The Infamous Rogue Read Online Free PDF Page A

slow drizzle streaked the windows, dampening Sophia’s mood even more. She missed the sun, missed feeling the warm rays touch her cheeks and lighten her heart. If only the shower would end and the clouds disband. She was convinced her disposition would then improve. The tedious pattern of raindrops slowly stripped her spirit, her sharpness of mind even. She wanted to slip back into her room, snuggle under the covers, and dream…about James.
She shut her eyes tight, willing away the vivifying image of him in her mind. She thought instead about the man’s boorish behavior last night, his scandalous remarks. Quickly the heat in her belly weakened, replaced by a darker sentiment.
I can still see who you are, Sophia. You cannot hide behind layers of satin and fool me.
She opened her eyes and fisted the fabric of her leafy green day dress. He might destroy her. One word from his sensual lips, one whisper of impropriety, and her dream of respectability would be dashed.
Damn him to hell!
Lady Lucas touched her brow in a frantic gesture. “He’ll ruin everything!”
Yes, James would ruin everything, she thought. He would stomp and maim all her hopes for a better future. The blackguard had a hard heart. He wasn’t one to forgive a past transgression.
Would you like me to confess my sins, Sophia? Would you like me to reveal my transgressions…with you?
Sophia balled her fists. What did the devil want from her? To humiliate her publicly? Did he loathe her so much? Enough to put his own neck in a noose? For Sophia intended to keep her vow and see him hang if he ravaged all her hopes and dreams.
But if James outed her first, his neck in a noose would be poor comfort. She needed to convince the man to keep quiet before the murmur of scandal rounded the society pages. But how? He had rebuffed her proposal for a truce last night. Not in words, for he’d remained reticent about the idea. But she had recognized that “over my dead body” gleam in his eyes. He was such a stubborn, vengeful brute. Any other man might consider her proposal beneficial, even honorable…but not the pirate captain. She had to convince James some other way to keep her secret.
“We must spur the earl’s affection for you.” Lady Lucas collapsed in a nearby chair, her dark brow fixed in meditation. “He must propose to you at the house party.”
A sound plan. Sophia didn’t voice her sentiment aloud, though. She permitted the matron of nine-and-forty years to scheme in peace. She depended upon the counsel of Lady Lucas. Without her guidance, she was lost. The strict rules of etiquette baffled her, repulsed her at times.
But Sophia had learned to stifle her inappropriate impulses. She was not on the island anymore. The freedom to do as she pleased was a thing of the past. She didn’t mind, though. Her reckless desires had only brought her misery. She was keen to be rid of them, to repress her natural tendencies. She intended to trade her wild whims for the respectability of a wife: a countess. It was a simple swap in her mind, well worth the effort and funds she had already devoted to the aspiration.
“We mustn’t let the earl think another man is courting you.” Lady Lucas stamped her fist on her knee. “Lord Baine is a gentleman. He might step aside if he believes the captain is interested in you…or he might search elsewhere for a bride if he thinks you are attached to the captain.” She sighed loudly. “If only the barbarian had not asked you to dance!”
Sophia remained mum about her former, illicit affair with said barbarian. Lady Lucas would have an apoplexy if she ever discovered her ward’s sinful past.
“If only the barbarian wasn’t coming to the house party!”
Blood pulsed to Sophia’s temples. Her fingers tingled. She imagined the scorn, the cold snubs if lurid word ever reached the ears of the ton. The vibrant sounds and flashes of color beset her mind, making her sweat.
“Don’t fret about the earl, my dear.” Lady Lucas