Wicked Widow Read Online Free PDF

preparing special remedies for them based on their temperaments.
    Bernice spent hours researching ancient recipes for various concoctions and decoctions designed to treat afflictions of the nerves. She was acquainted with every apothecary in town, especially the select few who sold rare Vanzagarian herbs.
    Madeline would have been less patient with her aunt’s hobby if it were not for two things. The first was that Bernice’s remedies frequently proved remarkably efficacious. The herbal tea she had given to Nellie that morning had had a wonderfully soothing effect on the maid’s overwrought nerves.
    The second reason was that no one understood better than Madeline did how very necessary such distractions were on occasion. The events of that dark night nearly a year ago had been sufficient to put a severe strain on even the sturdiest nerves. The troubling occurrences of the past few days had only made matters worse.
    Bernice was in her early forties, a dainty, spirited, attractive woman with a quick mind. Years ago she had been a high flyer in social circles, but she had given up the glitter of Society to take charge of her brother’s infant daughter after Elizabeth Reed died.
    “Finished.” Bernice whisked the flask off the flame and poured the contents through a strainer into a pan.
    “Now it must cool for an hour.”
    She wiped her hands on her apron as she turned toward Madeline. Her silver-blue eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “What was it you wanted to discuss with me, dear?”

    “I fear that Mr. Hunt will make good on his promise to pay a call on us this afternoon,” Madeline said slowly.
    Bernice arched her brows. “He is not intending to call upon
us,
dear. It is you he wishes to visit.”
    “Yes, well, the thing is, last night after seeing us safely home, he told me quite bluntly that he will have some questions to ask.”
    “Questions? ”
    Madeline exhaled slowly. “Concerning how I came to know so much about him and his business affairs.”
    “Well, of course, dear. One can hardly blame the man. After all, he has gone to a great deal of trouble to hide several aspects of his private life. Then, one night, from out of nowhere, a woman he has never met summons him from his club and demands his assistance in rescuing her maid. In the process, she informs him that she knows full well that he is not only the secret proprietor of the Dream Pavilions, but a master of Vanza. Any man in his position would be quite naturally alarmed.”
    “He was not at all cheerful about the matter, that is for certain. I don’t expect it will be a pleasant discussion. But after what he did for us last night, I feel it would be churlish to refuse to see him today.”
    “Churlish indeed,” Bernice said. “From the sound of things, he rose to the status of hero last night.
    Latimer has been exclaiming over Mr. Hunt’s exploits all morning.”
    “It’s all very well for Latimer to paint Hunt as a heroic figure. I’m the one who must confront him today and explain to him how I came to know the intimate details of his business affairs.”
    “I can see how that will be a trifle awkward.” Bernice eyed her shrewdly for a few seconds. “You are anxious because although you were content to make use of Mr. Hunt’s skills last night, you do not know what to do with him this morning.”
    “He is Vanza.”
    “That does not automatically make him a devil. Not all gentlemen who are members of the Vanzagarian Society are like Renwick Deveridge.” Bernice took a step forward and put her hand on Madeline’s arm.
    “You need look no farther than your own dear father to know the truth of that.”
    “Yes, but—”
    “There is nothing in your records to indicate that Hunt is inclined toward evil, is there? ”
    “Well, no, but—”
    “Indeed, he was evidently quite reasonable about matters last night.”
    “I gave him very little choice.”
    Bernice cocked a brow. “Do not be too sure of that. I have a hunch that Hunt