Compromising the Marquess Read Online Free PDF Page B

to her senses. She was here to investigate and she couldn’t back down now, just because she didn’t much care for the sight of blood.
    She could see money changing hands. A man in a threadbare greatcoat and top hat was accepting bets. There was almost a carnival atmosphere as the group swelled in numbers, trading rowdy greetings and good-natured insults. Men stamped their feet, impatient for the activity to begin, others busied themselves with foaming tankards of ale.
    After about fifteen minutes, two men appeared, stripped to the waist. Clearly, they were the fighters. Leah crawled out of her hiding place.
    “Here, where are you going, miss?”
    “To watch, of course.”
    “I don’t think you should—”
    “Nonsense! This is very interesting.”
    Before Jonny could formulate further objections, Leah crept to the edge of the ring of men, standing on her toes and peering between their shoulders to get the best view that she could. The easiest place to hide was in a crowd. Besides, she’d never seen a man anything other than fully clothed before. If she was to be a full-fledged reporter, she really needed to broaden her horizons.
    Frankly, she was rather fascinated by what she saw. Muscled torsos, at least when their owners were literally fighting fit, were strangely compelling. Perhaps she could write something about that for the paper—give a female’s point of view without making it too apparent that it was written by a woman. Mr. Morris might find that sufficiently different to appeal.
    When the fighting started, Leah was impressed by the combatants’ skill. She was equally horrified by their brutality and single-minded determination to inflict as much damage on one another as possible. Kill or be killed, she supposed, hoping that thought didn’t reflect their true purpose.
    The two men danced round each another, seeming to know exactly when to strike. The noise was deafening as the spectators screamed for blood. They shouted encouragement and raucous comments, as though men beating the life out of one another was a cause for celebration. Leah felt she ought to be repelled but became caught up in the excitement of the event in spite of her misgivings. The smaller man’s nose cracked beneath an especially vicious blow that he failed to avoid. The crowd erupted into loud cheering as his opponent went in for the kill, pounding the poor man’s face until it was a river of blood.
    Leah looked away, feeling slightly sick but unwilling to admit as much to Jonny. Not that he would have noticed. He was totally taken up with the spectacle, face shining as he cheered loudly each time a blow landed. Leah directed her gaze round the clearing, seemingly the only person present not entirely focused on the fight. If someone was using the event as cover for something illegal, she ought to have been alert to that possibility rather than following the action, willing the smaller man to succeed.
    “Have you seen anything suspicious?” she asked Jonny.
    “Only that chap’s left hook,” Jonny replied, his gaze still fastened on the fight.
    “Oh, my goodness, the small man’s got up again.” Leah felt extreme agitation. “Surely he ought to stay down. We must do something to stop this!” She dashed forward. “He’ll be killed if we don’t.”
    Jonny grabbed her arm, showing a surprising amount of strength for such a thin youth. “You’ll be the one killed if you try that.”
    “Maybe, but this is barbaric—”
    “The small chap knows he has to fight on. There would be a riot if he gave in so easily.”
    “So easily? He just—”
    Another loud cheer, Jonny contributing to it as enthusiastically as anyone. “Did you see that, miss? I told you the little guy wasn’t finished. He just planted the big chap a right facer.”
    Leah blinked, hardly able to believe her eyes. The larger man was now the one prostrate on the ground. His smaller opponent stood over him on swaying legs, blood covering his torso, ready to