The Requisite Courage Read online

  Melville spotted Evelyn and rolled his eyes. “The husband, too?” he demanded.

  “No.” Adele shook her head. “This will be a nasty surprise for him, poor man.”

  “Two of them…” Daniel breathed.

  Melville turned to the regimental officer. “Do you have a cellar with no window and a stout lock, Sergeant Major?”

  “We can certainly arrange a secure place to put her, sir,” the Sergeant Major replied. “Perhaps a doctor to see to the wound, too?” He moved to the door and gave a whistle. “Beams!”

  “Reporting, sah!” came a distant call, and the sound of running feet.

  While the officer was at the door, Melville picked up the pistol from where Adele had dropped it and put it on the dressing table.

  “That thing is far too heavy,” Adele pointed out.

  Daniel choked back a strained laugh. “I’ll get you a lighter one.”

  Melville touched her shoulder. “Well done, Lady Adelaide. Very well done, indeed.”

  THE TRAIN HAD PULLED OUT of the station and was puffing heavily, picking up speed, when Daniel tapped on the glass of the compartment door and slid it aside. “May I?” He gestured at the seat opposite Adele.

  She gave a small smile. “I suppose it was too much to hope I might have the compartment to myself all the way to London.”

  Daniel closed the door and sat. “Feeling unsociable, Lady Adelaide?”

  “I was hoping for some time to think,” she admitted.

  Daniel’s gaze met hers. “I can understand that.”

  “You and Melville were rather chummy, this morning at breakfast,” Adele observed.

  “That’s what you wanted to think about?”

  “Among other things. Mr. Melville seems to feel that I was remarkable, which is…well, quite an odd sensation. I don’t think anyone has ever thought about me in that way before.”

  “Which makes every man but Melville an idiot,” Daniel said. “Even me. I won’t make that mistake again.”

  Adele gave a soft laugh. “Thank you…I think.”

  Daniel reached into his coat pocket. “There is something I wanted to give you. I was hoping to do it at breakfast, but you left Balmoral too quickly.” He pulled out a small leather-bound book, which he held out to her.

  Adele took it and turned it around. “Aristotle…” she breathed.

  He tapped the cover. “Organon. I wouldn’t recommend trying to read it from cover to cover, though.”

  She looked up at him. “Oh?”

  “It’s dry as dust,” he admitted.

  Adele laughed again.

  “There’s many more where that volume came from,” Daniel added.

  “Your coat pocket doesn’t look nearly large enough.”

  He smiled. “There is a whole world of books out there from which you can acquire even more wisdom.”

  Adele smoothed her thumb over the cover.

  “Can I see you again, Adele?” Daniel asked, his voice low.

  She looked up into his grey eyes. “Are you going to work for Mr. Melville?”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “He makes it sound as though one really doesn’t have a choice in the matter—that the fate of the world rests upon doing exactly what he wants you to do, whether you feel up to the challenge or not.”

  “I know how that feels,” she admitted.

  Daniel leaned forward. “You aren’t about to say no because we might possibly be working for the same man sometime in the future, are you?” His tone was urgent.

  Adele sat back. “I seem to have overthrown rather a lot of rules about what one should and shouldn’t do, in the last few days. I suspect one more broken rule will hardly be noticed.”

  Daniel considered her. “Is that a yes, Lady Adelaide?”

  She opened the book. “Yes.”

  ______

  The Next book in the Adelaide Becket series is

  The Rosewater Debutante

  Adele learns just how ruthless German agents can be.

  In Edwardian England, Lady Adelaide Azalea Margaret de Morville, Mrs. Hugh Becket, continues her work for William Melville, spymaster, even though it has left her with no time to live the life she would prefer, which includes spending at least a little time with Daniel Bannister.

  When she refuses to travel to Germany to watch over King Edward while he visits the German Emperor to discuss disarmament of their increasingly more competitive navies, Melville gives Adele an alternative, superficial task of watching over a young, sweet debutante, Lady Winnifred.

  Adele perseveres with the useless, quite horrid task of trailing an innocent girl through the Season. It puts her in the path of German agents, who demonstrate just how dark and dangerous her new work really is…

  Get your copy of The Rosewater Debutante now!

  In the meantime, browse more of Tracy’s historical fiction here, and her suspense novels here.

  And also turn the page for a special offer!

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  Dedication

  For Merry, who was alive when I wrote this and licked her very last jam from my fingers as I finished it. We will always love you, best girl.

  About the Author

  Tracy Cooper-Posey is a #1 Best Selling Author. She writes historical fiction and romantic thrillers. She has published over 100 novels since 1999, been nominated for five CAPAs including Favourite Author, and won the Emma Darcy Award.

  She turned to indie publishing in 2011. Her indie titles have been nominated four times for Book Of The Year. Tracy won the award in 2012, and a SFR Galaxy Award in 2016 for “Most Intriguing Philosophical/Social Science Questions in Galaxybuilding” She has been a national magazine editor and for a decade she taught genre fiction writing at MacEwan University.

  She is addicted to Irish Breakfast tea and chocolate, sometimes taken together. In her spare time she enjoys history, Sherlock Holmes, science fiction and ignoring her treadmill. An Australian Canadian, she lives in Edmonton, Canada with her husband, a former professional wrestler, where she moved in 1996 after meeting him on-line.

  Other books by Tracy Cooper-Posey

  For reviews, excerpts, and more about each title, visit Tracy’s site and click on the cover you are interested in: http://tracycooperposey.com/books-by-thumbnail/

  Adelaide Becket

  (Historical Suspense Series)

  The Requisite Courage

  The Rosewater Debutante

  Scandalous Scions

  (Historical Romance Series – Spin off)

  Rose of Ebony

  Soul of Sin

  Valor of Love

  Marriage of Lies


  Scandalous Scions One (Boxed Set)

  Mask of Nobility

  Law of Attraction

  Veil of Honor

  Scandalous Scions Two (Boxed Set)

  Season of Denial

  Rules of Engagement

  Degree of Solitude

  Ashes of Pride

  Risk of Ruin

  Year of Folly

  Queen of Hearts

  Scandalous Families – The Victorians

  (Historical Romance Series – Spin off)

  His Parisian Mistress

  Her Rebellious Prince

  Their Foreign Affair

  Once and Future Hearts

  (Ancient Historical Romance—Arthurian)

  Born of No Man

  Dragon Kin

  Pendragon Rises

  War Duke of Britain

  High King of Britain

  Battle of Mount Badon

  Abduction of Guenivere

  Downfall of Cornwall

  Vengeance of Arthur

  Grace of Lancelot

  The Grail and Glory

  Camlann

  Project Kobra

  (Romantic Spy Thrillers)

  Hunting The Kobra

  Inside Man

  Heart Strike

  Vistaria Has Fallen

  Vistaria Has Fallen

  Prisoner of War

  Hostage Crisis

  Freedom Fighters

  Casualties of War

  V-Day

  The Vistaria Affair (Boxed Set)

  The Sherlock Holmes Series

  (Romantic Suspense/Mystery)

  Chronicles of the Lost Years

  The Case of the Reluctant Agent

  Sherlock Boxed In

  Romantic Thrillers Series

  Fatal Wild Child

  Dead Again

  Dead Double

  Terror Stash

  Thrilling Affair (Boxed Set)

  Jewels of Tomorrow

  (Historical Romantic Suspense)

  Diana By The Moon

  Heart of Vengeance

  Go-get-’em Women

  (Short Romantic Suspense Series)

  The Royal Talisman

  Delly’s Last Night

  Vivian’s Return

  Ningaloo Nights

  Kiss Across Time Series

  (Paranormal Time Travel)

  Kiss Across Time

  Kiss Across Swords

  Time Kissed Moments

  Kiss Across Chains

  Kiss Across Time Box One (Boxed Set)

  Kiss Across Deserts

  Kiss Across Kingdoms

  Time and Tyra Again

  Kiss Across Seas

  Kiss Across Time Box Two (Boxed Set)

  Kiss Across Worlds

  Time and Remembrance

  Kiss Across Tomorrow

  More Time Kissed Moments

  Kiss Across Blades

  Kiss Across Chaos

  Blood Knot Series

  (Urban Fantasy Paranormal Series)

  Blood Knot

  Southampton Swindle

  Broken Promise

  Vale

  Amor Meus

  Blood Stone

  Blood Unleashed

  Blood Drive

  Blood Revealed

  Blood Ascendant

  Flesh + Blood (Boxed Set)

  Beloved Bloody Time Series

  (Paranormal Futuristic Time Travel)

  Bannockburn Binding

  Wait

  Byzantine Heartbreak

  Viennese Agreement

  Romani Armada

  Spartan Resistance

  Celtic Crossing

  Beloved Bloody Time Series Boxed Set

  Scandalous Sirens

  (Historical Romance Series)

  Forbidden

  Dangerous Beauty

  Perilous Princess

  The Kine Prophecies

  (Epic Norse Fantasy Romance)

  The Branded Rose Prophecy

  The Stonebrood Saga

  (Gargoyle Paranormal Series)

  Carson’s Night

  Beauty’s Beasts

  Harvest of Holidays

  Unbearable

  Sabrina’s Clan

  Pay The Ferryman

  Hearts of Stone (Boxed Set)

  Destiny’s Trinities

  (Urban Fantasy Romance Series)

  Beth’s Acceptance

  Mia’s Return

  Sera’s Gift

  The First Trinity

  Cora’s Secret

  Zoe’s Blockade

  Octavia’s War

  The Second Trinity

  Terra’s Victory

  Destiny’s Trinities (Boxed Set)

  Interspace Origins

  (Science Fiction Romance Series)

  Faring Soul

  Varkan Rise

  Cat and Company

  Interspace Origins (Boxed Set)

  Short Paranormals

  Solstice Surrender

  Eva’s Last Dance

  Three Taps, Then….

  The Well of Rnomath

  The Endurance

  (Science Fiction Romance Series)

  5,001

  Greyson’s Doom

  Yesterday’s Legacy

  Promissory Note

  Quiver and Crave

  Xenogenesis

  Junkyard Heroes

  Evangeliya

  Skinwalker’s Bane

  The Starter Library Series

  (Eclectic Sample Library)

  A Dangerous Man

  A Family Affair

  Worlds of Wonder

  Contemporary Romances

  Lucifer’s Lover

  An Inconvenient Lover

  Contemporary Romances Boxed Set

  Non-Fiction Titles

  Reading Order

  (Non-Fiction, Reference)

  Reading Order Perpetual

  Copyright Information

  Published by Stories Rule Press Inc.

  Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

  Registered offices:

  1100-10020 101A Avenue NW

  Edmonton AB T5J 3G2

  Canada

  This is an original work by Tracy Cooper-Posey

  Copyright © 2021

  FIRST EDITION: February 2021

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for third-party websites or their content.

  A Stories Rule Press publication

  All rights reserved

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.

  Tracy Cooper-Posey

  The Requisite Courage/Tracy Cooper-Posey—1st Ed.

  Historical—Fiction

  Suspense—Fiction