Read An Honorable Wish (A Lady's Wish 2) for Free Online Page A
Authors: Eileen Richards
She braced herself for the blow, knowing she’d pushed him too far. In the beginning she’d hoped her disdain would discourage his attentions. Now she actually feared him. She knew this man would hurt her.
Simon Bartleby lowered his hand and smiled that slick, oily smile of his. “Such spirit, my dear. You don’t know how I’m looking forward to breaking you in.”
Juliet gasped and stepped back, almost tripping over a rake on the ground. There was no way she’d marry this man. Nathaniel could crow all he wanted, lecture her for hours every single night. It would make no difference.
Bartleby reached out and grabbed Juliet’s wrist. She tried to wrench free, but he wouldn’t relent.
“Release me.” She yanked hard on her arm, wincing at the pain. Fear curled inside her. They were very much alone. The only people within shouting distance were Mrs. Williams and Penelope, and even then it was doubtful they would hear her.
“Am I interrupting something?”
Juliet sagged with relief as Tony strolled into the garden. Bartleby released her and took a step back. She rubbed at the red marks on her wrist.
“Mr. Matthews, I had no idea you were here,” said Bartleby.
“Obviously,” Tony replied curtly.
Bartleby glared at both Tony and Juliet. “My business is done here. Good day, Miss Juliet. I look forward to seeing you again soon.”
Tony watched as Simon Bartleby walked past him wearing a smug expression. He clinched his fists to hold back the urge to smash them into the bastard’s face.
Juliet was pale. Shaken. She was still rubbing her wrist to ease the pain.
Tony’s protective instincts were always strong around the Townsend sisters, but today was different. Juliet was different. In the years he’d known her, he’d never seen her this frightened. “Did he harm you?” he asked, reaching for her wrist.
“No.”
Juliet’s skin was smooth, almost translucent, with the red marks of the man’s fingers imprinted on it. Tony fought back his anger. “What did he want?”
Juliet gently pulled her arm from his grasp. “To frighten me.”
“Did he?” Tony already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it aloud. Juliet was fearless. He’d seen her stare down more intimidating men than Bartleby.
“Yes.”
“I’ll speak to Nathaniel.”
“No, please don’t. Mr. Bartleby will only go so far.”
Tony suddenly realized he was missing a huge piece of the puzzle. “Should you risk it, Juliet? Is he worth it?”
“The man is a toad, but he won’t hurt me. I think he’s stealing from the tenants.”
“That’s a very serious allegation.”
“I don’t have proof yet, but I will.”
“I forbid you to pursue this, Juliet. And if Nathaniel wants a dynastic marriage for this family, he’d have better luck with Sophia.”
“Sophia wouldn’t have Bartleby,” Juliet said in a tone that brooked no further discussion of the matter.
“If you’ve recovered, we should be on our way.”
Juliet nodded and moved toward the house. As she passed, Tony caught a bit of her scent. She smelled of flowers, earth, and woman. There was a smudge of dirt on her cheek and he couldn’t stop himself from taking his thumb and removing it. Her skin was soft, so soft. He savored the warmth of her cheek.
Juliet’s lips parted in surprise. Tony could feel minute tremors running under her skin where he touched her. Her eyes were wide and as dark as midnight.
“I’ve readied the cart for you, Mr. Matthews.”
Juliet jerked away as Aaron Williams spoke. A flush of pink colored her cheeks.
“Thank you, Aaron. Same time tomorrow?” Tony was surprised his voice was as calm as it was.
“If you’d like, sir.” Aaron looked over at Juliet and smiled. “Will you be here tomorrow as well, Miss Juliet?”
“I’ve not decided yet.” She glanced back at Tony, a puzzled look on her face. “I’ll just go say good-bye to Pen and your mother.”
“Sorry to interrupt,” Aaron said to Tony after
Simon Bartleby lowered his hand and smiled that slick, oily smile of his. “Such spirit, my dear. You don’t know how I’m looking forward to breaking you in.”
Juliet gasped and stepped back, almost tripping over a rake on the ground. There was no way she’d marry this man. Nathaniel could crow all he wanted, lecture her for hours every single night. It would make no difference.
Bartleby reached out and grabbed Juliet’s wrist. She tried to wrench free, but he wouldn’t relent.
“Release me.” She yanked hard on her arm, wincing at the pain. Fear curled inside her. They were very much alone. The only people within shouting distance were Mrs. Williams and Penelope, and even then it was doubtful they would hear her.
“Am I interrupting something?”
Juliet sagged with relief as Tony strolled into the garden. Bartleby released her and took a step back. She rubbed at the red marks on her wrist.
“Mr. Matthews, I had no idea you were here,” said Bartleby.
“Obviously,” Tony replied curtly.
Bartleby glared at both Tony and Juliet. “My business is done here. Good day, Miss Juliet. I look forward to seeing you again soon.”
Tony watched as Simon Bartleby walked past him wearing a smug expression. He clinched his fists to hold back the urge to smash them into the bastard’s face.
Juliet was pale. Shaken. She was still rubbing her wrist to ease the pain.
Tony’s protective instincts were always strong around the Townsend sisters, but today was different. Juliet was different. In the years he’d known her, he’d never seen her this frightened. “Did he harm you?” he asked, reaching for her wrist.
“No.”
Juliet’s skin was smooth, almost translucent, with the red marks of the man’s fingers imprinted on it. Tony fought back his anger. “What did he want?”
Juliet gently pulled her arm from his grasp. “To frighten me.”
“Did he?” Tony already knew the answer, but he wanted to hear her say it aloud. Juliet was fearless. He’d seen her stare down more intimidating men than Bartleby.
“Yes.”
“I’ll speak to Nathaniel.”
“No, please don’t. Mr. Bartleby will only go so far.”
Tony suddenly realized he was missing a huge piece of the puzzle. “Should you risk it, Juliet? Is he worth it?”
“The man is a toad, but he won’t hurt me. I think he’s stealing from the tenants.”
“That’s a very serious allegation.”
“I don’t have proof yet, but I will.”
“I forbid you to pursue this, Juliet. And if Nathaniel wants a dynastic marriage for this family, he’d have better luck with Sophia.”
“Sophia wouldn’t have Bartleby,” Juliet said in a tone that brooked no further discussion of the matter.
“If you’ve recovered, we should be on our way.”
Juliet nodded and moved toward the house. As she passed, Tony caught a bit of her scent. She smelled of flowers, earth, and woman. There was a smudge of dirt on her cheek and he couldn’t stop himself from taking his thumb and removing it. Her skin was soft, so soft. He savored the warmth of her cheek.
Juliet’s lips parted in surprise. Tony could feel minute tremors running under her skin where he touched her. Her eyes were wide and as dark as midnight.
“I’ve readied the cart for you, Mr. Matthews.”
Juliet jerked away as Aaron Williams spoke. A flush of pink colored her cheeks.
“Thank you, Aaron. Same time tomorrow?” Tony was surprised his voice was as calm as it was.
“If you’d like, sir.” Aaron looked over at Juliet and smiled. “Will you be here tomorrow as well, Miss Juliet?”
“I’ve not decided yet.” She glanced back at Tony, a puzzled look on her face. “I’ll just go say good-bye to Pen and your mother.”
“Sorry to interrupt,” Aaron said to Tony after