A Heartless Design – Elizabeth Cole

Bond’s silence throughout the drive hinted that the maid was lost in her own thoughts. Perversely, Cordelia wished the younger woman would say something, even if it was only another tart comment about Sebastien Thorne. Cordelia knew that the man wasn’t motivated by simple concern for her. She guessed that he was using her, though in a slightly different way than Hayden had.

Could she take advantage of that somehow? Cordelia drifted into her study, though she had no head for working right now. Instead, she stared at all the items on the shelves. That was where Stiles found her. He cleared his throat. “My lady? I have to tell you someone has been asking questions about this household. About everyone who lives here.” She looked up. “You mean the burglar asked about the people who work here to learn our habits?”

“Perhaps the thief is part of the issue. But as recently as this morning, a neighbor’s footman was asked about how long Jem has worked here. And not because they wanted to hire him away from you! No, someone is trying to find out about everyone’s past. Also, I suspect the house is being watched.” Though he didn’t come right out and say it, Cordelia knew exactly what he feared.

Every worker at Quince Street had a secret to keep. If someone was snooping around, they would all pay. Jem and Bond would likely end up in prison again, or possibly transported to New South Wales. Even Cordelia, as their employer, would face serious consequences for hiring people of such dubious reputations.

Stiles, on the other hand, would be sentenced to die by hanging for his previous crimes. He had cheated death before. It was unlikely he could do it again. “What can we do? And do not tell me to let you all go.” He looked down at the floor. “The situation is not so simple, my lady.

You took us in when no one else would. We won’t abandon you.” “But there must be something we can do.” “You have an enemy who wants something of yours. As long as you have it here, we’re all in danger. It must be moved and hidden more securely.” “If you really think the house is being watched, then I have another idea,” said Cordelia. “Let’s take away their reason for watching.” She wondered who was watching. Hayden? Thorne? Both? She had thought that hiding the plans would be enough to keep them safe.

It was now clear that powers far larger than her were interested in the plans. Hiding them was no longer an option. But maybe she could exploit her watcher, or watchers, to solve her own difficulty. Though her idea was impulsive, she knew it would work. It would hurt, but not as much as losing her reputation and all her household. “Hiding won’t do, Stiles.”

“Heartless” Cordelia Bering refuses every marriage offer she receives. Yet men still try to win her, drawn by her sharp wit and intoxicating green eyes. But Cordelia knows a marriage could reveal her deepest secret and truly endanger her life. Besides, she hasn’t met a man worth considering, until… Sebastien Thorne, a spy in the service of the Crown. One of the elite agents in the group known as the Zodiac, he comes to London determined to solve a mystery with roots on the Continent.

He won’t let anything distract him. But is Cordelia a distraction, or the key to the mystery? As he learns more about the “heartless” woman, he becomes embroiled in secrets, plots, and a design that could change the future…and Cordelia is at the center of it all. Copyright © 2013 Cover art by Renu Sharma. Cover design by James T. Egan, www.bookflydesign.com. Edited by Amanda Valentine, ayvalentine.com. 1kitap1.com/en 1kitap1.com/en Also by Elizabeth Cole Secrets of the Zodiac Novels A Heartless Design A Reckless Soul A Shameless Angel The Lady Dauntless Beneath Sleepless Stars A Mad and Mindless Night Swordcross Knights Novels Honor & Roses Choose the Sky Raven’s Rise The Brothers Salem Series One Touch of Silver (Prequel) Keep Me Close 1kitap1.com/en Chapter 1 London, Spring 1806 The steel clad ship gleamed silver in the bright marine sunlight, its own brilliance rivaling that of the flashing sea.

It was like staring into the depths of a diamond. And, like a diamond, the ship itself was nearly indestructible. The sails, white as summer clouds, billowed in the winds, an old technology still essential in this new age of innovation. But beneath the hull was yet another surprise…steam. The combination of a metal hull and a steam- powered propeller made this ship unique.

What could stop such a creation? Cannon-fire could not sink it, weather could not slow it. Such a beauty of the high seas deserved a worthy name, the name of a warrior goddess: Andraste. But clouds were gathering on the horizon.… * * * * In her landlocked London home on the quiet drive of Quince Street, Cordelia Bering shivered. She had been distracted, daydreaming of her ship again. As a gifted engineer, she’d designed several ships in her life, but none captured her imagination like this one.

She shook her head, bringing herself back to the present. The breeze coming in through the open window of her bedroom hinted at an unusually cool night for late spring.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: 753abd245457c61f
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 2,773,616 bytes (2.645 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• Pages: 309
• Language: English (en)

Reading & Word Statistics

• Estimated Reading Time: 459.65 minutes
• Total Words: 91,931
• Total Characters: 513,149
• Average Words per Page: 297.51
• Average Characters per Page: 1660.68

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