[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.Had Judson so injured her that he dared not allow her face to show? “Was she well?”The doorman recognized the cut of Adam’s clothing, and his respect seemed genuine.“I would suppose, sir.She had to be rather forcibly thrust in the carriage by Mr.Judson.Mr.Judson tied the door shut, and she thumped at it most energetically.”“You stood and watched it happen?” Adam barked.“’Tis not my place to interfere with the gentry,” the doorman answered without emotion.Before Adam could blast him, Northrup snapped, “Where were they going?”“I can’t imagine, sir.” Gold glinted as Northrup held it aloft, but the doorman refused.“There are some pieces of information which can’t be bought.”Northrup still hugged the coin between two fingers, keeping it within easy reach of the doorman’s greedy fingers.“Then you know Judson’s destination?”“It would reflect poorly on my reputation if I were to tell the destination of the flats’ inhabitants.”Adam tucked his walking stick beneath his arm and flexed his hands.“It will reflect poorly on your health if you don’t provide the information we request.”The doorman eyed the money, tempting and within easy reach.He eyed Adam’s fists, held at the ready and closer still.And he told them what they wanted to know.The barren road stretched from London to nowhere, bizarre when seen through stained-glass windows.The rain settled in the ruts, making it difficult for Judson to maneuver the carriage in a circle so it faced the city once more.The box quivered as he dismounted; Bronwyn shivered as she awaited his arrival.He hadn’t called his henchman again, not trusting Fred, so he told her, as he trusted Gianni.Nor had he tied her hands again.Instead he had proved his wiry strength wrestling her into the carriage, and proved it so successfully that hopelessness almost overwhelmed her now.He would kill her, toss her body out for some poor shepherd to discover, and she couldn’t stop him.Oh, she’d struggle, of course.She had too much pride, too much Irish in her, to give up without a struggle.She only knew it would take a miracle to save her now.The door rattled as he untied the handle, and she prepared herself.As he opened the door, she flung her whole weight at him.Braced for her assault, he knocked her back inside.He grabbed for her flailing hands and missed.She grabbed for his eyes and missed, catching only the edge of his face and drilling long scratches along his cheek.She followed it up with a blow to his nose.He retaliated with a blow to her chin that slammed her head against the wall.She slumped.Her ears buzzed.The pain crushed her.In some wonderment, he reached up and touched his cheek.Staring at his hand as if he couldn’t believe the blood smeared there, he hissed, “Shrew.Unworthy twat.” He sat up and tore at his breeches.“I’m going to give you more than you deserve.”“No.” Even that single word hurt her, but she had to speak.“You’re not worthy to be a man.”“What?” Dropping his breeches, he revealed himself.“Look!”“No!” Rejecting him, rejecting everything, she closed her eyes, kicked out with her feet, flailed her hands.“No, no! You’re nothing.You can hit me, but you can’t rape me.” She drummed her heels on the seat until his silence eased into her consciousness.Then only the patter of rain and the breeze through the door broke the eerie quiet until he whispered, “How can you say that?”She pressed her palm against her eyes until gunpowder exploded behind her lids.“You poor man.You pitiful excuse for a man.”Her pity seemed to convince him, for he tugged up his breeches and buttoned them.When she was sure he was covered, she eased herself upright.She rubbed her jaw, checked her teeth, and wished he would say something.His gaze fixed on the floor, Judson appeared to be thinking.“You said you knew I couldn’t rape you.How did you know?”She blushed, in embarrassment for him and for herself.Shrugging helplessly, she said, “I just knew.”“Women’s intuition?” he suggested.“I suppose you could call it that.”“Then everyone knows.”“Well, I—”“There’s no place for me here in England.Even if my every plan succeeds, there’s no place for me on this island.” He lifted his gaze and stared at her with such malevolence that she forgot pain, abandoned hope.“Do you know why I murdered Henriette?”“Because she overheard your plans to—”“Because she said what you said [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl trzylatki.xlx.pl
.Had Judson so injured her that he dared not allow her face to show? “Was she well?”The doorman recognized the cut of Adam’s clothing, and his respect seemed genuine.“I would suppose, sir.She had to be rather forcibly thrust in the carriage by Mr.Judson.Mr.Judson tied the door shut, and she thumped at it most energetically.”“You stood and watched it happen?” Adam barked.“’Tis not my place to interfere with the gentry,” the doorman answered without emotion.Before Adam could blast him, Northrup snapped, “Where were they going?”“I can’t imagine, sir.” Gold glinted as Northrup held it aloft, but the doorman refused.“There are some pieces of information which can’t be bought.”Northrup still hugged the coin between two fingers, keeping it within easy reach of the doorman’s greedy fingers.“Then you know Judson’s destination?”“It would reflect poorly on my reputation if I were to tell the destination of the flats’ inhabitants.”Adam tucked his walking stick beneath his arm and flexed his hands.“It will reflect poorly on your health if you don’t provide the information we request.”The doorman eyed the money, tempting and within easy reach.He eyed Adam’s fists, held at the ready and closer still.And he told them what they wanted to know.The barren road stretched from London to nowhere, bizarre when seen through stained-glass windows.The rain settled in the ruts, making it difficult for Judson to maneuver the carriage in a circle so it faced the city once more.The box quivered as he dismounted; Bronwyn shivered as she awaited his arrival.He hadn’t called his henchman again, not trusting Fred, so he told her, as he trusted Gianni.Nor had he tied her hands again.Instead he had proved his wiry strength wrestling her into the carriage, and proved it so successfully that hopelessness almost overwhelmed her now.He would kill her, toss her body out for some poor shepherd to discover, and she couldn’t stop him.Oh, she’d struggle, of course.She had too much pride, too much Irish in her, to give up without a struggle.She only knew it would take a miracle to save her now.The door rattled as he untied the handle, and she prepared herself.As he opened the door, she flung her whole weight at him.Braced for her assault, he knocked her back inside.He grabbed for her flailing hands and missed.She grabbed for his eyes and missed, catching only the edge of his face and drilling long scratches along his cheek.She followed it up with a blow to his nose.He retaliated with a blow to her chin that slammed her head against the wall.She slumped.Her ears buzzed.The pain crushed her.In some wonderment, he reached up and touched his cheek.Staring at his hand as if he couldn’t believe the blood smeared there, he hissed, “Shrew.Unworthy twat.” He sat up and tore at his breeches.“I’m going to give you more than you deserve.”“No.” Even that single word hurt her, but she had to speak.“You’re not worthy to be a man.”“What?” Dropping his breeches, he revealed himself.“Look!”“No!” Rejecting him, rejecting everything, she closed her eyes, kicked out with her feet, flailed her hands.“No, no! You’re nothing.You can hit me, but you can’t rape me.” She drummed her heels on the seat until his silence eased into her consciousness.Then only the patter of rain and the breeze through the door broke the eerie quiet until he whispered, “How can you say that?”She pressed her palm against her eyes until gunpowder exploded behind her lids.“You poor man.You pitiful excuse for a man.”Her pity seemed to convince him, for he tugged up his breeches and buttoned them.When she was sure he was covered, she eased herself upright.She rubbed her jaw, checked her teeth, and wished he would say something.His gaze fixed on the floor, Judson appeared to be thinking.“You said you knew I couldn’t rape you.How did you know?”She blushed, in embarrassment for him and for herself.Shrugging helplessly, she said, “I just knew.”“Women’s intuition?” he suggested.“I suppose you could call it that.”“Then everyone knows.”“Well, I—”“There’s no place for me here in England.Even if my every plan succeeds, there’s no place for me on this island.” He lifted his gaze and stared at her with such malevolence that she forgot pain, abandoned hope.“Do you know why I murdered Henriette?”“Because she overheard your plans to—”“Because she said what you said [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]