The Earl of Morrey (The League of Rogues #13) - Lauren Smith Page 0,13

air of the gardens might calm you.”

Gillian was right. Everything about Lord Morrey had Letty feeling edgy and out of sorts. Quite frankly, she didn’t know what to do with herself. She collected her shawl and hastened from the drawing room just as the butler answered the door. She had no time to go outside unseen, so she ducked into the nearest doorway to wait.

From her hiding place, she was able to see Lord Morrey step inside and remove his hat and greatcoat. He wore a dark-blue coat and biscuit-colored trousers, which molded to the masculine perfection of his long, lean legs. She had seen many men wear pantaloons that were skintight, but only the best well-built men were able to carryoff such a fashion. Morrey looked even better than the statues in a museum, not that she had ever officially seen many of the nudes, which were considered highly improper for a young, unmarried lady to look upon.

Her mind quickly strayed to other thoughts: how he’d gripped her so tightly last night, yet without hurting her; how he’d held that blade to her throat with such skill that she’d been unharmed; how he’d continued to grip her even after he’d put the knife down. She remembered his eyes. Those twin silvery pools had locked on her eyes, holding her captive as easily as his hands had. Her body flashed with a sudden heat, and her heart pounded hard at the memory. This dark and dangerous man was to be her husband in but a handful of days.

It made her wonder if Lord Morrey’s body would be like the statues she’d seen. The male body was both fascinating and confusing at the same time. But as she watched Morrey linger in the hall, his dark hair falling in his eyes, she wondered,How would he look without his clothes?

“Adam, thank you for coming.” Gillian joined Morrey in the entryway, carefully embracing him in a hug while still holding Gabriel in one arm. She then showed him into the drawing room. Letty breathed a sigh of relief as she sank deeper into the room she’d escaped into, the library. It was a better distraction than the garden. She collected a few volumes on economics and tucked herself into a nook at the back of the room. Surprisingly,she managed to lose herself in the texts for a little while. But the sound of voices soon drew her attention.

She recognized the voices of James and Morrey as they entered the library. She started to rise, but then halted as she realized she couldn’t slip past the two men unseen. She remained hidden, unable to avoid hearing their discussion.

“I thought it would be a bit nicer to discuss things in here. My office is cluttered at the moment. We’ll sign the documents in there when we need to. Do you have the special license?” James asked.The sound of the men settling in chairs accompanied this question.

“Yes,” Morrey replied.

“Excellent. Now let us talk finances first. Letty has a dowry of five thousand a year.”

“If you recall when you married Gillian, I offered you the same for her.” Morrey sounded amused. Letty wished she could see his face.

“I remember, and I only grudgingly accepted, which means you will too.”

Morrey chuckled. “Well played, Pembroke. I will accept, but those funds will be entirely within Letty’s control, for her use and pleasure.”

Letty’s heart gave a leap at hearing that. She hadn’t been sure before what sort of man Morrey was, and if he would allow her any independence, especially financial.

“Very good,” James replied. “Now about the wedding . . .”

“I think I’d like it to be in the small church by Chilgrave Castle.”

“Not St. George’s?” Her brother sounded surprised.

“No. Too open, too dangerous. Chilgrave is off the beaten path. It’s safer. Besides, I have a personal connection to the place.”

“So now we come to the heart of this matter. What the devil happened last night, Morrey? I know you cannot tell me about the mission itself, but you must explain how Letty became entangled in this mess.”

There was a heavy silence, then a long, weary sigh.

“I was to protect Lady Edwards last night while she waited to deliver a message. I had been warned that French agents might try to silence her. The message was only in her head, not upon paper. Had she been killed, she would’ve died with that precious intelligence trapped inside her.” Morrey paused, and Letty realized she had stopped breathing as he spoke. “The