Brazen Bride (49 page)

Authors: Stephanie Laurens

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BOOK: Brazen Bride

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He had them call in their maids, then related the story in its most abbreviated version, alluding only where necessary and in general terms to the atrocities committed by the cult; those he deemed too ghastly to be described in polite company.

By the time he finished, the sky outside was darkening and evening was closing in.

Esme had listened intently, putting shrewd questions here and there. She hadn’t been all that surprised to learn that the man Rafe and his friends were working to expose as the Black Cobra was Roderick Ferrar, the Earl of Shrewton’s younger son.

Esme’s lips had tightened, her features growing severe. “I never did like that boy—or his father, come to that. Vicious blackguards, the Shrewtons, except for the heir, Kilworth. He’s altogether a different sort.”

Rafe took her word for that. All he cared about was bringing Roderick Ferrar to justice.

“So let me see if I have this correct.” Somewhat to Rafe’s surprise, Loretta Michelmarsh had seemed as fascinated with his mission as her great-aunt. “You are one of four . . . for want of a better term, couriers, who left Bombay on the same day, all heading for England by different routes. All four are carrying identical scroll-holders, but only one contains the original letter—and that original letter must reach the Duke of Wolverstone in order for the Black Cobra to be stopped.”

When she paused and opened her blue eyes wide at him, he nodded. “In a nutshell, that’s it.”

“So which do you have—one of the decoys or the vital original?”

Rafe shook his head. “The four of us decided that information shouldn’t be revealed to anyone, not even shared among us.”

“In case this fiend of a snake seizes one of you and tries to coerce the information from them in order to concentrate solely on the one who carries the original?” Esme nodded. “Excellent idea. Don’t tell us. We don’t need to know that you’re carrying the original.”

Expression blank, Rafe stared at her, but Esme only smiled.

“The Duke of Wolverstone.” Loretta glanced at Esme. “He’s something of a secret war hero, isn’t he? A spymaster or some such?”

“At one time. He retired some years ago, then assumed the title, but I seriously doubt he’ll have lost his lauded skills.” Esme met Rafe’s eyes. “If you’re working for Royce, Dalziel—Wolverstone—whatever name he goes by these days, then as loyal Englishwomen it clearly behooves us to do whatever we can to aid your quest.”

Rafe inwardly blinked. If he’d known Wolverstone’s name would have such an effect, he’d have used it sooner.

“Regardless, however, now that we know about your mission and have been seen with you by people the serpent’s minions might question, then there’s clearly no option other than to join forces.” Esme smiled with satisfaction. “So no more muttering—you, dear boy, henceforth will be our courier-guide and Hassan will be our guard.”

Esme glanced at Loretta, then looked back at Rafe. “Which makes us your charges.” Her smile was triumph incarnate.

Lips thin, Rafe nodded, then with a glance at Loretta, added, “Until we reach England.”

About the Author

New York Times
and
USA Today
bestselling author
STEPHANIE LAURENS
began writing as an escape from the dry world of professional science, a hobby that quickly became a career. Her novels set in Regency England have captivated readers around the globe, making her one of the romance world’s most beloved and popular authors.
The Brazen Bride
is her forty-second work and the third in The Black Cobra Quartet.

Readers can contact Stephanie via e-mail at
[email protected]
.

For information on all of Stephanie’s books, including updates on novels yet to come, visit Stephanie’s website at
www.stephanielaurens.com
.

Also by Stephanie Laurens

The Brazen Bride

The Elusive Bride

The Untamed Bride

Coming Soon

The Reckless Bride

Bastion Club Novels

Mastered By Love

The Edge of Desire

Beyond Seduction

To Distraction

A Fine Passion

A Lady of His Own

A Gentleman’s Honor

The Lady Chosen

Captain Jack’s Woman

Cynster Novels

Temptation and Surrender

Where the Heart Leads

The Taste of Innocence

What Price Love?

The Truth About Love

The Ideal Bride

The Perfect Lover

On a Wicked Dawn

On a Wild Night

The Promise in a Kiss

All About Passion

All About Love

A Secret Love

A Rogue’s Proposal

Scandal’s Bride

A Rake’s Vow

Devil’s Bride

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

THE BRAZEN BRIDE
. Copyright © 2010 by Savdek Management Proprietory Ltd.. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

Excerpt from
The Reckless Bride
copyright © 2010 by Savdek Management Proprietory Ltd.

EPub Edition July 2010 ISBN: 9780062000088

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