Read If He's Noble (Wherlocke Book 7) (Paranormal Historical Romance) for Free Online Page A

innkeeper is actually considering buying his own and just selling the men a coffee when they come in but no longer having to worry about figuring out what to ask for each drink or if he can even list it on his offerings.”
    “Then I should like a coffee, please.”
    Primrose hurried off to get him one, eager to leave his presence for a little while. She needed to cage the urges he stirred inside her before she embarrassed herself by revealing it all to the man himself. He did not need to discover her weakness.
    By the time she returned to the private parlor with the maid who brought them both a coffee, Primrose felt more at ease. She added a little cream to hers and sipped it as she waited for him to tell her what had happened. A chat with the people fixing the brew let her know that Bened had returned the horses but then everyone had become distracted by their own pleasure over how he had not demanded any punishment for the young lad who had allowed the horses to be taken.
    “It was said that you retrieved the horses,” she said, carefully looking him over. “It appears you did so with no harm to yourself, as well, which is a happy circumstance.”
    “I certainly think so.” He smiled when she laughed for she had a pleasant laugh, one that was light and carefree, inviting others to join in. “They were idiots. Your aunt did not hire the best,” he added, and silently cursed when she paled.
    “You believe my aunt hired them?”
    “I do. They spoke a lot of an old lady, a crone, even though one said she was not so very old and kept herself in fine shape. They did not trust her.”
    “But they did not mention her by name?”
    “Nay, they did not. Not whilst I was there to hear it. Yet, do you have any other woman you think would be trying to stop you from finding your brother?”
    Primrose sighed. “None yet but I hate to think she would do this.”
    “I believe you told me she was cunning, mean, and cold.”
    “And very greedy, with a large opinion of her place in the world and society.”
    “Sounds like a woman who could easily believe she has a right to ensure that she remains in that high place she thinks she deserves.”
    “It does.”
    Bened could see how his news upset her and fought the urge to take her into his arms to comfort her and ease the pain he could read in her eyes. He knew what would happen if he held her in his arms again. The feel of her slim, pleasantly curved body pressed close to him was still all too clear in his mind. He wished he could have found a gentler way to tell her what he knew but then decided there really was no gentle way to tell anyone such news. Betrayal by a member of one’s own family cut deep, even when one did not particularly care for that person. Too many of his own family had learned that lesson all too well.
    “As you said, however, they mentioned no name. Did not even mention what she looked like.”
    “Now you try to comfort me. Do not. I need to accept this. It could easily be a matter of life and death. All that stands between her and becoming a baroness with a fortune and some fine lands is Simeon. I have to think of him and not my poor bruised feelings.”
    “You also stand in her way, do you not?”
    “Not as much as my brother does.”
    “True, but I have the feeling she may have plans for you as well. She has to know how you care for your brother, would search for answers if anything happened to him. That is not something she would ignore. Do you think she knows you suspected her of killing your father?”
    Primrose nodded, remembering all the tears and recriminations Augusta had heaped upon her when she had guessed that her darling niece could think such a cruel thing about her. There had also been a lot of sorrowful talk of how much she had loved Peter Wootten, what a kind, sweet man he had been, and how much she owed him. Primrose had not believed a word of that but it had worked to end her intense search for some proof that Augusta had killed