Always Have Hope (Emerson Book 3) Read Online Free PDF Page A

you are wrong,” said Jane. “Irene is quite
lovely. And while you’ve only just met Rosalind and me tonight, we are now your
friends. It is simply impossible not to like her. Well, actually, considering
all the disappointed ladies who had their hearts set on becoming the Duchess of
Lynwood, she does have a few detractors. But I love her dearly. What do you
say? Shall we all be friends?”
    Win had to swallow against her tears. “Thank you.
Your offer means more than I can express.”
    “I look forward to getting to know you. And Violet
will be in alt to meet you.”
    “But I wouldn’t want to frighten her with how I look.”
    Jane smiled sadly. “She may only be seven, but she
understands the world is not always a pleasant place. She’ll feel bad for your
injuries, but it will only make her more determined to be your friend. So, you
see, tonight you have already made four female friends. Not a bad start to
your new life. Now, let us get you bandaged. I’d like to apply some salve,
then get you ready for bed. Your dinner should be arriving shortly.”
    “I’m not sure if I’m more tired or hungry.”
    “I am certain you are both. Eat as much as you can,
then go to sleep.” She took Win’s hand. “You are safe here and among
friends. Never doubt those two things.”
    “Is everyone at Lynwood House so kind?”
    “Yes. It starts at the top and emanates from there.
I believe you’ll soon grow used to the Kellington way, regardless of what you’ve
been used to up ‘til this point.”
    “Thank
you,” said Win. “I very much look forward to starting anew.”

CHAPTER THREE
    Alexander Lewis sat back from the brief he was writing
and stretched his arms. He’d been to the boxing salon that morning and his
opponent had been skilled. Alex had gotten in a few good licks of his own, but
he would feel these bruises for days.
    But at least he’d volunteered for the beating he’d
taken. There was a difference when it was optional.
    He looked forward to the bouts not just for the
physical exercise, but as a way of breaking up the tedium of his day. Not that
he didn’t enjoy his profession. At two and thirty, he was a barrister, and had
the distinction of being a KC, formally known as King’s Counsel. He lived and
kept an office in chambers at Lincoln’s Inn off Chancery Lane. And he had
earned a reputation as one of the Crown’s best prosecutors.
    It hadn’t been easy. His presence was resented by the
others in his chambers, most of whom were members of the aristocracy, though
usually second or third sons or distant heirs. But Alex wasn’t a peer. He
wasn’t even from the merchant class as some of the junior barristers were. He
was a bastard, pure and simple.
    His mother had been the longtime housekeeper to the
late Marquess of Lanning. No one knew who his father was, though many had
suspected it was the marquess himself. Lord Lanning had been very kind to him
and his mother both, even going so far as to pay for Alex’s schooling. But the
marquess had never admitted to being his father.
    And now that both Lanning and Alex’s dear mother were
dead, he’d never truly know.
    Alex had been teased mercilessly in school about his
parentage, so he’d had to fight back, earning a reputation as a formidable
fighter. He’d grown into a pugilist’s body. He wasn’t quite six feet tall,
but even now he was heavily muscled, thanks to his appointments at the boxing
salon.
    He was one of the best KCs in chambers, but still
wasn’t fully accepted. Many barristers had studied law solely because they had
to earn a living and had no desire to go to war or join the clergy. But Alex
had a genuine love for the law. He was often given the most difficult cases.
And it was his ability to triumph at court that made him one of the most feared
prosecutors in London.
    Today, he was rewriting a colleague’s brief. The man
was the fourth son of an earl and had neither interest in nor aptitude for the
law. However, it would look