The Daring Exploits of a Runaway Heiress Read Free

Pauline would realize she wasn’t entirely certain exactly where her only daughter was or what she was doing, and there would be hell to pay. As frustrating as the slow speed of mail and transport across the Atlantic was, at the moment, Lucy was grateful. By her calculations, she had a minimum of a month to do what she wanted to do. If she was lucky, she would have far more.
    She was under no illusions that she could do everything on her great-aunt’s list, but it did seem to her that the worth was as much in the effort as the success. After that, Lucy had no idea what she would do, but her future certainly didn’t need to be decided here and now. She had time and money and freedom.
    “You are absolutely certain you want to do this?” Jackson asked.
    “Aside from not marrying you”—Lucy grinned—“I have never been more certain of anything in my life.”
    “Again, thank you.”
    She laughed. She would always treasure Jackson, but they were choosing their own roads to follow. She hadn’t the slightest doubt that one day he would walk his with Lady Theodosia by his side. Precisely as it should be.
    Lucy’s own road was a bit less clear. Which should have concerned her but didn’t. It was as exciting as it was daunting. Besides, when fate offered you a hand, you would be a fool not to take it. Adventure was where one found it, after all, and opportunities were not to be squandered.
    What Jackson didn’t know, what Lucy had never revealed to anyone, was that her great-aunt wasn’t the only young girl to make a list of those silly or improper things she wished to do in her life.
    Lucinda Wilhelmina Merryweather had long had a secret list of adventures of her own.

Chapter One
    Cameron Effington, the youngest son of the Duke of Roxborough, resisted the urge to clench his teeth and instead adopted his most cordial expression and met his father’s disapproving gaze at the far end of the dining table. “Yes, Father, my work is most satisfactory. Thank you for asking.”
    His father’s eyes narrowed. “Well, as long as it’s satisfactory.”
    “Father,” Cam’s oldest brother, Spencer, the Marquess of Helmsley, said in a low, warning tone. As the next duke, Spencer had long seen himself as the diplomat in the family.
    His father had been less than pleased when Cam had taken a position with Cadwallender’s Daily Messenger more than a year ago. But aside from the occasional disgruntled comment, the duke usually refrained from discussing his youngest son’s work. Tonight, however, there was an undercurrent to his words that did not bode well.
    Cam’s twin brothers, Simon and Thaddeus, traded glances but wisely kept their mouths shut. It would not do for Father to turn his displeasure toward them, although admittedly they had done nothing of late to incur his ire. At least nothing Cam was aware of. His widowed sister, Grace, Lady Watersfeld, continued with her meal, completely ignoring the potential for a family squabble that hung over the table along with the aroma of roasted beef. Two years older than Cam, Grace too had long ago learned the wisdom of not distracting Father and thus bringing her own misdeeds to his attention.
    Admittedly they were more often than not quite a congenial group unless the subject arose of Cam’s choice of profession—indeed that he chose to have a profession at all. Or the discussion turned to the fact that none of them was currently married, none of them had any particular prospects for marriage, and none of them seemed to be making any effort to alleviate that situation. Or the occasional indiscretion and mild scandal any of them might be involved in raised its head. Still, Cameron did give his siblings credit as they were usually most discreet. At those times, one would have thought Father’s entire life had been above reproach, which was far from the truth. Although his offspring were usually wise enough not to bring up Father’s less than stellar behavior in his