Read Online Juliana by Lauren Royal, Devon Royal - Free Book Online

fellow. But his pale green eyes seemed troubled.
    Quite suddenly, Juliana realized there was a flaw in her perfect plan. In seeing to Amanda’s happiness, she was making Lord Malmsey un happy. And that would never do.
    “What are you plotting now, Juliana?”
    She looked over to see Corinna and Alexandra approaching. “Nothing,” she told them both.
    “I recognize that look on your face,” Alexandra said.
    Juliana never had been able to fool her older sister. “Oh, very well,” she admitted, and led them a safe distance from her target. “I’m trying to find a match for Lord Malmsey.”
    “Holy Hannah,” Corinna groaned, “whatever put that thought into your head?”
    Juliana pressed her lips together, maintaining her silence.
    “Something is going on.” Corinna narrowed her eyes. “Something to do with Amanda.”
    Juliana sighed. She should have known Corinna would weasel the truth out of her one way or another. “Can you keep a secret?”
    “Of course we can,” Alexandra said, looking a little hurt. “Have we broken a confidence ever?”
    Well, no, neither of them had. Not to Juliana’s knowledge, anyway. She leaned in closer and lowered her voice. “Amanda’s father has betrothed her against her will to Lord Malmsey.”
    “I knew it!” Corinna exclaimed at the same time Alexandra said, “That’s dreadful!”
    “Quite. Lord Wolverston is deaf to her protests. He’s told her that if she refuses to go through with the wedding, he’ll disinherit her.”
    Corinna gasped. “Then no one else will ever offer for her.”
    Of the three of them, she always had been the most blunt.
    “Precisely,” Juliana said. “Which is why I’m working to help Amanda charm a more suitable man, in the hopes that he’ll offer for her before it’s too late.” While that wasn’t exactly the plan, it was close enough. She dared not mention the compromising position in front of her sisters, who rarely approved of her schemes. “But I cannot find love for Amanda at Lord Malmsey’s expense. That would be terribly unfair.”
    “Juliana always wants to see everyone happy,” Alexandra teased affectionately.
    “In all his many years,” Corinna pointed out, “Lord Malmsey has never proposed to anyone before Amanda. He’s too shy to approach another lady.”
    “Then a shy spinster will be a perfect match.” Juliana’s gaze wandered the ballroom. Miss Hartshorn was too old; Lady Sarah Ballister was too young; Miss Ashton was too outgoing. She scanned past her chaperone, then back. “Aunt Frances,” she said, nodding to herself with more than a little satisfaction.
    “Aunt Frances?” Corinna’s brilliant blue eyes widened. “You’re thinking to match Aunt Frances with Lord Malmsey?”
    Alexandra frowned toward their aunt, no doubt considering her spectacles and unstylish gray hair. “I’ve never seen Aunt Frances show romantic interest in a gentleman.”
    “That’s only because no one has shown an interest in her,” Juliana said. “And that will all change when she receives Lord Malmsey’s love letter.”
    “What love letter?” Alexandra and Corinna asked in unison.
    Juliana shook her head. “The one I’m going to write, of course.”
    Her sisters had no imagination.
    She spotted one of their cousins, looking aimless. “Rachael!” she called with a merry wave, starting toward her.
    Corinna grabbed her arm. “Are you plotting something else now?”
    “Of course not,” Juliana said, although she was indeed plotting to get her brother to dance with her cousin. Lately, Rachael seemed withdrawn or absent from most events, which had hampered Juliana’s ongoing efforts to match her with Griffin.
    She put on her most innocent smile and added, ”I intend to invite Rachael, Claire, and Elizabeth to my next sewing party.” Which, in point of fact, was precisely true.
    It just wasn’t her only intention.

TEN

    WARY OF Juliana’s grin, Griffin watched her heading his way with their cousin in tow.