The Spring Duchess (A Duchess for All Seasons Book 2) Read online

  “Bollocks!” she cried. “I didn’t admit to anything because there’s nothing to admit to. I’m innocent.”

  “Is that so?”

  “Aye.” She gave a defiant toss of her head and met his stare for the first time. Emeralds, she realized, momentarily thrown off guard when she found herself glaring into the greenest eyes she’d ever seen. His eyes are the color of emeralds. “You – you have the wrong person.”

  Bloody hell Jules, she thought in self-disgust when she stumbled over her own tongue. Pull yourself together. Green eyes or not, this bounder is about to haul your arse down to Newgate if you don’t think of something quick.

  “How old are you, lad? I suppose it doesn’t matter,” he went on before she could reply. “You’re young yet. If you come in quietly I’ll put in a good word for you with the Magistrate. He’s a fair man. You’ll only serve four, five years at the most. When you get out you’ll still have your entire life ahead of. You can turn things around. Take an apprenticeship or better yourself through education. It’s not too late.”

  Why did everyone think she wanted something different than the life she had? First Yeti, now this green-eyed runner who would have done well to keep his thoughts to himself. She liked her life. She liked what she did. She liked waking up every morning never knowing what the day would bring. Given the choice, there was nothing she would change. Given the choice, she would be a thief until she died. Which, given her current circumstances, could be any minute now.

  “I’m telling you, you have the wrong person.”

  “I don’t think so.” Keeping the pistol pointed at her with one hand, the runner used the other to unclip a pair of iron manacles from his belt. “Step lively now, I’ve other places to be that do not include an alley in the middle of St Giles.” His nose wrinkled. “Especially one that smells like piss. Honestly. How do you stand it?”

  Eyeing the manacles as a wolf would a steel trap, Juliet started to edge backwards. “You can take those shackles and shove ‘em up your arse, you bleedin’ ratbag bastard. I’m not going anywhere with you.”

  “Come now, lad. Is that any way to talk to your betters?” He sighed when her hand darted down towards her waist and the pistol that was strapped to it. “Be reasonable. There’s no need for violence.”

  “Bugger off,” she said between clenched teeth. “I said I’m not going anywhere with you, and I meant it. You’ll have to shoot me dead first.”

  His countenance softened. “No one is going to be shooting anyone. I’m not in the habit of harming children.”

  Well in that case…

  Spinning around, she bolted out of the alley as if the hounds of hell were snapping at her heels.