Page 1 (1/2)

Chapter One

A dozen pairs of eyes twinkled in the darkness as Rose Darby raced along the woodland path The nocturnal creatures stopped foraging and fell deathly silent She was not the only one anted to avoid attracting predators tonight Perhaps it was best she didn’t knohat lurked in the foliage Badgers and foxes made the snuffles and scratches, nother back to Morton Manor

Clutching her linen bag of supplies, she continued through the glooht her foot on the exposed root of a tree and al headfirst into a blanket of ferns

Oh, why had she not brought a lantern?

She glanced back over her shoulder for the tenth time in as many steps No e shadows danced before her eyes

Heavens above!

Nicole said it was but a mile from Morton Manor to theinn where she hoped to gain a ride to London By her calculation, it should take fifteen h terrain But she’d run across the boggy field, her feet squelching in her boots and causing blisters The sodden heround She’d tripped several tierness to be away from the horrid place, scratched her hands on bras

Still, one had to look on the bright side After spending six months locked in a house at her father’s behest, she’d finally broken free

The rush of elation was brief How could she celebrate her good fortune when her friend, Nicole, was still trapped inside the manor?

Rose’s heart ached at the thought

Nicole Flint was more than a paid companion Other than her brother, she was the only person Rose had ever trusted Even now, as she uard they’d bound and gagged

The burning pain in her chest returned, and she stopped to catch her breath The sound of rustling leaves and crunching underfoot forced her to swing around

“Who … who’s there?”

She expected to see Stokes’ gnarled face glaring back His rab her and carry her hoht to her gentle breeding when he’d tied her hands so tightly the rope rubbed her skin raw

But Stokes lay in his sick bed, suffering frouard, Baxter, restrained until

Pushing all fears aside, Rose straightened her spine, lifted her chin and continued through the woods Once out on open ground, shein the distance

Despite the late hour, the lalowed A ploy to entice weary travellers to stop and take refreshment or warm their cold limbs With the inn situated on the main route to London, the innkeeper accepted patrons both day and night

But a lady did not enter an inn unaccoardless of the hour

What if a well-respected fanised her? Her only other option was to walk the twentyBut the sore skin on her toes stung with every step Once the blisters burst, she’d have no choice but to stop and seek—

Four words sliced through the crisp night air to put paid to her plans

The Earl of Stanton

The blood in Rose’s veins chilled

What cruel trick was this?

How did her father know she’d escaped?

The male voice came from the vicinity of the courtyard, and so she crept up to the entrance and peered around the stone wall Two room and a coachman — conversed as they re a coach

The lump in Rose’s throat made it hard to breathe