Julia London Read Online Free PDF Page A

black eyes to Mannheim. “You the marquis’s man?”
    Mannheim shifted uncomfortably. “No,” he answered truthfully.
    “Then stay out of it. Possession is the law, and the marquis ain’t here to defend what’s his,” Danny said with a growl. A hush fell over the room as patrons stopped their conversations and turned expectantly to watch the exchange between them.
    Abbey glared up at the man. “Really, you make it sound as if I am a milk cow. No one possesses me, and no one tells me I must play darts.”
    “I’m telling you, lass. You
will
play.” His tiny eyes shifted to her mouth, the leer touching his lips again.
    “Your insistence is quite rude,” she said almost casually.
    Danny laughed nastily and glanced over his shoulder. “Shethinks me rude, lads. I reckon this pretty little thing don’t know what rude is.” From the corner of the room, the tall man took another step forward and slipped his hand into his pocket.
    “Be a good lass and play darts,” Danny said mockingly.
    Abbey sighed and cocked her head to one side while she considered him, knowing full well she was going to have to throw a dart in order to leave the room. “And if I refuse?”
    “Don’t matter to me. I’ll hold you so’s you play, or you can play of your own accord.”
    With a sigh of exasperation, Abbey slammed her satchel down onto a chair next to her. “Very well then, give me the blasted darts! If I throw and hit the king’s eye, then I shall retire to my room.
Alone
,” she added with a nod of her head. “If I throw and
miss
the king’s eye, then I shall treat you to a tankard of ale, agreed?” she asked as she motioned impatiently for the darts.
    “If you miss the king’s eye, you are mine,” the man replied, then licked his lips as his gaze shamelessly swept her feminine figure. His companions hooted their encouragement.
    “I shall treat you to an ale, but I am most definitely
not
yours.”
    A lopsided smile curved on Danny’s lips. “Whatever you say, lass,” he said patronizingly, and stepped aside.
    “As if this day could be more absurd,” Abbey muttered to herself, and stepped up to the line that had been drawn across the floor. Without hesitation, she drew her arm back and hurled a dart, landing it squarely in the king’s eye. A collective gasp went up from the common room, followed by startled silence. The men stood, slack-jawed, as they stared at the dart protruding from the king’s eye. They were in such a state of shock that Abbey had to nudge a man standing next to her to take the remaining darts from her hand.
    “Good night, sir,” she said simply, and while the men stared with disbelief at the board, Abbey grabbed her satchel and fairly flew across the room.
    Danny turned abruptly and made a move to come after her.But his gaze shifted to the tall man standing just below the stairs, and with a final glance at Abbey’s retreating back, he slowly stepped back and turned away. The tall man stepped back into the shadows, withdrew a cheroot, and settled his shoulder against a post underneath the stairs to stand vigil.

Chapter 2
    Abbey slept fitfully on the mound of dirty blankets, fighting the nagging thought that something was not quite right and waiting for Mrs. Petty to return. When the first gray rays of light filtered in through the small window, she rose, washed as best she could in the ice-cold water at the basin, then donned a plum wool traveling gown.
    Surely Michael would come for her this morning. Surely he had been detained by the weather and would have come for her last evening if he had been able.
Surely
he
never
intended her to stay with Mrs. Petty or at this inn this long. Refusing to let herself think there was any other explanation, she forcibly buried any doubt. She clasped her hands tightly together and pressed them against her stomach, unsure if the queasy pangs she felt were hunger or nerves. Then she crossed to the small window and looked out at the village. The storm had