Read Online A Taste of Temptation by Amelia Grey - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Amelia Grey
Tags: Fiction, Historical fiction, General, Suspense, Romance, Historical, Regency, Man-Woman Relationships, Love Stories, London (England)
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surely you asked her. What did she have to say for herself?”
Should he tell them what she said? That she was looking for a ghost and became curious once she entered his room? He was tempted, but no, that, too, he would keep to himself, for now anyway. He would stay with the story that she found his room by accident and she had something in her eye.
“Not much,” he lied without compunction. She’d had plenty to say and she wasn’t shy about it, but his friends would never know that, either. “I thought at first maybe she was going to steal something. I had some coins on the dressing table.”
“How did she get into your bedchamber? It wasn’t locked?”
“No. I—she said something about getting lost while going to the ladies’ retiring room. While I was trying to find out who she was and what she was doing there Aunt Claude, the young lady’s aunt, and the Lord Mayor’s wife saw the door to my room ajar and came to investigate. Before I could get everyone out, Lady Lynette came in asking questions.”
“Damnation,” Chandler whispered. “That many people saw her in your room? What a hell of a mess.” Andrew took a deep breath and shook his head as he remembered the bickering of the three older ladies. God save him from a scene like that again.
“It was lunacy,” Andrew said.
“Bloody hell. It sounds like it,” John said.
A short unexpected laugh escaped past Andrew’s lips.
“This party has been a disaster right from the beginning of the evening.”
“Yes, we heard about the urn falling from the landing at the top of the stairs before we arrived. How the hell did something like that happen?”
“I don’t know, but I’m beginning to think fate has decided to play a few cruel jokes on me.”
“So what happens with the young lady now?” Chandler asked.
“I’m going to call on Miss Banning and her aunt tomorrow afternoon and settle this. No doubt it will get out and the tittle-tattle sheets will chew on it for a few days, but with a little luck it will eventually die away as all scandals do.”
“Yes, but how will you settle it? Marriage could be demanded of you.”
Not in this lifetime.
“Don’t worry, my dear friends. I have a few ideas. After all these years of spurning the pushy mamas and irate fathers, not even giving in to marriage when a financial match would have been so easy and welcomed, I’m not about to be caught in parson’s mousetrap now.”
“For your sake, I hope it will be as easy for you to ditch the fortune seeker as you think.”
“I don’t foresee a problem. I can be very persuasive.
Now, I’m going back to the party.”
“We’re here, if you need us,” Chandler said and clapped Andrew on the arm.
“I know that.”
It was strangely comforting to know that his friends, who had made it clear that they preferred their wives’ company to his, were still there for him when trouble came knocking.
Andrew turned and walked away.
Immediately his thoughts went deep. Perhaps all he had to do was mention to Miss Loudermilk that her niece said she was looking for a ghost. That wasn’t something intelligent young ladies did. Surely no one would expect him to marry a young lady whose mind wasn’t as it should be.
That was a shame, too. She was really very tempting.
He could always say he had to think of the title. Whenever he married it would have to be to a woman of sound mind. His sons would need to be strong and intelligent.
Suddenly his stomach twisted. He didn’t like using Miss Banning’s own words about her pursuit of a ghost to save himself from the gallows called matrimony, but in this instance he might have to.
If her stern-looking aunt didn’t already know about her queer searchings for members of the afterlife, she would by the end of tomorrow afternoon.
27239_ch01.001-297.qxd 9/19/05 6:09 PM Page 62
Five
8
“From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggety beasties, and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord deliver us,”might
Should he tell them what she said? That she was looking for a ghost and became curious once she entered his room? He was tempted, but no, that, too, he would keep to himself, for now anyway. He would stay with the story that she found his room by accident and she had something in her eye.
“Not much,” he lied without compunction. She’d had plenty to say and she wasn’t shy about it, but his friends would never know that, either. “I thought at first maybe she was going to steal something. I had some coins on the dressing table.”
“How did she get into your bedchamber? It wasn’t locked?”
“No. I—she said something about getting lost while going to the ladies’ retiring room. While I was trying to find out who she was and what she was doing there Aunt Claude, the young lady’s aunt, and the Lord Mayor’s wife saw the door to my room ajar and came to investigate. Before I could get everyone out, Lady Lynette came in asking questions.”
“Damnation,” Chandler whispered. “That many people saw her in your room? What a hell of a mess.” Andrew took a deep breath and shook his head as he remembered the bickering of the three older ladies. God save him from a scene like that again.
“It was lunacy,” Andrew said.
“Bloody hell. It sounds like it,” John said.
A short unexpected laugh escaped past Andrew’s lips.
“This party has been a disaster right from the beginning of the evening.”
“Yes, we heard about the urn falling from the landing at the top of the stairs before we arrived. How the hell did something like that happen?”
“I don’t know, but I’m beginning to think fate has decided to play a few cruel jokes on me.”
“So what happens with the young lady now?” Chandler asked.
“I’m going to call on Miss Banning and her aunt tomorrow afternoon and settle this. No doubt it will get out and the tittle-tattle sheets will chew on it for a few days, but with a little luck it will eventually die away as all scandals do.”
“Yes, but how will you settle it? Marriage could be demanded of you.”
Not in this lifetime.
“Don’t worry, my dear friends. I have a few ideas. After all these years of spurning the pushy mamas and irate fathers, not even giving in to marriage when a financial match would have been so easy and welcomed, I’m not about to be caught in parson’s mousetrap now.”
“For your sake, I hope it will be as easy for you to ditch the fortune seeker as you think.”
“I don’t foresee a problem. I can be very persuasive.
Now, I’m going back to the party.”
“We’re here, if you need us,” Chandler said and clapped Andrew on the arm.
“I know that.”
It was strangely comforting to know that his friends, who had made it clear that they preferred their wives’ company to his, were still there for him when trouble came knocking.
Andrew turned and walked away.
Immediately his thoughts went deep. Perhaps all he had to do was mention to Miss Loudermilk that her niece said she was looking for a ghost. That wasn’t something intelligent young ladies did. Surely no one would expect him to marry a young lady whose mind wasn’t as it should be.
That was a shame, too. She was really very tempting.
He could always say he had to think of the title. Whenever he married it would have to be to a woman of sound mind. His sons would need to be strong and intelligent.
Suddenly his stomach twisted. He didn’t like using Miss Banning’s own words about her pursuit of a ghost to save himself from the gallows called matrimony, but in this instance he might have to.
If her stern-looking aunt didn’t already know about her queer searchings for members of the afterlife, she would by the end of tomorrow afternoon.
27239_ch01.001-297.qxd 9/19/05 6:09 PM Page 62
Five
8
“From ghoulies and ghosties and long-leggety beasties, and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord deliver us,”might
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