Page 13 of The Lady’s Sweet Revenge

Chapter Five

Harlow was indeed grateful for Lord Breckenridge’s honorable offer of marriage. Not that she’d given him a chance to actually offer, for if she had she might have felt forced to accept.

After all, she’d made a pledge to herself on that ship that she would accept the next offer of marriage she received, so she might know a man’s touch. It was something she wanted more than anything. Or perhaps not quite as much as seeing her uncle pay for his crimes.

Even with revenge on her mind, there was a part of her that wished she’d allowed Reese to finish his proposal so she might have accepted. For he was striking and kind with a sharp sense of humor. But she’d also promised she wouldn’t marry someone out of obligation and how much more obliging must the earl feel than to have to care for a woman who washed ashore? No. That was not the way.

She might not yet know the way, but marriage was not foremost on her mind at the moment. For she had an uncle to torture.

In the end, Harlow wrote a letter to her eldest brother at his home instead of sending a missive directly to her father. Reese said it would allow the information to arrive without the possibility of her uncle intercepting it.

Dearest Brother,

She scratched through the salutation and wrote something David was sure to know had come from her.

Dearest Gravy,

“Gravy?” Reese asked from where he stood at her shoulder.

“It’s a name we called him when we wished to irritate him. We would shout ‘Gravy Davy’ and he would hate it, though I’m not sure why he took such offense. Gravy is quite delicious. It wasn’t nearly as bad as ‘James smells like the Thames’ or ‘Luke-oo is a cuckoo.’ Henry and Thomas were generally spared since their names do not easily rhyme with anything vulgar.” She scrunched up her nose. Surely she’d be able to think of something now that she was older with a more robust vocabulary. But not now. Revenge.

“Children really are the worst of Society, are they not?” Reese said. “I feel blessed for not having had siblings. I had three great friends at Heriots. And, of course, my size kept most of the boys from pestering me.”

He tilted his head to the side. “What names did they call you?”

She laughed. “Nothing clever enough to rhyme with my name, I can tell you that.” Without offering more details she went back to her letter.

Please read this letter entirely before sharing with anyone else. It is of the utmost importance. Not everyone in our family can be trusted.

I’m sure by now you have learned I was taken in the park by a pack of brigands and likely fear for my life. I’ll assure you I am well, but for a terrible knock to the head and nearly drowning during my escape from a ship carrying me to Scotland.

She looked up to where Reese was still reading over her shoulder and he gave a nod of approval. It was what he had suggested she tell them first, for her family was likely worried to death.

I was found by Lord Breckenridge, and he has offered me refuge here at Slains Castle until I am able to travel. I would ask you to relay this information to mother and father in private. It is imperative that Uncle Edgar not learn of my escape as it is possible he is somehow involved in my kidnapping.

This was also at the behest of Reese. While she had wanted to tell David to rip the man limb from limb, Reese stated that they didn’t have all the facts and that giving one enough rope to hang oneself was sometimes the best tactic. As it seemed Lord Breckenridge—despite not having siblings—was a formidable planner, she’d gone along with it. Besides she felt she’d be better suited to bestow her acts of revenge on the man when they were not in Polite Society. And there seemed to be plenty of room on the estate to hide the blighter’s body.

“You have that look again,” Reese said with a slight wince. “The one that makes me very glad I wasn’t the one who betrayed ye.”

“I’m sorry. It just makes me so mad. I think if I stopped being angry I might break down into tears so I will grip hold of my ire and use it to make the man wish he’d never been born.”

“Aye. Anger is a good distraction to be sure. Keeps ye from dwelling on what might have happened.”

She nodded in agreement. The truth was, she didn’t allow herself to travel very far down that trail for she knew what would have surely happened if she’d not gotten off that ship and even the few times she remembered the men talking on the ship gave her a shiver up her spine.

“I was very fortunate. Not only to have escaped the ship but to have washed ashore on your beach. And had such a fine girl find me,” she said as she scratched Belle behind the ear where she liked it best.

“I’ll remind ye, it wasn’t Belle who carried you up to the castle and had to wash his boots.”

She felt her cheeks warm with embarrassment.

“I’m sorry.”

“Nay, don’t worry yourself over it. I’m just making sure you like me better than the dog is all.”

Liking Lord Breckenridge didn’t seem to be a problem.

She cleared her throat and turned back to the paper to continue her missive to her brother.