Read To Sin With A Scoundrel for Free Online Page B

that manuscript before tossing it in the fire.” His nonchalance was back. “I’m told it is
     an ancient scientific treatise, as yet unknown in the West. For a serious scholar, its importance would be incalculable. But
     that is for you to judge.”
    Intrigued in spite of herself, Ciara took a peek at the first page. It did indeed appear to be very old, the ink faded to
     a spidery tracing. However, considering the source, it was probably a hoax. “Why bring it to me?” she demanded.
    “Because my uncle does not wish to trust it to just anyone. He believes you are the most qualified to examine its contents
     and make an accurate translation. Some of it is written in a complex code, which he seems to think won’t pose a problem to
     a lady of your intellect.”
    She snorted in disbelief. His explanation only confirmed her suspicions. “What fustian! I am quite certain I have never met
     any relative of yours in my life.”
    “No, but Sir Henry Phelps is very well acquainted with your writings and holds you in the highest esteem.”
    Now,
that
was an unexpected discovery. Ciara would never have guessed that the bookish baronet shared anything in common with the rakish
     earl. She had read some of the elder gentleman’s essays and found them to be articulate and insightful.
    The only ink Hadley created was page after page of prurient gossip in the scandal sheets.
    “If what you say is true, why didn’t he come himself?” she asked.
    The earl took a moment to answer. “These days, he finds it difficult to manage the short journey from his bedchamber to his
     study. But it is pride as much as his infirmities that prevent him from leaving his townhouse. He does not like people to
     see he is confined to a Bath chair.”
    She was surprised by the hint of pain in his voice. Was it possible that a devil-may-care rake might give a damn about someone
     other than himself? “Do you share his interest in intellectual pursuits?”
    “Not in the least. There are other, far more interesting things to pursue.” He said it with a smirk, but once again, it seemed
     that the cynicism did not quite reach his eyes.
    Don’t be a fool,
she chided herself. It was only a quirk of light that made him look rather sad.
    “However, this means a great deal to him.” There was no mistaking the note of affection in his voice. “And so, I am willing
     to do whatever it takes—even if it means going through walls—to make him happy. It is the least I can do to repay all his
     kindness.”
    She felt her initial animosity softening ever so slightly. “You speak as if you are very fond of him.”
    He nodded. “I am. It cannot have been easy for a confirmed bachelor to find himself the guardian of a hellion adolescent.
     Yet he tolerated my youthful follies with extraordinary patience and good humor.”
    Ciara had assumed that Lord Hadley took nothing seriously, save his own pleasures. But as he looked to the windows, his profile
     a stark silhouette against the glass, she felt a small prick of conscience. Had she cast his character in too harsh a light?
     She, of all people, ought to know that the glare of public scrutiny often distorted the true picture.
    “He sounds like a saint.” To mask her confusion, she began a careful perusal of the manuscript.
    “As opposed to the devil of a nephew?”
    She turned a page. Had he read her face so easily?
    He seemed amused by her refusal to answer. Much as she tried to concentrate on the arcane Arabic letters, Ciara caught a quick
     glimpse of his smile as he strolled to the workbench. After toying with a set of glass vials, he moved on to a tray of seedlings.
    “You ought to know better than to touch anything in a laboratory,” she muttered, annoyed that she was allowing herself to
     be distracted.
    “It’s one of the reasons I would make a poor scientist.” He lifted a beaker to the light, nearly spilling its contents. “I
     am constantly forgetting the rules.”
    Her willingness to give