Read Online Dancing With A Devil by Julie Johnstone - Free Book Online
Authors: Julie Johnstone
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brow furrowed as Whitney’s words came back to her. Slowly, Audrey lowered the quizzing glasses and glanced at her friend. “What do you mean your pawns have entered your board?”
A low chuckle came from Whitney. “When I asked Sin to come to the theater with us tonight, he declined.”
Audrey’s stomach dropped to her slippered feet. “But that is awful. Why are you only telling me this now?” Her head instantly pounded. “I would not have agreed to come.”
“ What nonsense you speak,” Whitney said in a chiding tone. “He claimed he had already agreed to accompany the Duke of Primwitty tonight. After leaving Sin’s home this morning, I took it upon myself to call on Sally to see if Sin was telling me the truth. Normally I would not question him, but he acted rather uncomfortable when talking to me. He paced the room and avoided my gaze. Sally told me the duke had no theater plans with Sin tonight.”
“ Is this story supposed to make me feel better?” Audrey asked with a trembling voice.
Whitney’s grin faded. “Well, yes, but I see I’m mucking up the telling. Sally came to see me this afternoon. Sin called at their home not long after I departed, and Sally overheard Sin begging a favor of the duke to accompany him to the theater tonight to keep a watchful eye on you .”
“ Me ?” Confusion made her thoughts dance around in her head. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“ It makes perfect sense to me. He wants to make sure you do not fall into the hands of a rake, but he wants to do it from afar. He is avoiding you.” A wide smile lit Whitney’s face.
Audrey frowned and pressed her fingers to her temples. “Your explanation is still not making me feel better.”
“ Honestly.” Whitney shook her head. “Sometimes I think I’m the only one who can clearly see when people are trying to hide something.”
“ And what is Trent trying to hide?”
“ He likes you, but too much for his comfort. He has spent the last year involved with women who demanded nothing from him but payment for services rendered.”
Audrey gaped at Whitney, not shocked but amazed that her friend spoke so bluntly on such an intimate matter.
Whitney shrugged. “Sorry, dearest, but I must speak the plain truth and since we are alone…”
“ Yes, of course. Go on.” It was not as if she had not known that Trent was a rake.
“ My theory is that you present a problem to him because his heart was broken, and he is afraid to love again. He is afraid of you, because you are the first woman who has awakened the desire for something more in him. Do you agree with this theory?”
“ I do think he must have been hurt,” Audrey said with hesitation. “I daresay I want to agree with the rest of what you have hypothesized, but I fear it is because I long to believe he cares for me and not because it is actually true. I’m certain that along with my heart my pride is involved.”
“ That is quite understandable. The important thing is that I am correct. And because I’m so sure of what I have said, I set a plan into motion that I’m positive will have Sin springing from his seat and striding over to our box to sit near you. After that, the rest is really up to you.” Whitney paused and patted her hair.
Audrey stirred uneasily in her chair. Whitney’s plans had been known to cause quite a bit of trouble before. “What exactly have you done?”
“ I asked Drake to invite Lord Thortonberry to join us in our box tonight.” Whitney frowned and then spoke again. “Asked may not be the exact right word. I had to cajole Drake, and it took rather a lot of effort. He does not want to promote a tender between you and Lord Thortonberry, but I explained to him that was not a concern. It isn’t, is it?”
Audrey laughed at Whitney’s probing gaze. “Certainly not. Lord Thortonberry thinks of me as a sister, and as I said I think of him as a brother.”
“ I knew I was correct,” Whitney exclaimed. “I usually
A low chuckle came from Whitney. “When I asked Sin to come to the theater with us tonight, he declined.”
Audrey’s stomach dropped to her slippered feet. “But that is awful. Why are you only telling me this now?” Her head instantly pounded. “I would not have agreed to come.”
“ What nonsense you speak,” Whitney said in a chiding tone. “He claimed he had already agreed to accompany the Duke of Primwitty tonight. After leaving Sin’s home this morning, I took it upon myself to call on Sally to see if Sin was telling me the truth. Normally I would not question him, but he acted rather uncomfortable when talking to me. He paced the room and avoided my gaze. Sally told me the duke had no theater plans with Sin tonight.”
“ Is this story supposed to make me feel better?” Audrey asked with a trembling voice.
Whitney’s grin faded. “Well, yes, but I see I’m mucking up the telling. Sally came to see me this afternoon. Sin called at their home not long after I departed, and Sally overheard Sin begging a favor of the duke to accompany him to the theater tonight to keep a watchful eye on you .”
“ Me ?” Confusion made her thoughts dance around in her head. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“ It makes perfect sense to me. He wants to make sure you do not fall into the hands of a rake, but he wants to do it from afar. He is avoiding you.” A wide smile lit Whitney’s face.
Audrey frowned and pressed her fingers to her temples. “Your explanation is still not making me feel better.”
“ Honestly.” Whitney shook her head. “Sometimes I think I’m the only one who can clearly see when people are trying to hide something.”
“ And what is Trent trying to hide?”
“ He likes you, but too much for his comfort. He has spent the last year involved with women who demanded nothing from him but payment for services rendered.”
Audrey gaped at Whitney, not shocked but amazed that her friend spoke so bluntly on such an intimate matter.
Whitney shrugged. “Sorry, dearest, but I must speak the plain truth and since we are alone…”
“ Yes, of course. Go on.” It was not as if she had not known that Trent was a rake.
“ My theory is that you present a problem to him because his heart was broken, and he is afraid to love again. He is afraid of you, because you are the first woman who has awakened the desire for something more in him. Do you agree with this theory?”
“ I do think he must have been hurt,” Audrey said with hesitation. “I daresay I want to agree with the rest of what you have hypothesized, but I fear it is because I long to believe he cares for me and not because it is actually true. I’m certain that along with my heart my pride is involved.”
“ That is quite understandable. The important thing is that I am correct. And because I’m so sure of what I have said, I set a plan into motion that I’m positive will have Sin springing from his seat and striding over to our box to sit near you. After that, the rest is really up to you.” Whitney paused and patted her hair.
Audrey stirred uneasily in her chair. Whitney’s plans had been known to cause quite a bit of trouble before. “What exactly have you done?”
“ I asked Drake to invite Lord Thortonberry to join us in our box tonight.” Whitney frowned and then spoke again. “Asked may not be the exact right word. I had to cajole Drake, and it took rather a lot of effort. He does not want to promote a tender between you and Lord Thortonberry, but I explained to him that was not a concern. It isn’t, is it?”
Audrey laughed at Whitney’s probing gaze. “Certainly not. Lord Thortonberry thinks of me as a sister, and as I said I think of him as a brother.”
“ I knew I was correct,” Whitney exclaimed. “I usually
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