Read Online A Wallflower Christmas by Lisa Kleypas - Free Book Online

You’ll have to work on that, dear. When you’re genuine, there’s no mystery. And above all men like mystery in a woman.”
    Hannah smiled and shook her head. “Duly noted.I’m off to bed now.” After changing into a white ruffled nightgown, she went into the little antechamber and crawled into the clean soft bed. After a moment, she heard Natalie murmur, “Good night, dear,” and the lamp was extinguished.
    Tucking one arm beneath her pillow, Hannah lay on her side and pondered Natalie’s words.
    There was no doubt that Natalie was right—Hannah had nothing close to an air of mystery.
    She also had no noble blood, no dowry, no great beauty, no skill or abilities that might distinguish her. And aside from the Blandfords, she had no notable connections. But she had a warm heart and a good mind, and decent looks. And she had dreams, attainable ones, of having a home and family of her own someday.
    It had not escaped Hannah that in Natalie’s privileged world, people expected to find happiness and love outside of marriage. But her fondest wish for Natalie was that she would end up with a husband with whom she could share some likeness of mind and heart.
    And at this point, it was still highly questionable as to whether Rafe Bowman even had a heart.

Six
    While Westcliff shared cigars with Lord Blandford, Rafe went with his father to have a private conversation. They proceeded to the library, a large and handsome room that was two stories high, with mahogany bookshelves housing over ten thousand volumes. A sideboard had been built into a niche to make it flush with the bookshelves.
    Rafe was thankful to see that a collection of bottles and decanters had been arranged on the sideboard’s marble top. Feeling the need for something stronger than port, he found the whisky decanter. “A double?” he suggested to his father, who nodded and grunted in assent.
    Rafe had always hated talking with his father. Thomas Bowman was the kind of man who determined other people’s minds for them, believing that he knew them better than they knew themselves. Since early childhood Rafe had endured being told what his thoughts andmotivations were, and then being punished for them. It hardly seemed to matter whether he had done something good or bad. It had only mattered what light his father had decided to cast his actions in.
    And always, Thomas had held the threat of disinheritance over his head. Finally Rafe had told him to cut him off entirely and be damned. And he had gone out to make his own fortune, starting with practically nothing.
    Now when he met with his father, it was on his own terms. Oh, Rafe wanted the European proprietorship of Bowman’s, but he wasn’t going to sell his soul for it.
    He handed a whisky to his father and took a swallow, letting the creamy, sweet flavor of ester roll over his tongue.
    Thomas went to sit in a leather chair before the fire. Frowning, he reached up to check the position of the toupee on his head. It had been slipping all evening.
    â€œYou might tie a chin strap on it,” Rafe suggested innocently, earning a ferocious scowl.
    â€œYour mother finds it attractive.”
    â€œFather, I find it difficult to believe that hairpiece would attract anything other than an amorous squirrel.” Rafe plucked the toupee off and dropped it onto a nearby table. “Leave it off and be comfortable, for God’s sake.”
    Thomas grumbled but didn’t argue, relaxing in his chair.
    Leaning an arm against the mantel, Rafe regarded his father with a faint smile.
    â€œWell?” Thomas demanded, his heavy brows lifting expectantly. “What is your reaction to Lady Natalie?”
    Rafe hitched up his shoulders in a lazy shrug. “She’ll do.”
    The brows rushed downward. “‘She’ll do’? That’s all you can say?”
    â€œLady Natalie is no more and no less than what I expected.” After