Page 24 of Love and the Shameless Lady

And beneath these pages, the letter Daisy had dropped in Liverpool, and then snatched up before he could read it.

The curtain rings opened with an ominous rattle. Caught, which was perhaps for the best, for he would have had to confront her otherwise.

“What in hell are you doing?” Miss Warren leapt out of bed and descended on him, a tousled fury.

“Snooping,” he said. She snatched the letter again, but this time he knew what it said. “Someone really is trying to kill you.”

“Yes.” Her lip quivered.

“Because a book was published? The one you were reading aloud last evening.”

She nodded.

“Why?”

“How should I know? How dare you break into my desk and read my correspondence?” She put her hands on her hips, her aplomb back in place. “I suppose you’ll say that’s pure chivalry, too.”

“Not quite. There was some curiosity involved.” He eyed her. She was truly lovely in this tousled state, and he’d lied when he said her bad temper made her unappealing. He didn’t like it much, but it didn’t stop him from wanting her, from longing to see her smile.

Did she seriously not know who wanted to kill her, or why?

She huffed, grabbed the letter and the other pages, and shoved them back into the drawer. “Go away.”

Suddenly it dawned on him. “You’re an authoress. You wrote that book, the one you read aloud last night, as well as the one Bonaventure was reading. You’re writing another now, something about smugglers.”

Under the nightdress, her bosom heaved. A panicked sort of misery dawned in her eyes.

Julian hastened to reassure her. “I won’t tell anyone, if that’s what’s bothering you.”

She swallowed. “Thank you, but please just go away.”

“You can’t stay here,” he said. “Clearly, it’s not safe.”

“I realize that,” she said. “I’ll go home to the Hollow. My brother’s house.”

“Excellent. Pack up whatever you need, and I’ll take you there.”

For a long moment, Daisy eyed Julian, trying to think clearly. She was furious at his invasion of her privacy. She couldn’t afford to rely on him.

But sneak though he was, he’d kept her safe the rest of the night and, more important, he hadn’t tried to seduce her. “Now?”

“Yes, now. Whoever is after you, they’re not likely to be up at dawn hiding in the forest with a rifle. They’re sleeping off their failure preparatory to planning their next move. Have there been other attempts apart from the two I know of?”

She shook her head. “You needn’t escort me. I’ll send a message to the Hollow to send a carriage. I’ll be fine.”

“Why give whoever it is time to make new plans? Why risk the lives of your coachman and groom?”

“Surely they wouldn’t kill my servants to get to me!”

“How should I know?” he said, echoing her earlier words. “It depends on who they are.”

She pondered silently, then nodded. “Very well. Thank you.”

“Lock the door after me, and if anyone approaches, hang out the window and shriek bloody murder. If I’m not mistaken, Sally is already up and about, and the grooms should be up by now, too. I’ll return in half an hour with Mr. Bennett’s gig.”

“Don’t tell Sally what happened. Don’t tell anyone.”

“I shan’t,” he said. “Bring both of the books with you.” He left.