Read Lost to the Night (The Brotherhood Series, Book 1) for Free Online

staring up at the moon as though the Lord had forsaken him and he was pleading for forgiveness; then he looked down and cradled his head in his hands.
    Surely he wasn’t weeping?
    A lump formed in Evelyn’s throat; a hollow cavern opened up in her chest. She fought the powerful urge to go to him, to ease his troubled mind, to find the good buried so deeply within. Struggling with a range of surprising emotions, she closed her eyes to calm the restlessness consuming her.
    When she opened them again and found the courage to look out, she was not prepared for the shocking sight that greeted her.
    The earl had stripped off his coat and cravat and was busy working on stripping off every other piece of clothing until he stood naked, bare as the day he was born. Beneath the celestial setting, his skin glistened with a silvery sheen, his muscular body carved to perfection: powerful, hard, yet graceful. Even though she knew it was wrong — a gross invasion of his privacy — she could not help but stare in awe at the sculptured contours.
    The Earl of Hale was a magnificent specimen of a man.
    With an open mouth, she watched him walk down to the bottom of the garden, to the narrow river meandering through his property. And then he slid into the water and out of sight.
    Evelyn didn’t make it to her aunt’s room.
    Instead, she threw off her wrapper, climbed into bed and pulled the sheets up to her chin, all in a desperate bid to dampen the fire burning in her belly. She could not erase the image from her mind.
    She’d never known a man be so bold, so unconventional, so exciting.
    How was it possible to despise a man and desire him both at the same time?
    A strange sort of need clawed away at her, and she plastered her hand over her mouth to help ease the shock. Half of her wanted to throw on her clothes and run as far away from Stony Cross as her legs could manage. The other half wanted to strip off everything and swim naked with him in the river.
    Oh, God!
    She thrust her head under the pillow as a way of shutting out the world and after dismissing an array of lascivious images, involving firm buttocks and well-developed thighs, she finally fell asleep.
    “Wake up, miss, wake up. It’s gone ten.”
    Mrs. Shaw shook the bed with such force she thought she might fall out. Evelyn groaned and turned over in protest. How could it be ten? She felt as though she’d only been asleep for an hour.
    “You need to get up. A letter has come from Mytton Grange.”
    It took a moment for the words to penetrate and Evelyn opened her eyes as the thought echoed in her mind. She should have been ecstatic. She should have been clambering over the bed in a rush to get to her clothes.
    “Is … is Mr. Sutherby sending his carriage?”
    Why did she have the overwhelming feeling that she didn’t want to leave? Why had she developed a sudden affinity for the place?
    “I’ve left the letter in his lordship’s study. He won’t be down yet.”
    No, Evelyn thought, probably because he’d spent the night boxing an invisible opponent and swimming naked in the river.
    “How’s Aunt Beatrice this morning?”
    “Much better,” Mrs. Shaw said with a smile. “She’s managed to eat a bit of toast.”
    The sense of relief caused her to sigh loudly. “I’ll wash and dress and spend some time with her before I eat. Do you think she’ll be fit to travel?”
    “I’m sure she will. It’s only a few miles and she can rest when she gets there.”
    “Oh.”
    Mrs. Shaw poured fresh water into the pitcher. “I’ll be sad to see you go. It’s been nice having someone to talk to.”
    The thought of leaving caused another pang of sadness in Evelyn’s chest. How odd.
    “You’ve been very kind, Mrs. Shaw. I’m sure I’d have been left cold, filthy and starving if it wasn’t for you.”
    Mrs. Shaw gave a weak smile. “Oh, his lordship would have mellowed, eventually. He’s a good man deep down. Never forget that.”
    Evelyn didn’t see the earl at