Read Online Miss in a Man's World by Anne Ashley - Free Book Online

hand.
    The man on the Viscount’s left, however, betrayed no such reticence, and announced, ‘Naturally, I’d heard you’d acquired a page, Fincham. Until now I couldn’tquite bring myself to believe it. In all the years we’ve been acquainted I’ve never known you succumb to whims and fancies.’
    â€˜And he has not this time, Chard,’ Sir Willoughby assured him, before the Viscount could respond. ‘He acquired the boy merely to vex me, unless I much mistake the matter.’
    â€˜And by your peevish tone, Trent, I would suggest he has succeeded in his objective remarkably well,’ Lord Rupert Gyles put in, shoulders shaking in quiet amusement. ‘But what on earth possessed you to drag him with you to this place, Finch? There are persons enough to fetch wine should you require it, surely?’
    This was true enough. Although the owner of the discreet establishment did employ several females to entice customers to part with their money at the various gaming tables, besides encouraging them to drink their fill from his well-stocked cellar, he did attempt to run a respectable house. His lordship wasn’t so naïve as to suppose more intimate relationships did not take place between certain regular patrons and the immodestly attired young women, but the liaisons were never conducted openly.
    All the same, he did wonder what Georgie made of the various young women clad in low-cut diaphanous gowns, which left absolutely nothing to the imagination. He took his eyes off the cards in his hand in order to glance up at her, only to discover her surprisingly enough staring so fixedly at Lord Chard that it was almost as if she were attempting to etch each and every line of his harsh-featured face into her memory.
    Her regard, as she well knew, went far beyond what was pleasing. More disturbing, still, was the possible reaction of Chard himself should he happen to realisehe was receiving such close scrutiny. He was no fool. He might so easily pierce her disguise if she gained his full attention for any length of time. This hadn’t occurred thus far. Apart from that first cursory glance, Chard had betrayed no interest in the page whatsoever. Lord Fincham decided it would be best if it remained that way.
    â€˜Fetch me a bottle and a glass, Georgie,’ he said, after gaining her attention by raising a finger, ‘and then go downstairs and await me in the vestibule.’
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    It was quite some time later before his lordship, sated with gaming, went in search of her. He found her easily enough in the vestibule where he had sent her, but not asleep, as expected, in one of the comfortable chairs. Surprisingly wide-eyed and alert, she was in deep conversation with one of the young flunkies engaged to man the front entrance, and deny admittance to any undesirables.
    As he led the way out into the early morning air, his lordship heard a distant church clock chime the hour, and experienced yet another of those increasingly regular pangs of conscience where the being beside him was concerned. There wasn’t a hackney carriage to be seen, so there was nothing for it but to walk at least part of the way home.
    â€˜You should have been in bed hours ago, Georgie. It was extremely remiss of me to drag you out tonight, most especially to that establishment,’ he announced as they set off down the street, heading for the more affluent part of town.
    â€˜Oh, but I enjoyed it, my lord. For me it was an adventure. I’ve never been to such a place before.’
    He couldn’t help smiling at this. ‘No, I don’t supposefor a moment you have. None the less, I shouldn’t have taken you there.’ He cast her a sideways glance. ‘What did you make of it, I wonder?’
    She shrugged, appearing remarkably unconcerned. ‘The females are little more than painted doxies, engaged to persuade gentlemen to part with their blunt, I shouldn’t wonder. The