Read Online An Invitation to Sin by Jo Beverley, Sally Mackenzie, Kaitlin O'Riley, Vanessa Kelly - Free Book Online Page B
Ads: Link
for you.”
He smiled. “You are charmingly forthright. I gambled, but I also hedged my bets. There is a note in the library asking you to come here. Will you take a seat?” He indicated one of the two chairs bracketing the screened fireplace.
Both relieved and disappointed that there was no sofa, Anna perched on the chair. He relaxed into the other one and stretched his long legs so that his boots came perilously close to her skirts. “Damned uncomfortable, these chairs. I like ones with lots of padding. I see you feel the same.”
“Me?” It came out as a squeak. Anna tried to relax, but it was impossible when this man was sitting so close, making her feel rather breathless. “I am just somewhat apprehensive, my lord. Do you intend to tell my parents?”
His brows rose in surprise. “What! That you sneaked into my house, where I mistook you for a serving maid and did my best to have my wicked way with you? Hardly.”
“Oh. Then I don’t suppose you are going to try and blackmail me, either.”
“Is that what you thought? What was I going to blackmail you into doing? Oh, dear. Not into succumbing to my wicked way. You’ve been reading too much Mrs. Jamison, Pippin.”
Smarting from his tone, Anna snapped, “Don’t call me that! It’s my father’s pet name for me.”
“Ah. I’m sorry then. It does suit you, though. And I have the greatest appreciation for juicy apples.”
Anna could feel herself turning as hot as if there was a roaring fire in the grate. “Are you flirting with me, sir?”
His smile turned wry. “That would be most dishonorable, wouldn’t it, after I ’d given you my parole. Very well, to business. The reason I requested this meeting, Miss Featherstone, is because you clearly know things that I do not. Such as the location of that secret door. I’ve been trying to find a way to speak with you for weeks, and have had to resort to this. Would you explain it, please?”
Anna felt very loath to tell him, loath to share her secret with anyone, but made herself say, “It’s in one of the novels. Forbidden Affections.”
He sat up. “In a novel?” he said blankly. “Read by thousands?”
“Yes. You see, Dulcinea is kept in a room exactly like the one I have—it’s very horrid—and Roland …”
He winced as if in pain. “Did that dreadful woman actually name a hero after me?”
Anna tried to assimilate the word “dreadful.” It seemed to her that no one could refer to a lover as dreadful in quite that tone. “I’m afraid so. Roland of Toulaine.”
“No wonder you reacted to my name the last time we met. And what did the noble Roland look like? Or can I guess?”
She nodded. “Just like you, I’m afraid. Or rather, more like you in that portrait.”
His blue eyes opened wider. “You have been prying, haven’t you, my dishonorable maid.”
Anna was blushing again, this time with mortification. “I do beg your pardon. It was inexcusable.”
“Hardly,” he said, recovering his equanimity. “I doubt I could have resisted the temptation, especially at … How old are you?”
“Sixteen, as I said.”
“I was hoping you’d lied. Hélas. So, are there other aspects of this novel that relate to reality?”
“How should I know, my lord? You might read it for yourself. You do own a copy.”
“The woman gave copies of all her works to my mother, who was too polite to refuse them but has never read a novel in her life.”
“How sad for her,” said Anna militantly.
Humor flickered in his eyes. “She has often declared that they turn young ladies into weaklings, inclined to faint at the slightest thing. I will delight in telling her how wrong she is.”
“She’s still alive?” Anna immediately regretted the question, but she was startled to find that the earl was not alone in the world.
“Yes, though she has not been hearty for years. She resides in Bath. So, come, tell me more about this novel so that we can see what parallels there might
He smiled. “You are charmingly forthright. I gambled, but I also hedged my bets. There is a note in the library asking you to come here. Will you take a seat?” He indicated one of the two chairs bracketing the screened fireplace.
Both relieved and disappointed that there was no sofa, Anna perched on the chair. He relaxed into the other one and stretched his long legs so that his boots came perilously close to her skirts. “Damned uncomfortable, these chairs. I like ones with lots of padding. I see you feel the same.”
“Me?” It came out as a squeak. Anna tried to relax, but it was impossible when this man was sitting so close, making her feel rather breathless. “I am just somewhat apprehensive, my lord. Do you intend to tell my parents?”
His brows rose in surprise. “What! That you sneaked into my house, where I mistook you for a serving maid and did my best to have my wicked way with you? Hardly.”
“Oh. Then I don’t suppose you are going to try and blackmail me, either.”
“Is that what you thought? What was I going to blackmail you into doing? Oh, dear. Not into succumbing to my wicked way. You’ve been reading too much Mrs. Jamison, Pippin.”
Smarting from his tone, Anna snapped, “Don’t call me that! It’s my father’s pet name for me.”
“Ah. I’m sorry then. It does suit you, though. And I have the greatest appreciation for juicy apples.”
Anna could feel herself turning as hot as if there was a roaring fire in the grate. “Are you flirting with me, sir?”
His smile turned wry. “That would be most dishonorable, wouldn’t it, after I ’d given you my parole. Very well, to business. The reason I requested this meeting, Miss Featherstone, is because you clearly know things that I do not. Such as the location of that secret door. I’ve been trying to find a way to speak with you for weeks, and have had to resort to this. Would you explain it, please?”
Anna felt very loath to tell him, loath to share her secret with anyone, but made herself say, “It’s in one of the novels. Forbidden Affections.”
He sat up. “In a novel?” he said blankly. “Read by thousands?”
“Yes. You see, Dulcinea is kept in a room exactly like the one I have—it’s very horrid—and Roland …”
He winced as if in pain. “Did that dreadful woman actually name a hero after me?”
Anna tried to assimilate the word “dreadful.” It seemed to her that no one could refer to a lover as dreadful in quite that tone. “I’m afraid so. Roland of Toulaine.”
“No wonder you reacted to my name the last time we met. And what did the noble Roland look like? Or can I guess?”
She nodded. “Just like you, I’m afraid. Or rather, more like you in that portrait.”
His blue eyes opened wider. “You have been prying, haven’t you, my dishonorable maid.”
Anna was blushing again, this time with mortification. “I do beg your pardon. It was inexcusable.”
“Hardly,” he said, recovering his equanimity. “I doubt I could have resisted the temptation, especially at … How old are you?”
“Sixteen, as I said.”
“I was hoping you’d lied. Hélas. So, are there other aspects of this novel that relate to reality?”
“How should I know, my lord? You might read it for yourself. You do own a copy.”
“The woman gave copies of all her works to my mother, who was too polite to refuse them but has never read a novel in her life.”
“How sad for her,” said Anna militantly.
Humor flickered in his eyes. “She has often declared that they turn young ladies into weaklings, inclined to faint at the slightest thing. I will delight in telling her how wrong she is.”
“She’s still alive?” Anna immediately regretted the question, but she was startled to find that the earl was not alone in the world.
“Yes, though she has not been hearty for years. She resides in Bath. So, come, tell me more about this novel so that we can see what parallels there might
Similar Books
