Stormy Persuasion Read Free Page A

The old sofa was no longer dusty. And a cot was in the corner of the room with a pillow
     and a crumpled blanket. Was someone other than the ghost staying here? A real trespasser
     now? Even the windows in this room were covered with blankets, so the light of her
     lantern wouldn’t be seen from outside—and was why they hadn’t seen the ghost’s light
     in so long. He was probably furious that some vagrant had moved into his house and
     he’d been unable to scare him away.
    But the vagrant wasn’t here now. Maybe the ghost still was. She was about to tell
     her invisible friend that she could help with his vagrant problem when a hand slipped
     over her mouth and an arm around her waist. She was surprised enough to drop her lantern.
     It didn’t break, but it did roll across the floor—and extinguish itself. No! Utter
     blackness and a very real man with his hands on her.
    She was about to faint when he whispered by her ear, “You picked a lousy place to
     do your trysting, wench. Is your lover in the house, too? Is that who you were talking
     to? Just shake or nod your head.”
    She did both.
    He made a sound of frustration. “If I let go of your mouth so you can answer, I don’t
     want to hear any screaming. Scream and I’ll gag you and tie you up and leave you to
     rot in the cellar. Do we have an understanding?”
    Being bound and gagged didn’t frighten her so much and was even preferable to anything
     else he might do to her. Jack would find her in the morning because she would guess
     exactly where she’d disappeared to. So she nodded. He removed his hand from her mouth,
     but his arm still held her tightly to him so she couldn’t run. Screaming was still
     an option. . . .
    “So how soon before the other half of this tryst shows up?”
    “I wasn’t meeting anyone,” she assured him without thinking. Why hadn’t she said “Any
     minute now” instead?! Then he’d leave—or would he?
    “Then why are you here and how did you get in? I locked the bleedin’ door.”
    “ You did? But what was the point of that when some of the windows are open?”
    “Because a locked door makes a statement. It clearly says you aren’t welcome.”
    She humphed. “Neither are you. Don’t you know this place is haunted?”
    “Is it? I’m just passing by. If there are any ghosts here, they haven’t made an appearance
     yet.”
    “Passing by when you keep a cot here?” she snorted. “You’re lying. And you weren’t
     here a moment ago. Did you come out of the wall? Is there a hidden room connected
     to this one?”
    He laughed, but it sounded forced. She had a feeling she’d guessed accurately. And
     why hadn’t she and Jack thought of that before? Even the ducal mansion had hidden
     rooms and passageways.
    But he placed his chin on her shoulder. “Quite the imagination you have, darlin’.
     How about you answer the questions instead? What are you doing here in the middle
     of the night if you’re not meeting a lover?”
    “I came to visit the resident ghost.”
    “That nonsense again?” he scoffed. “There are no such things.”
    It would be so nice if her ghost would show up to prove him wrong right then. The vagrant would
     be distracted long enough for her to escape and bring Derek back to get rid of him.
     But then she realized the room was too dark for her to see the ghost even if he did
     show up. Frustrated that this trespasser was ruining her last chance to see the ghost
     again, she just wanted to go back to bed. She tried to pull away from him but he tightened
     his hold on her.
    “Stop wiggling, or I’m going to think you want some attention of a different sort.
     Do you, darlin’? I’ll be happy to oblige.” She sucked in her breath and stood perfectly
     still. “Now that’s disappointing.” He actually did sound it. “You smell good. You
     feel good. I was hoping to find out if you taste good, too.”
    She stiffened. “I’m ugly as sin, with boils and warts.”
    He