had g i ven he r h i s go l den c o i n i n a f oo li sh a tt emp t t o… wha t ? Make he r s t ay? G i ve he r hope? He d i dn ’t qu it e know why he ’ d g i ven he r a co i n, on l y t ha t he wou l d g i ve he r t he wo rl d if he cou l d. Bu t she hadn ’t wan t ed g ift s fr om h i m. “ I don ’t t ake g ift s fr om s tr ange r s, ” she had s a i d t o h i m. “ A tr ade, howeve r . ”
    A r che r fi nge r ed t he kn if e she ’ d t ossed t o h i m, now s tr apped t o h i s f o r ea r m, a s l eek C h a t e ll e r a ult w it h a b l ack ename l h ilt . Beau tif u l , e l egan t , much li ke he r . H i s wan t of he r ove r came me r e gu ilt .
    Ama r’s conve r sa ti on d rift ed t o h i s ea r s, pu lli ng h i m back t o t he p r esen t , whe r e he shou l d be, if he had any sense. The man gave h i s consp ir a t o r s a wa r n i ng no t t o s tri ke now. They wou l d t ake A r che r unawa r es when he r e t u r ned t o h i s r oom at Shephea r d ’ s. A ri sky move, f o r it wou l d ange r t he Eng li sh con ti ngen t , bu t b r ash enough t o wo r k. A r che r sm il ed t h i n l y, t hen u r ged h i s ho r se f o r wa r d j us t as t he r ays of t he se tti ng sun bu r s t a r ound t he g r ea t py r am i d.

Chapter 2
London , Ma rch 1,1879
    S pring wa s in th e a ir now , a soft c a r e ss th a t ma d e on e ’s st e p a littl e bit light e r , ma d e th e me n a nd w o me n of London toss off th e t e ns e, huddl e d strid e th a t w int e r’s cold crush e nforc e