A Notorious Love Read Online Free PDF Page A

who purchase spiritsand goods from abroad, run them into England, and then sell them. They have no scruples about firing on the Preventive Waterguard. They are rumored to be nasty, evil men who’d sell their own mothers for a profit.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice confidentially. “I once read all about the Hawkhurst Gang in a pamphlet. Dreadful men, all of them.”
    He was torn between the urge to laugh and the urge to wring her neck. Yes, the Hawkhurst Gang had been ruthless and cruel, but not all smugglers resorted to violence. And why she thought a man of seventeen couldn’t be a “real” smuggler was beyond him.
    Still, he wasn’t about to correct her misapprehension. “If you thought I wasn’t a ‘real’ smuggler, why did you assume I could help you? Especially since I’ve been out of the free-trading business for years.”
    “Because at least you’d know what sort of man I’m dealing with. You’d know where they go and what they do. I thought that might help.” When he remained silent, she added, “I truly would not have bothered you if not for the possibility that Juliet could be hurt. But the thought of her being…manhandled by a man like that, and my being unable to stop it…” She trailed off with a choked sigh so faint that a wiser man would have ignored it.
    Daniel couldn’t. Christ, the woman did know how to get at a man, didn’t she? Gritting his teeth, he straightened from the table. “Do you have that sketch of Morgan with you now?”
    Hope filled her face. “Yes.” Picking up her sketch pad, she flipped to a page, then held it out.
    He glanced at the well-rendered image of a handsome young man with dark hair and black eyes, then tore off the sheet and folded it. Stuffing it into his pocket, he handed her the sketch pad. This had to be the stupidestthing he’d ever considered doing. Between Knighton Trading and his own business, the last thing he needed was to involve himself with Lady Juliet’s elopement.
    “I’d best take the miniature of your sister, too.” He held out his hand.
    “Why?” she blurted out.
    “Because I’ll need to show it around while I’m asking questions about Will Morgan and Lady Juliet, won’t I?”
    Her eyes widened, but she fished around in her fancy velvet bag.
    He doubted the chap was a smuggler, but that possibility should be eliminated first. Then he’d ask in the better inns and taverns. Perhaps luck would be on his side, and the two were still in London. If he acted quickly, he might track them down at once. Or not. London had a hundred rookeries and flash houses where a man could hide himself away without leaving a trace. Even the better inns could be discreet about their clientele, if they thought it would profit them.
    And if the pair had already left London?
    Bloody hell, he hoped they hadn’t, because then he’d have to decide how far to carry this nonsense.
    She handed him the miniature. “Does this mean you’ll help me? You’ll look for them?”
    “That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
    “Of course. But you’ve been decidedly unenthusiastic about the idea until now.”
    “Believe me, I’m not chomping at the bit, but I’ll find out where they’ve gone.” He only hoped it didn’t take long. “Where was the last place you traced them to?”
    “An inn named the Bear and Key on the outskirts of London. That was the final stop of the coach they took. They disappeared there.”
    “How long ago?”

    “When I left Stratford three days ago, I was already a day behind. I lost time by going to his supposed regiment, and Papa’s coachman refused to travel at night. He said it was too dangerous.”
    “At least there’s one coachman around with some sense in him.”
    “That made me fall further behind, however, because they posted through the nights. So they’ve been gone from here two days now.”
    “Unless they’re still in the city.”
    Horror filled her face. “Lord, you don’t think they are, do you?