Ruined by Moonlight Read Online Free PDF

dicey proposition. It also did not mean Lady Elena had not hared off with another suitor, but it was hardly politic to point it out.
    “You can think of no one who might be a part of this?” Ben leveled a direct look at his guest. Truly, he had no time to dabble in an investigation. But if he had to—and it appeared he must, though his new life was supposed to be calm and free of intrigue of any kind—he needed to get started at once. He had taken over the role of earl…it wasn’t all that challenging, but it was his duty, and his schedule was already quite full.
    Besides, with every passing moment, he knew from experience, locating a missing object, be it an importantdocument, a valuable piece of information, or, in this case, a person, became more of a challenge.
    “No one,” the earl said and drained his glass in one convulsive swallow.
    “Women confide in each other. I can ask Alicia if—”
    “No!” Whitbridge thrust himself to his feet but at least he had the grace to calm his voice. “I want as few people to know of this as possible. Colbert knows but I was obligated by honor to tell him. I am fond of my niece, but Alicia is young and female and perhaps might not understand the ramifications if she divulged our family’s current dilemma. I prefer you say nothing, Heathton. Understand?”
    Just when he was supposed to be dedicated to pleasing his wife he was supposed to keep an important secret from her?
    Perfect.
    He muttered, “I understand, but this is deuced bad timing.”
    A full day.
    By the illumination, albeit difficult to discern through the colored glass of the windows, it was at least late afternoon, so they’d been locked in this room at least a
whole
day.
    Ran fought the urge to pace.
    He was restless by nature anyway and usually he rode every morning without fail for exercise. Not to mention that they’d been so far given nothing besides the water, and the delectable Lady Elena was probably also hungry and God knew he was famished.
    “When do you think they will at least extend us the courtesy of more water?”
    It was a good question and followed his own thoughts directly, and, actually, he had to admire Elena Morrow for asking it so calmly. He was close to wanting to pound on the door in frustrated fury yet again. So far that tactic had proven useless. The walls were too smoothly constructed to scale and the window too high to reach even if the bed were dragged under it. To escape it would have to be through the door, which was as solid as if it had been constructed to withstand a battering ram from an invading army.
    “It seems like the least of common decency to do so,” he agreed, trying to ignore that even though she was wrapped in a sheet, he well remembered what she looked like in just her shift. “But as you have witnessed, pounding on the door and letting whoever is behind this know that we are not only awake but full of questions has done absolutely no good.”
    Maybe that is the idea,
he wondered wryly. To starve them to death was a bit crude, though he was still mystified as to why anyone would wish either of them harm. There was no doubt he had a few people out there who disliked him, but to
this
extent? No, he could think of no one.
    His most recent mistress, Beth, perhaps, but they had parted ways in a friendly fashion. And besides, while she was undeniably luscious in an overblown fashion most gentlemen found appealing, she did not have the deviousness to somehow drug him and maneuver him into his current predicament. To her credit, he also doubted she had the malice in her either. They had freely enjoyed each other and that was the extent of it. The affair had been pleasant but brief.
    Lady Elena held the sheet modestly closed at herthroat, a faint frown on her lovely face. “I must admit the idea that someone touched me while I was unaware of it is…disturbing.”
    “I like it as little as you do,” Ran admitted, leaning a shoulder against the cool wall. His coat,