Lavender Lies (Historical Romance) Read Online Free PDF

of you know the circumstances surrounding my brother's death?"
    "I .. . the details are a bit vague, Your Gr— Julian. Colonel Grimsley and I assumed his untimely death had something to do with his . . ." the words seemed to stick in Grimsley's throat, ". . . dis . . . grace."
    A muscle twitched in Julian's cheek, and a coldness touched his dark eyes. "You have assumed correctly. I want to know about this woman who calls herself the Swallow. Don't leave anything out, no matter how insignificant you think it might be. I will need to know everything about her, if I am to succeed in capturing her."
    Colonel Grimsley stared into the face of the duke for a fraction of a second, before he felt compelled to turn his gaze away. He wondered if anyone could withstand the  duke's  penetrating  gaze  for very  long.  "The information we have on her is sketchy at best. Some say she has red hair, while others swear her hair is black. We have had reports that she is a young girl, and even some who insist that she is past her prime. We have even been told that she is not a woman at all, but a man dressed as a woman. Of course, it is my belief that she is a woman. How else could she wheedle secrets out of our soldiers?" The colonel's voice trailed off, remembering the duke's brother had been one of those soldiers who had been tricked by the Swallow.
    The duke absently ran a lean finger across his ruffled cuff. "I have it on good authority that the Swallow is a woman," he said. "Make no mistake about that. Tell me, have either of you come close to catching her?"
    Grimsley shrugged his shoulders, looking uncomfortable under Julian's close scrutiny. "1 am sorry to say we have not. I begin to think she is a myth. Surely you can see what we have been up against."
    "She will not be easy to catch," Cleave Wilson added, coming to the aid of Colonel Grimsley. "She is too elusive and strikes where we least expect, only to disappear without a trace once she has achieved her objective. She has been responsible for freeing traitors from the guardhouse, capturing sensitive documents, and wheedling secrets of the most delicate nature from her unsuspecting victims. Once she even enticed a high-ranking officer into drawing the entire plans of our headquarters in New York."
    "Surely you have some notion as to where she is operating from?" Julian stated flatly. "You have been on her trail long enough to have made at least that much progress."
    Wilson leaned back in his chair and glanced into the handsome face of Julian Westfield. "I have been led to believe that she may be operating out of Williamsburg, Virginia. However, as you can imagine, I have not been able to substantiate that fact. Of course, the evidence is inconclusive since we cannot go unmolested among the people. Williamsburg is a hotbed of Whigs. As you may know, some of the first rumblings of war came out of the capital there."
    Colonel Grimsley leaned in closer. "It is said the Swallow uses her charms to entice her victims to do her will. I believe we can assume she is a woman of little virtue. I... of course you are aware of what she did to your . . . brother."
    Julian's jaw tightened. "Am I to deduce that she does not confine her activities to one area?"
    "That is correct. She has been known to operate as far north as Philadelphia and beyond both Carolinas," Colonel Grimsley confirmed.
    "Can you tell me anything else about her?"
    "Not much," the colonel replied. "Two months ago I was assigned to track her down. In that time there has been no word of her. It is as if she knows what we are doing every step of the way. I had begun to hope that she has ceased her traitorous activities."
    Julian studied Colonel Grimsley's face closely. "Williamsburg." He became thoughtful. "I wonder?"
    "Perhaps we have heard the last of her, Your Gr—" Wilson's face reddened. "I mean, Julian."
    "Do not delude yourself into thinking she has retired, gentlemen." Julian lowered his eyes and stared into the