The Virgin Who Ruined Lord Gray - Anna Bradley Page 0,11

for her.

For long, frozen moments, neither of them said a word. She backed away from him, knowing even as she did so it was hopeless. He was too close, too big, and he was standing between her and her only escape. Even so, she turned to run, but she hadn’t gone a step before that big, scarred hand closed around her elbow, stilling her. The sudden tug upset her balance, and she would have fallen if he hadn’t snaked an arm around her waist and hauled her back against a chest so unyielding, she might have been slammed against a wall.

“You are wicked, aren’t you?” His voice, so low and soft she might have thought she’d imagined it if his lips hadn’t brushed her ear. “You told me as much. I should have listened to you.”

So close, so close…

The words were a howl in her throat, but she had no breath for a howl, and they left her lips as a whisper.

“Indeed. But not close enough.” His arm tightened around her waist—not so tight it squeezed the breath from her, but tight enough to be menacing. “I should have realized sooner you were one of Lady Clifford’s…creatures.”

Creatures? Dear God, that didn’t sound promising. Sophia said nothing, but a drop of sweat trickled from her temple into the corner of her eye.

“You told the truth about one thing though, didn’t you? You aren’t after Lord Everly. You’re after Peter Sharpe.”

Sophia squeezed her eyes closed.

He knew. Lady Clifford, Peter Sharpe, Jeremy Ives…

Whoever this man was, he knew. Somehow, he’d put all the pieces together—

“Now, why would Lady Clifford have such a keen interest in Mr. Sharpe she’d direct one of her disciples to follow him? I can’t help but wonder, you see, if it has something to do with Jeremy Ives—”

“Take your hands off the lady. Now.”

Sophia’s eyes snapped open at the sound of the deep, familiar voice, and relief flooded through her, so intense she sagged against her captor. “Daniel.”

Her pursuer’s body had gone rigid, but when he spoke his voice was calm. “Brixton. I should have known you were lurking about.”

“Aye. You should have. Let go of the lady, my lord.”

The arm at her waist dropped, and the chest at her back disappeared with such suddenness Sophia stumbled.

“Come here, Miss Sophia.” Daniel Brixton held out a hand to her, but he never took his eyes off the man still looming behind her.

She took a hesitant step toward Daniel, but her legs were so wobbly she stumbled again, and he was obliged to catch her. “Daniel, thank God. I—”

“It’s all right, lass.” Daniel righted her with a nudge of his massive arm.

“I wouldn’t have hurt her, Brixton.”

Daniel’s lips stretched in a grim smile. “Of course not, my lord.”

Sophia turned to find her gray-eyed pursuer standing a few paces behind her, his hands tucked casually into his coat pockets, no longer the stuff of nightmares, but just a man now, albeit a big one.

Not, however, as big as Daniel Brixton, Lady Clifford’s most trusted servant.

No one was as big as Daniel.

“Go on inside now, Miss Sophia.” Daniel gave her a gentle push toward the entrance.

Sophia didn’t argue, but stumbled up the steps on trembling legs and hurled herself through the front door. She slammed it closed with a deafening thud, then fell against it, tears in her eyes, and her lungs burning.

Chapter Three

“Sophia?” A voice drifted down into the entryway from above. “Is that you?”

Sophia glanced up and saw Cecilia hanging over the third-floor railing. She was clad in her night rail and she held a book in her hand, her finger marking the page.

“Where have you been? What’s kept you so long? We thought you…” Cecilia trailed off when she caught a good look at Sophia’s face. “Sophia? My goodness, what’s the matter?”

Sophia turned, her lungs still clamoring for air, and peered through the arched window above the door. Nothing but darkness met her gaze. Daniel and Lord…Lord…well, she hadn’t any idea what or who he was lord of, but he was gone.

Vanished.

No, no. Not vanished. Of course, he hadn’t vanished. Daniel had sent him away, that’s all. Aristocrats didn’t simply disappear into the mist like specters—

“Sophia?” Cecilia was watching her with wide eyes. “Are you all right? You look as if you’ve seen a ghost.”

“I think I…I think I have.” Sophia slumped against the door, patting her chest to calm her racing heart.

“It’s all right, Cecilia. Go back to your bedchamber, love. Sophia will be up soon.” A cool voice