My Dangerous Rogue by Paula Wong (english novels for students TXT) 📕

paper. I couldn’t burn it because it was from an admirer. I had not thought the stranger would mean anything by it. Though it was a little…. Odd.”
“Very odd indeed,” He whispered skimming the letter. “It seems like a letter of a stalker. Why did you not report to the Scotland Yard?”

“Well… because I just thought that this was just one of those eerie crushes she had always had.. Oh God maybe it was this person and I didn’t even know….,” She trailed off, covering her face with her hands her shoulders trembling.

“Do you mind if I take these letters?” He asked politely.

“Do you mind?” Justin interrupted, glaring over at Richard with vivid green cold eyes. “My wife is shedding tears and here you want to take those damn letters away? Do you have any sympathy?”
Harriet shook her head, placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked back at her.

“My profession is to find your sister in law Bakewell. Not to mourn over someone who can possibly still be alive.”

“You heartless-..,,”

“No. That’s enough.” She interrupted placing a hand on his leg. “Please just do your job Sir Kent. I thank you for your assistance for this case. Even though everyone had decided to rule this circumstance out as kidnapping, you don’t seem to believe it.”

“Do not thank me. Thank Pauline,” And with that he bowed in farewell, before taking the letters from the table. “I will keep you up to date with the news. Please send for me if you had received another one of the letters or any letters pertaining to Anne at all,”

They both nodded and stood up. “Wait a minute,” She hurriedly called looking toward him. “It is too early and cold outside. Please stay for the day until at least the snow stops falling and the temperature arises,” Richard opened his mouth to object but thought better. Maybe if he spends a night here then he can be able to find something that is more related to this case. The man’s words echoed around his mind. There is more to this girl’s disappearance than meets the eye.

What the hell did he exactly mean by that?

The answer is around here somewhere. “If you insist, I would be happy to stay for the night.”
And with that, he bowed. “Just do let me inform my footmen,”

They both smiled nodding. “Alright,”

Richard turned and headed out of the study, following the butler outside of the massive mansion and into the stables. Roger Bearing and the old footmen were securing the horses in its leash onto the wooden stable. The whole area smelled of manure and hay, wind picking up, sending cold stabs of ice through his thin, overcoat. He looked over to study the area. The dead tree and grass were the color of the light brown dirt. Whips of air escape out of their nose and mouth as they breathed in and out.

“We are going to stay for the night,” Richard stated simply.

They looked back at him question. Roger was the first one who needed to recover. “Why my lord?”

“The inn in London Square bores me. Here, I find the services much more…. Pleasing.” He shrugged with the answer, leaning against the stable door, looking back toward the black horse that neighed behind him. He smiled and petted its mane.

The old footmen and Roger looked glanced at each other for another moment before finally surrendering to his wife. “Well alright. We will stay in the servants’ quarters if you need us. Send a word,” They turned and shrugged off their coats and hats, arriving in the back of the kitchen while leaving Richard behind.

He sighed and looked up to the horse. Just what in the world am I doing here?

Closing his eyes, he made his way into an empty stall. Strangely, he did not mind the smell of the manure of the land. He is not like those of the gentleman in the ton. He prefers to sleep outdoors, in the dark night sky. The cricket’s chirping sounds echoing in his ear. The bright light of the moon shining down his face. He was a wild man, that is what the others of the ton had said to him. And for his account, they are true.

Most men would choose to marry at his age. To get down to business and produce an heir. Settle down.

But not he.

He would rather suffer in eternity in hell than to be shackled in matrimony. Richard lay down on the hay, the prickle of its end points digging into his back, the memory all too familiar in his mind.

“What do you think you’re doing?”
Richard turned toward the figure smiling. The love for his older brother shining in his eyes. He looked about the age of nothing more than thirteen. “Father scowled at me again. My mathematics was wrong and my speech was not good enough, I am trying to practice my speech and mathematics with this piece of paper and quill.”
Michael chuckled. “You will not master mathematics and speeches just by sitting there.” He bent down and whispered in his ear. “Come with me. I have a secret place where I like to show you.”
He smiled and stood up, following behind his older brother’s footsteps and exiting out of their estate and into the stables, smiling.
“Whenever I need to correct some error of mine. I always head here. It is relaxing and judge free. Here, I can do whatever I want,”
Richard looked fascinatedly at him, as they both lay down on the patches of hay that formed a bed-like appearance. “How can you do what father tells you to do with ease? But for me it is so difficult. You were always the most talented one out of all of us. Even big sister Evangeline thinks so,”
Michael looked down at him smiling. “Rick, I need you to listen to what I am about to say. Everyone has their own talents. They have their own certain abilities. I have my own. Evangeline has hers and you have yours. My talent is for business. Evangeline has a talent to be liked by people around her. Because of her friendly appearance and smile,”
“Evangeline doesn’t sound like a talent.”
Michael laughed. “It is. A talent doesn’t necessarily mean it has to be for a certain type of skill. Sometimes a talent can just be as simple as a smile. To make people laugh and grin,”
“Oh,” He looked up at his big brother, smiling. “What about me? What’s my talent then?”
Michael shrugged grinning. “I do not know yet little brother. You will get to find own your talent in the future. Someday, you will see what you are good for.”
They both gazed up at the stars, smiling. “It’s so pretty,” Richard commented smiling. The stars shined like diamond on the blackened sky. The moon greeted their eyes, the bright moonlight shinning down at the both of them.
“Yes it is,” Michael replied closing his eyes.

Richard opened his eyes at the moment. Even now Richard still doesn’t have a slight clue of his own talent. The only talent he must have is bringing forth bad luck to the people around him. He smirked. That must be his talent.
And with that he stood up. Best be getting back. The temperature dropped suddenly, the clouds from the sky suddenly producing snow again.
Hugging his overcoat tighter around him, he made his way back into the estate. Hoping that he could find at least single strand of evidence that can tell him the whereabouts of Anne.


Days have passed and still, Richard hasn’t return to the inn. Loretta tightened the shawl around herself with a sigh. Christmas was not too far away and still she is trapped here in this inn. To be truthful, she was not happy that it took her this long to find Anne. The more time is wasted, the more dangerous it is for her. She sighed and sat herself on the chair. Days had passed and she just sat here, worrying about what he is doing at this moment. "Fiddle sticks,”

She muttered looking down at the table. “I swear when he arrives. I will give him a piece or two of my mind. How can he just leave me like this? I am not immobilized. I can handle myself well thank you very much.”

Alden chuckled bending down to kiss her on the forehead. “Lottie, you have been going on about this for the last couple of days. Is it really that important for you to go with him?”

Loretta gaped, surprised. Truthfully, he did not know what he had met by that question. But she knew it wasn’t just that particular reason. There is something, a message, in that question. “No of course not. It is just… well I feel like I cannot help. I feel useless,”

Alden sighed and laid a hand on her shoulder. “You are not useless.” He held out his hand, motioning toward the piles of papers on the table, scattered messily throughout the wooden surface. “You have been trying to solve what happened to Anne. I will not call that useless,”

She sighed. “Yes but… he did not have to leave me here. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

Her long time best friend smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I know sweetheart. And I do think that too. But I do think he had a reason on why you did not need to come.”

Loretta looked up at him. “What was the reason then?”

“He didn’t want you hurt. I do have a feeling the Earl wanted you to be kept safe,”

She held her head high, her stubborn English pride showing clearly, that only made Alden laugh more. “I am not a damsel in distress who needs saving. I am perfectly capable of protecting and saving myself. I do not need his help,”

But before Alden can open his mouth to respond, a voice from the door startled both of them. “Oh really? I do wish I had known that earlier. Because if I had, then I could have taken you along,” Though the voice was filled with amusement and sarcasm, her heart still raised. It’s not as if she can help her heart, it seemed to have a mind of its own.

Slowly, Loretta turned around. There, standing in the doorway was none other than Richard. He’s back, she thought a smile beginning to pull from her lips but then she forced it to stop.

There’s no reason for her to show how glad she is that he’s back. She’s not glad. Well… maybe she is, even if it’s just a millimeter long.

The anger that lurked into her veins fastened. Her eyes flared and stood up, making her way toward him. “How dare you not tell me where you were going? I could have come along and helped. And additionally, I know Anne’s parents. Maybe you could have had more chance when I came along,”

“Don’t ever assume anything first,” Richard replied coldly. Then he flicked out his hand, sending the letters on the desk. “I got hold of this when I talked with Harriet and Justin. They had some interesting facts about Anne and her prowler,”

“Her prowler?”

Richard nodded. “Yes. Her prowler,” He waved a hand through the air and two men came in, one of them, the bulky and masculine one was carrying a person. “We should leave now. Our business in Town is done, I’ll see you in my estate, of course if you want to continue this any further,”

And with that he turned around and left, leaving nothing but his hard footsteps behind.