My Lord Hercules Read Free Page B

stepped into the parlor.
“Something about you tossing a mysterious dark-haired chit in
gentlemen’s clothes over your shoulder at Gioco’s last night and
absconding with her?”
    Pippa gasped.
    Harry shook his head. “What a bizarre
tale.”
    “ Indeed.” His jackanapes of
a brother-in-law dropped into a chintz chair across from Harry and
Pippa, stretching his long legs out in front of him. “And yet I
heard it from Heathfield and no less than a half a dozen other
fellows this morning.”
    “ Harry!” His sister turned
her full attention on him. “What on earth?”
    Harry shrugged. What else could he do?
If that many people were talking about the incident, it was better
to come clean. Somewhat, anyway. “I helped a girl find her way out
of the club, that’s all.”
    Pippa touched a hand to her heart.
“What was she doing there?”
    Harry would still love to know the
answer to that question.
    “ Better question is who is
she?” St. Austell asked.
    “ Not really certain,” Harry
lied.
    “ You didn’t ask?” His
brother-in-law smirked, as though he could spot a liar. He probably
could, being one himself.
    “ Jason,” Pippa
admonished.
    How Harry would love to toss the
disreputable earl through a window. Obnoxious ass. He retrieved his
hand from his sister’s grasp and nodded in her direction. “I’d best
be off to Marston House. Shall I tell him to expect an invitation
from you later today?”
    “ Marston will be in the
Lords.” St. Austell’s blue eyes narrowed on Harry. “But his sisters
are all reported to have dark hair, now that I think about
it.”
    Harry glared at his brother-in-law. “I
find it quite interesting that you’re paying attention to reports
about Marston’s sisters, since you’re married to mine.”
    “ Harry, Jason.” Pippa
sighed. “I would truly love it if the men I love more than anything
could manage to be in the same room together without coming to
blows.”
    “ Sorry, sweetheart,” St.
Austell cooed. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”
    It took all of Harry’s control not to
snort. The blackguard couldn’t be on his best behavior if his life
depended on it. Still, he adored Pippa more than anything. So Harry
leaned toward her and dropped a kiss on his sister’s brow, just
like he had done most of her life, whenever she needed soothing.
“Sorry, Pip.” Then he rose from his spot, slightly tipped his head
in his brother-in-law’s direction, and said, “I should be going
though.”
    Pippa smiled. “I’ll make certain to
invite all of Marston House, Harry.”

 

    Perhaps Miranda should just march
herself down to Woodsworth House, pound on the front door and
demand the villain show his face. It certainly wasn’t the first
time that particular thought had crossed her mind, but until now
she’d dismissed it each and every time. After all, she’d be turned
away at the door and wouldn’t be allowed admittance over the
threshold, as she didn’t know the gentleman, nor any of his
sisters. No, she’d have to catch Woodsworth somewhere outside of
his home, where he couldn’t turn her away.
    Blast Harrison Casemore! She would
have found her quarry last night if the Herculean brute hadn’t
thrown her over his shoulder. At the thought of the handsome
gentleman who’d turned her legs to mush, Miranda leaned back from
her escritoire. Her heart beat a little faster, though she tried to
ignore it. That was easier wished for than done,
however.
    What if Mr. Casemore had kissed her
the previous evening? What would she have done then? All alone with
him in that hack? That particular thought had kept her up half the
night. The other half the night, she’d cursed the strapping man for
tricking her into revealing things she didn’t want to reveal – her
name, her direction. Who knew what else he’d have dragged out of
her if the ride home had taken any longer?
    Without so much as a knock, Miranda’s
door was tossed open and her younger sister Penelope barged