Page 92 of The Viscount's Silent Pugilist

“Miss Genevieve? You have a voice.” Melvin looked her over from head to toe as if assessing that it was indeed her. “Are you well?”

“Cut the applesauce. Where are my brother and sister? Where is Lord Kilsby?”

“Lord Kilsby is not here.” His gaze slid over her head, and then his eyes widened in what looked like horror. “Sir, I was not expecting you so soon.”

Genevieve whirled.

Her father stood in the doorway, his grin wicked. “I was mistaken; Kilsby must be in London,” he said.

Her treacherous villain of a father had tricked her into coming home with him. The lying sack of dung!

Lunging, she grabbed him by the lapel and shook him until his cheeks vibrated. “Where are Christopher and Sophia?”

With a flick of his wrist, he cracked her in the jaw.

Hah.He probably thought he’d hurt her, but she’d taken far more punishing blows while training, and in the ring mere hours ago. While embracing the sting, sheallowedhim to step back.

“I suppose in their chambers, where they always are,” he said with a self-satisfied smirk.

So, this had been a ruse to trick her into coming home.

“Unless they are in the cellar.” His discomforting grin widened. Oh, how she’d always hated his malicious sneer. “Maybe you should go and check on them,” he added.

“No!” Melvin cried out. Clearing his visage of all emotion, the butler looked at the floor.

Her father’s murderous gaze drifted to Melvin, who continued to stare at his shoes. Could it be that their high-in-the-instep servant was defying her father in some way?

“Miss Genevieve, they are not in the cellar,” Melvin said.

Which must mean they were in their chambers.

Genevieve dashed across the foyer, then took the stairs two at a time. Sprinting down the hallway to Sophia’s room, she flung the door wide.

“Sophia,” she called.

No Sophia.

“Miss, you are home?” Kitty timidly murmured from behind her.

Genevieve pushed past Kitty to streak across the hallway.

“Christopher,” she called as she pushed on his door and barged into his chamber.

Empty!

Her shoulders sagging, Genevieve joined the maid in the hallway. “Kitty, where are my siblings?”

Kitty twisted her hands in her skirt. “They went with a man last night.”

Please, not Kilsby. “What man?” Genevieve demanded.

Unfortunately, her father crept up behind Kitty. To Geneveive’s horror, he grabbed the maid around the waist, as if to say,This is my house and I can lay my hands on whoever I want.

Kitty jumped and squealed.

Genevieve pounced and punched. The punishing blow whizzed past Kitty’s cheek, smashing her father in the jaw. As his head flew back and he cried out in pain, Kitty scurried away from him.

Genevieve advanced again, pounding her fists on his chest. “Where are they?”