Read Online Angel's Devil by Suzanne Enoch - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Suzanne Enoch
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arms along the corral railing.
"No,"
he answered, looking across the yard. The sight of a young boy and girl perched
up on the railing there caught his attention, and he straightened, trying to
see behind them. "Short-chested. No wind."
"You think
so?"
"Mm-hm."
The two youngsters had been joined by their father and their lovely older
sister. Angelique was in a pretty green muslin that brought out her hair's
copper highlights, and she seemed to be using her parasol to bat at her boisterous
brother rather than to shade her face. The auction was an unusual place to find
a young woman of quality, but then a great many things about this particular
lady seemed to be out of the ordinary. Henry gestured excitedly at the next animal
brought out, but after a moment Angelique shook her head and frowned, saying
something to her father.
"This
one?" Simon asked, looking over at him.
"Hm? Oh.
Weak left foreleg," James murmured absently.
"Probably
been kicked."
His cousin
pursed his lips. "Speaking of being kicked," he ventured, "why
isn't Grandmama assisting you in your search for a wife? I would think that
would be more fitting."
"She's
refused to aid me. And my next closest female relative would appear to be
either your mother—"
"Oh,"
Simon grimaced.
"Or your
betrothed. Besides, Lady Angelique rather volun—"
"The
engagement is a secret, remember?" Simon glanced at the crowd around them,
but no one appeared to be paying attention to their conversation. "It's
just that I'm not convinced Angel's choices would be suitable for what you want
in a wife."
James raised an
eyebrow, feigning surprise. "And why do you say that?"
His cousin
shrugged. "Well, she can be rather . . . whimsical, some-times."
"Really? I
hadn't noticed."
"Yes,
really. And do keep in mind that your search for love is to wait until after
you've finished helping us."
"For a
wife," James corrected sharply. "Not love."
The look Simon
gave him wasn't at all the expression one should be wearing when discussing
matrimony, and James suspected he was about to be lectured. "It's been
almost five years," Simon muttered predictably. "Stop torturing yourself.
You're allowed to fall-"
"In love
again?" James finished for him. "How do you know that, Simon? How
long is one expected to do penance for a murder?"
"It wasn't
a murder. It was a fair fight, James."
"Tell that
to Luey."
For a moment
Simon looked at him, then shook his head and stepped back from the railing.
"I know you'd take it back if you could. Perhaps Luester realizes that as
well." He sighed when James declined to respond. "You said you'd go
to tea at Grandmama Elizabeth's at three. Don't be late." His cousin
turned and walked away.
"Tea," James grumbled. "How very conventional of me."
He glanced up
to see Angelique looking at him, a smile on her face. With her parasol blocking
her from her father's view, she motioned him over. After a moment James took a
breath and nodded back, tilting his beaver hat at her. Belatedly he wondered
if he shouldn't have informed Simon that his betrothed was in attendance. He
shrugged. His cousin should have noticed her, himself.
He pushed away
from the fence to make his way through the crowd to the Grahams. "Good
day, Niston," he smiled. "Lady Angelique, little Grahams."
Helen giggled,
but Henry leaned down from his perch on the railing and tapped James on the
shoulder. "My lord marquis?"
James
reluctantly looked away from Angelique and over at her brother.
"Yes?"
"Have you
bid on anything yet?"
He shook his
head. "No, but I'm about to."
"On
what?"
"That
one." He pointed at the magnificent bay being led out and held his
information sheet so Henry could see it.
.
"Pharaoh," the boy read, and looked over at the stallion again.
"He's a goer, ain't he?" he said admiringly.
"Oh,
my," Angel murmured, resting her chin on her arms and sighing as she
leaned up against the railing. "He's splendid."
James found
that he was somewhat
"No,"
he answered, looking across the yard. The sight of a young boy and girl perched
up on the railing there caught his attention, and he straightened, trying to
see behind them. "Short-chested. No wind."
"You think
so?"
"Mm-hm."
The two youngsters had been joined by their father and their lovely older
sister. Angelique was in a pretty green muslin that brought out her hair's
copper highlights, and she seemed to be using her parasol to bat at her boisterous
brother rather than to shade her face. The auction was an unusual place to find
a young woman of quality, but then a great many things about this particular
lady seemed to be out of the ordinary. Henry gestured excitedly at the next animal
brought out, but after a moment Angelique shook her head and frowned, saying
something to her father.
"This
one?" Simon asked, looking over at him.
"Hm? Oh.
Weak left foreleg," James murmured absently.
"Probably
been kicked."
His cousin
pursed his lips. "Speaking of being kicked," he ventured, "why
isn't Grandmama assisting you in your search for a wife? I would think that
would be more fitting."
"She's
refused to aid me. And my next closest female relative would appear to be
either your mother—"
"Oh,"
Simon grimaced.
"Or your
betrothed. Besides, Lady Angelique rather volun—"
"The
engagement is a secret, remember?" Simon glanced at the crowd around them,
but no one appeared to be paying attention to their conversation. "It's
just that I'm not convinced Angel's choices would be suitable for what you want
in a wife."
James raised an
eyebrow, feigning surprise. "And why do you say that?"
His cousin
shrugged. "Well, she can be rather . . . whimsical, some-times."
"Really? I
hadn't noticed."
"Yes,
really. And do keep in mind that your search for love is to wait until after
you've finished helping us."
"For a
wife," James corrected sharply. "Not love."
The look Simon
gave him wasn't at all the expression one should be wearing when discussing
matrimony, and James suspected he was about to be lectured. "It's been
almost five years," Simon muttered predictably. "Stop torturing yourself.
You're allowed to fall-"
"In love
again?" James finished for him. "How do you know that, Simon? How
long is one expected to do penance for a murder?"
"It wasn't
a murder. It was a fair fight, James."
"Tell that
to Luey."
For a moment
Simon looked at him, then shook his head and stepped back from the railing.
"I know you'd take it back if you could. Perhaps Luester realizes that as
well." He sighed when James declined to respond. "You said you'd go
to tea at Grandmama Elizabeth's at three. Don't be late." His cousin
turned and walked away.
"Tea," James grumbled. "How very conventional of me."
He glanced up
to see Angelique looking at him, a smile on her face. With her parasol blocking
her from her father's view, she motioned him over. After a moment James took a
breath and nodded back, tilting his beaver hat at her. Belatedly he wondered
if he shouldn't have informed Simon that his betrothed was in attendance. He
shrugged. His cousin should have noticed her, himself.
He pushed away
from the fence to make his way through the crowd to the Grahams. "Good
day, Niston," he smiled. "Lady Angelique, little Grahams."
Helen giggled,
but Henry leaned down from his perch on the railing and tapped James on the
shoulder. "My lord marquis?"
James
reluctantly looked away from Angelique and over at her brother.
"Yes?"
"Have you
bid on anything yet?"
He shook his
head. "No, but I'm about to."
"On
what?"
"That
one." He pointed at the magnificent bay being led out and held his
information sheet so Henry could see it.
.
"Pharaoh," the boy read, and looked over at the stallion again.
"He's a goer, ain't he?" he said admiringly.
"Oh,
my," Angel murmured, resting her chin on her arms and sighing as she
leaned up against the railing. "He's splendid."
James found
that he was somewhat
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