Read Online Lady Incognita by Nina Coombs Pykare - Free Book Online

are perfectly capable of taking care of yourself,” a voice inside her said; and she knew that it was true.  
    Nevertheless she recognized another part of herself, perhaps even stronger than that first, a part that yearned for - even demanded - a hero.
    With a deep sigh Louisa put the pen to paper again, but before she could resume writing there came a hurried knock at the door.
    “Louisa,” Betsy called. “Come quickly. We’ve got company.”
    For a long moment Louisa sat immobile, fighting against the hope in her heart. It could not be him. By the time she had regained her voice and called out tremulously, “Who is it?” Betsy had already clattered back down the stairs.
      With a shake of her head Louisa pulled herself together. She must not sit here like a block while her visitors cooled their heels in the drawing room.
    She paused for a moment before the cheval glass to tuck a stray curl up under her cap and then, telling herself that she was being ridiculous even to think that the caller might be his lord-ship, she made her way down the stairs to her visitors.
    The first sight to meet her eyes as she entered the drawing room was a lady, a fashionably dressed lady of medium years. There was something disturbingly familiar about the dark eyes under the dark hair, but before Louisa could quite put a finger on what it was, the stranger spoke. “I am sorry to disturb you at your accounts, Miss Penhope,” said she in softly modulated tones. “But ever since Philip mentioned you I have been dying to make your acquaintance. Your Mama, you know, was a dear friend of mine.”
    Louisa advanced toward the lady, conscious that at the sound of Atherton’s name the color had flooded her cheeks. “I ... I am afraid I was not expecting callers,” she stammered.“We have very few.”
    “Indeed that is something I mean to remedy. Come my dear and sit down.”
    Louisa sank into a nearby chair.
    “I see that Philip did not bother to mention my existence to you,” the lady continued.
    “But I have remedied that,” said Atherton from the doorway, “by bringing my sister to meet you. Here she is, Miss Penhope, my sister, Lady Constance Palmerton.”
    Louisa, fighting to keep her feelings from overwhelming her at the sight of the familiar features that had been so on her mind, turned back to the sister. “I am very pleased to meet you. Lady Palmer-ton. But I am afraid I do not recall my Mama mentioning you.”
    “Dear, that signifies nothing,” said Lady Constance calmly. “Your dear Mama and I were bosom-bows in our girlhoods. But after we married we drifted apart. Hus-bands, bless their hearts, are such demanding creatures.”
    Louisa, venturing to look once more at Atherton, saw that he was smiling at his sister. “Do not let Constance fool you,” he said, meeting Louisa’s eyes in a familiar way that almost put her to the blush again. “She is the demanding one in her household.”
    “Philip always was a spoiled boy,” observed Lady Constance, giving her brother an affectionate smile. “But I suppose it cannot be helped. Mama and I both doted on him so.”
      The object of the comment chuckled heartily. “Come, Constance,” he observed. “We did not come here to give Miss Penhope our life histories.”
    “Dear me, no. And dreadfully dull they would be, too. At least mine. Yes, yes, Philip. There is no need to glare so.” She turned to Louisa. “I have come to see if I might be of some use in introducing you to the ton, Miss Penhope. It is perhaps a little late for you to come out.”
    “It is indeed,” cried Louisa in some alarm.
    “But Philip told me of your plans for your sister. If you intend to bring her out, you had best begin now by getting yourself known.”
    “But it will be several years at least,” protested Louisa.
    “Fine,” said Lady Constance complacently. “That will give us just enough time to get you well established.”
    “That is very kind of you. Lady Palmer-ton. But it