Sea of Desire Read Online Free PDF Page A

Jared kept his tone
even. “And if you wouldn’t mind, I’d like a moment alone with Lady
Merideth.”
    Her jaw dropped. Merideth couldn’t help it.
Of all the gall! The stranger made the request as easily as if he
were asking for an introduction.
    “Well, it so happens I do mind. You ain’t
getting no special privileges here. A moment alone, indeed. I
imagine you’d be likin’ untied and a sound horse too.”
    “I’d like to speak to him.”
    “What?” The constable turned on Merideth, his
eyes bulging. “This ain’t no tea party here, your Ladyship.”
    “Do you think I don’t know that? This man
killed my father ... my father, Mr. Samuals. And I want to
speak with him alone.”
    Hands on his knees, Samuals pushed to his
feet. He mumbled something about the gentry—a remark that Merideth
neither caught nor truly cared about—before he headed for the door.
With a nod he motioned for his two deputies to follow.
    “We’ll be right outside, so don’t think of
trying anything,” he said to Jared before closing the door behind
him.
    “Well?” Merideth leveled the pistol with both
hands. Jared’s eyes met hers. He didn’t completely trust her. Hell,
he didn’t trust her at all. But even pointing a gun at his chest,
she seemed a better choice than the constable. Besides, she might
have a stake in this deception too.
    “I didn’t come here to take money from your
father. I came to give him some.”
    Her snort of disbelief was anything but
ladylike. “It’s true. He was selling me something for a generous
amount of gold.”
    “I didn’t send the constable out of the room
so I could listen to lies. My father didn’t have anything worth a great deal of gold... except Banistar Hall. And he never
would have sold that.”
    “He had information.”
    Jared spoke the words softly, but he saw them
spark interest in Lady Merideth’s face. She was either a superb
actress or she knew nothing of her father’s activities. But from
what Lord Alfred had said about his daughter knowing the name of
the traitor, that was impossible.
    “What kind of information?”
    “It’s not important now.” No sense chancing
her turning him in as a spy as well as a murderer. “What is, is
that I had no motive to kill your father.”
    “I still don’t believe you came to give him
money.” Merideth started toward the door.
    “I can prove it.” Jared twisted to his side,
groaning at the pain that caused. “It’s in my waistcoat pocket. I
never had the chance to give it to him.” Or to receive the name of
the American traitor, Jared thought. But Lady Merideth knew who it
was. He’d bet on that.
    Merideth let her eyes drift along his broad
chest to where his black waistcoat draped open. This was
ridiculous. There was no packet of gold. She shouldn’t even be
tempted. But she was. Something about the way he spoke or the look
in his sea-green eyes made her move toward him.
    “Even if you have gold, it doesn’t prove
anything,” Merideth bit her bottom lip and took another step.
Closer.
    “It proves I came here to give money rather
than take it,” Jared said, though he knew she was right. It didn’t
prove anything. But desperation spurred him on. “It shows I had no
motive to kill Lord Alfred.”
    She could smell his scent now, dark and
mysterious, like the sea during a storm. His green eyes were rimmed
by a darker hue. They drew her.
    The silk of her skirt brushed his bent knee.
She was standing above him now. Looking down. The pistol still
aimed at his chest. If she fired it, there was no chance she would
miss. But if he somehow managed to get hold of the gun, he would
kill her.
    Merideth’s gaze flashed to where his hands
were tied behind his back. He couldn’t grab the gun. But she
stepped back and placed it on the desk just the same. Then, before
she could change her mind, Merideth knelt beside the stranger.
    The heat from his body seemed to scorch her
fingers as she reached inside his waistcoat. Merideth’s