Read Online A Heart Revealed by Josi S. Kilpack - Free Book Online

complimentary of her dress and hair—sincerely, she felt—and attentive, which made it easier for her to laugh when she should laugh, pout when she should pout, and flatter him shamelessly. He responded as she hoped he would and asked her to ride out with him through Hyde Park the following afternoon in his barouche. It was the first time he had invited her on an outing.
    “A ride through Hyde Park tomorrow sounds lovely, though I must be returned home by three o’clock,” Amber said to Lord Sunther with a coy grin and a pat of her fan against his arm. “I need sufficient time to ready myself for the evening party at the Whiteacres. Will you be attending, do you think? It promises to be a delightful event with the very highest of company.” She had already procured the morning gossip that confirmed he’d been included on the guest list. Amber had to resist touching the turban or trying to make it more comfortable. It felt odd to have such a confining piece on her head, and it itched terribly.
    “If I know you shall be there, I will make certain to accept the invitation that arrived just tonight,” he said, smiling at her. He was not particularly handsome with too thin a face and ears that could not be disguised even with his longish hair combed into a Brutus style. But he was attentive and kind. Was he kind enough to accept her situation if she hid it from him until they married? Would he be the type of man to make the best of it?
    Such thoughts threatened to ruin her resolve to act her part and so Amber set them aside and complimented him on the superior view of the stage afforded them by the rented box. He seemed to take great delight in her compliments, and she determined to consider what other aspects of his person and interests she could expound upon during their carriage ride tomorrow. She could wear a bonnet, which would be a relief to her nerves.
    When the Sterlington party returned to the town house on Park Street near midnight, Amber felt as though she could think freely for the first time all evening. The night had been a success, but the effort to maintain her role of carefree and confident debutante was exhausting. She knew that if the society she worked so hard to impress knew the truth, they would want nothing of her at all. Though she wanted to believe that Lord Sunther would not dismiss her should they marry and then he learn of her secret, he would have to come to terms with her deception as well as her condition eventually. It would be easier if she had no qualms regarding her behavior—such as had been the case when she saw herself as whole and desirable. Now she knew she was offering less than she was leading Lord Sunther to believe, and the realization of how poorly she was using him did not sit well with her.
    Suzanne was waiting in Amber’s bedchamber as she always was, and assisted Amber with the removal of Darra’s mantle, which she draped over the bench at the end of Amber’s bed while asking about the evening.
    “It was bearable but only just,” Amber said tersely, not hesitating to take her mood out on her maid. She settled herself on the stool before her vanity and looked at Suzanne in the mirror. “This silk , as you call it, is as coarse as burlap. It itched the whole evening through.”
    Suzanne made no comment as she began unwrapping the turban from Amber’s head. Amber closed her eyes, enjoying the release of pressure and wished it could take other tensions with it. If the Earl had been in town for some weeks, she could countenance pushing for a proposal on their ride tomorrow. As he had only been in town for three days, however, and this would be their first ride together, it was far too forward and might work against her by creating a wariness in him. She needed more time for him to fall in love with her and offer her a sincere proposal.
    “Oh, Miss,” she heard Suzanne said, her voice heavy. Amber blinked her eyes open and looked first at Suzanne’s wide-eyed