A Night of Secrets Read Online Free PDF

heavens, is that a foot?”
    Startled, Grayson momentarily forgot his anger and paused. “What?”
    “A foot, I believe,” the man whispered.
    Shite, he thought he’d smelled death, but was so used to the scent, he’d believed it of no importance.
    But yes…there, in the reeds, poking upward was a black boot. A fine black boot. Grayson dampened down his ire and stepped into the water, moving with the rushing current…closer. With hands steely and determined, he parted the white and blue wildflowers. Two eyes clouded with death, stared up at him.
    ************************************************
    The James family was known for one thing and one thing only…scandal.
    Yes, they’d been involved in more than a few incredibly compromising situations; situations that had unequivocally ruined any chance they might have at being considered a decent family. They really didn’t need another scandal to add to the long list. And Meg, dashing across the field half-dressed, would most certainly be considered a scandal.
    The heel of her left foot smashed down upon a sharp pebble. “Blast it!” she snapped, hobbling the rest of the way.
    Their reputation, what little reputation they’d retained, would be crushed and all because of a man with green eyes….lovely, moss-colored eyes. Her footsteps slowed as their crumbling rock wall came into view. Panting, she barely paused as she glanced over her shoulder. The wavering field lay empty. He hadn’t followed. Perhaps she had imagined him after all. Yet, why did her head still feel muddied? As if the time with him had been some fantastical dream?
    Because men like him… men so refined, so beautiful, so obviously wealthy… didn’t arrive in their small town…well, ever. She shook aside that ridiculous thought and shifted the bundle of clothing under her left arm. She’d barely reached for the gate latch when the bottom hinge gave out and the gate tottered to the side, the corner digging into the dirt with a thud. Another thing to repair. There wasn’t enough time in the day for the work their crumbling cottage needed.
    “Damnation!” Meg jerked at the gate, frantic to make it inside before someone noticed her state of undress.
    “Meg? Are you well?”
    Embarrassed heat flushed her cheeks. She dared to peek over the stone fence, hoping Hanna hadn’t heard her outburst. The child knelt on the ground, attempting to coax Tom from out behind the crates, but the cat remained stubbornly hidden, hissing his displeasure. Two years ago the child and animal had been inseparable. Now even Tom was acting bizarre, hissing and screeching whenever Hanna was near.
    The gate finally wobbled open and she darted through. “What? Oh, yes, fine. You don’t...you don’t see a man down there, do you, Poppet?”
    Hanna’s brows drew together as she stood and scanned the fields. “No, I don’t think so.”
    Thank Heavens. At least she should be relieved. She was relieved, wasn’t she?
    “Why doesn’t Tom like me anymore?” Hanna asked, her lower lip trembling.
    Meg’s heart ached for the child. “Darling—”
    The kitchen door squeaked open and Mary Ellen peeked her freckled face outside, her red locks tied in a haphazard bun atop her head. “Meg, sister dear, have you seen my blue bonnet? You borrowed it the other day, did you not?”
    “No, sorry.” She pushed Mary Ellen aside and tugged Hanna into the house. The child had been outside much too long. It wasn’t good for her skin. Meg cupped Hanna’s chin, frowning when she noticed the child’s flushed cheeks. How would she ever have a normal life when she had to hide away from the light of day? With a sigh, she gently nudged Hanna toward the table.
    The warm scent of boiling beef settled around her like a comforting hug. Home. An abundance of chattering sisters and a shortage of coin. Safely ensconced, she peered through the tattered hole in the lace curtains. The field still lay empty. Had the irritatingly handsome man been a