Bronwyn Scott's Sexy Regency Bundle (178 page)

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Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady

As expected, Uncle Barnaby's watery blue eyes bulged at the mention of breaking the contract. He began to sputter. 'A betrothal contract can't just be broken! Do you know what that entails?

have to reimburse

Oswalt for all his expenditures on your behalf, Julia, and for funds he's already advanced the family on the understanding that you would soon be wed.'

'You could just return the money,' Julia probed, hoping to determine her uncle's exact level of indebtedness to Oswalt.

'Silly chit! Oswalt was right. These of transactions are too complicated for the female brain. The money has been spent. We had to have something to live on until Gray returns and Oswalt's money seemed good for spending. After all, it was an advancement on what he owed us. We didn't have to pay it back. It was ours.'

Uncle Barnaby's weak chin trembled. 'At least it was ours until you ran away and Oswalt started asking for the funds back. Now, we owe him Gray's cargo unless you marry him.'

Julia swallowed hard. She'd heard Paine explain this aspect of Oswalt's plan to her on more than one occasion, but hearing the despair in her uncle's voice was difficult to bear, especially since he saw her as the cause of their woes.

Her aunt piped up cheerfully from her corner, 'All is well now,

Our Julia is home and she can woo

Oswalt back.'

Julia folded her hands in her lap and stiffened her spine. 'I am afraid that's not possible any longer. He

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stipulated in the contract that he wanted a virgin bride.

Those terms no longer apply to me.'

Aunt Sara gasped. Uncle

eyes flew to Paine.

'You're a black-hearted scoundrel, taking advantage of a girl about to be married. You're worse than the rumours.'

He shook an ineffectual fist in Paine's direction.

Paine ignored the older man's rant and jumped into the conversation for the first time. 'What Julia hasn't mentioned yet is that we came here to warn you about Oswalt. He's planned this all along. He meant to ruin your finances, which were precarious at best. He meant to push you into irrevocable debt.'

'Balderdash. He's got no reason to do that. You can take your lies elsewhere,' Uncle Barnaby stammered.

'He's got every reason.' Paine carefully laid out Oswalt's plot to the best of his most recent knowledge.

'You cannot doom Julia to that life. You have to stand up to Oswalt and put a stop to him once and for all.

You're not the first nobleman to fall victim to his plots.'

'Don't listen to him, Lockhart. He's a lying cockerel only seeking revenge for
an
old perceived insult,' a voice said from the doorway. All heads swivelled to see the newcomer who'd not waited to be announced.

Mortimer Oswalt stood there in a garish mockery of fashion, dressed in a tangerine afternoon suit of China silk, more appropriate for an engagement at court in the last century than a call at the shabby residence. Julia sucked in her breath and compulsively grabbed Paine' s hand.

'I'd call this a fortuitous happenstance if I didn't

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Notorious Rake, Innocent Lady

know better.' Oswalt waved a

hand. 'But I do

know better, thanks to the men I have watching Dursley House. Imagine my elation when they informed me you were headed in this direction. I had to see Viscount today and this makes the visit so much better.'

He advanced with mincing steps. 'Ah, Julia, you've returned. I knew you would once the guilt over deserting your guardians prevailed. I am looking forwards to our nuptials, my little virago.' He reached into a pocket and withdrew a tin of snuff. The gaudy ring on his middle finger flashed.

'Ramsden, I'd heard you'd got yourself entangled in this little mess.' He sniffed, sneezed, and gave a satisfied sigh. 'I think it's Ramsden's perfidy we should be discussing, not mine,

and we would have

that discussion if I didn't have distressing news to share, which is the reason I've come by. There was word today down on the docks that the ship, Bluehawk, has foundered at sea off the coast between France and Spain. The

is your son's ship, is it not? I thought you should hear the news from a friend first.'

Aunt Sara swooned.

Julia jumped to her feet. 'You lie!' She turned to her uncle. 'Don't believe him. He could tell you anything.

There's no way to verify it.'

Mortimer laughed, a hoarse, evil sound that sent shivers through Julia. 'Whatever

has been

teaching you, it hasn't been manners.' He stepped towards her and Julia flinched involuntarily. Paine rose beside her, lending her the strength of his presence.

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'So you like them wild,

All those sav-

ages you bedded from your time abroad, no doubt.

Well,

make a lady of you yet, Julia. Have no worries on that account.'

Julia's skin crawled. 'We'll be going.' She had to get out of this room. Oswalt radiated malevolence.

'Not so fast, my pet.' Oswalt said, motioning for his henchmen to approach. 'I think, under the circumstances,

ask permission to keep my bride-to-be under lock and key until the ceremony, which will be very soon and very quiet out of deference for the family during their mourning.'