Read Online Forbidden by Rachel van Dyken, Kristin Vayden, Kelly Martin, Nadine Millard - Free Book Online

at Dora, a steely determination
making her stand stiff as a board. "Yes, I would" she said with
determination, "and I want you to make me look my absolute
best."

CHAPTER SEVEN
     
    Mariah arrived downstairs
just as the clock chimed the hour.
    She was a bundle of nerves but was relieved
to note that her hand was steady as she waited for the footman to
open the door to the drawing room.
    She had been primped and primed to within an
inch of her life by Dora, who it transpired, had ambitions of being
a lady's maid and took great delight trying out her skills on
Mariah.
    So, as it turned out, Mariah looked ready to
be presented at Court by the time she arrived downstairs.
    The dress that she had paid absolutely no
attention to earlier was a confection of amber chiffon and silk. It
was by far the most luxurious thing Mariah had ever worn and she'd
had to concentrate hard on not thinking of Brandon Haverton as the
cool silk slid over her curves.
    The neckline was lower than any she'd ever
worn and was bordered by a row of tiny pearls that glinted in the
candlelight. The satin bodice was overlaid with chiffon of a
slightly brighter colour and split at the empire line of the gown,
falling open to the bottom.
    Dora had managed to find ivory silk slippers
and matching gloves, and even an ivory fan decorated with amber
coloured flowers, before pulling Mariah over to the looking glass
for her to inspect herself.
    The colour of the gown highlighted the gold
flecks in Mariah's eyes and her russet curls, dotted with pearls
that Dora had found somewhere, were piled loosely at the crown of
her head with some tendrils framing her face and falling round her
shoulders.
    Mariah had been shocked at the transformation
from a pretty but rather plain bluestocking to an elegant lady of
quality. And if Dora's exclamations were anything to go by, she too
was impressed.
    Mariah took a steadying breath and stepped
into the drawing room, her eyes seeking out the man who hours ago
had made her feel like the happiest woman in the world and who now
made her feel murderous.
    He stood by the fireplace and for a moment
Mariah's anger was frozen by the look of desolation on his
face.
    He stood with one arm on the mantel, gazing
into the fire as if it held the answers to every secret in the
world.
    He looked tense and angry and, well, sad. So
sad that Mariah, who only moments before had been plotting his
demise, now wanted to run to him and comfort him. Which was
crazy.
    As she stepped further into the room a
floorboard creaked beneath her foot and he spun around at the
noise.
    As their eyes locked Mariah felt the now
familiar frisson of awareness slide through her body. Dear Lord.
How could she still feel this pull toward him when he had lied to
her? That he had been married to another?
    She felt thoroughly ashamed of herself and
her anger at him returned in spades.
    His eyes raked her slowly from her toes to
the top of her head and Mariah tried to ignore the flush she felt
in every part of her that his eyes touched.
    Finally, after what seemed like an age, his
dark eyes met hers again.
    "You're breathtaking," he said hoarsely.
    He's a swine, Mariah she told herself
desperately, do not listen to his false compliments. He's
probably said that to hundreds of women.
    That thought alone was enough to break the
spell of desire that she was falling under, and she managed to
raise a haughty brow.
    "Oh really?" she asked, her voice dripping
with disdain. "As breathtaking as your wife?"
    His eyes widened in shock, no doubt as much
at her words as at the venomous tone in her voice. He stepped
towards her.
    "What?"
    "You heard me."
    "Yes, I did. But I thought I must have
misheard since I've already told you I don't have a
wife."
    He was stepping closer with every sentence
and Mariah had to force herself not to back away from him.
    "Oh yes. You have told me that. Funny then,
that this" she gestured angrily to the dress she wore, "beautiful
gown should belong to the lady of