Read Online Lady Myddelton's Lover by Evangeline Holland - Free Book Online Page A

the bedrooms near the Water Court without detection. They walked through the Second Painted Staircase and into the ballroom, and he realized he was quite near the south wing of the house. As the tour moved out of the ballroom and into the Archbishop’s Great Chamber, Richard headed for the door at the opposite end of the ballroom and used the map to direct him towards the bedroom wing.
                  He stepped into a hallway and came face to face with a startled Victorine.
                  “Where is her ladyship?” He said abruptly.
                  “I-In the garden, my lord,” She stammered.
                  He paused to thank her and hastily made his way through the house until he reached the Great Hall. He ignored the surprised looks of the servants, and walked out onto the marble terrace that led to the garden. He stood at the front of the garden, blinking beneath the bright sun and the vivid colors of flowers and fruit trees planted in neat rows and borders. The crown jewel of the park’s garden was the maze, one of England’s most famous and famously puzzling. He caught a movement from the corner of his eye and turned to see a veiled hat moving gracefully through the garden.
    The woman carried a basket over her arm; her gloves stained with dirt as she pulled a small gardening tool from the basket and kneeled out of sight. He strode swiftly in her direction and hesitated a few feet behind her, feeling an attack of nerves, unsure of his welcome or of Aline’s reaction to his appearance. She dropped her tools and came to her feet, pushing her veil over her hat as she turned to face him.
    “Lady Myddelton,” He breathed, dazzled by her appearance in the sunlight.
    “My lord,” She greeted softly.
    “I love you,” He said simply. “I’ve loved you from the moment you wrote me, and I cannot accept no for an answer.”
    “Are you going to…force me to say yes?” She glanced up at him.
    “No,” He said brusquely. “I want you to want me, to love me because you made that decision, not because I’ve seduced it from you, or embarrassed it out of you.”
    She dropped her eyes to her dirt-stained gloves and then slowly worked them from her hands. “And if I still said no?”
    Richard rubbed the knot of pain in his chest with trembling fingers, but he said, “It would shatter me to pieces, but I would accept it.”
    Her silence felt like an eternity, and he stared at the brim of her hat, which shielded her face, at the wind tugging her veil. She moved to him before he could react, and he stared dumbly at the hand she placed on his chest and slid to his neck, curling around his nape and pulling his mouth to hers. His eyes widened with shock, his lips frozen as he struggled to comprehend her actions. She pulled away and arched a brow.
    “You have to kiss me back, Richard,”
    He chuckled shakily and bent to kiss her. Before their lips met, he paused, pulling back to frown at her. “Yes?”
    “Yes, you fool!” She grinned, green eyes glistening. “Now take me somewhere before I tear your clothes off in this middle of the garden.”
    Richard grabbed her hand and they ran to the maze, Aline laughing happily as she led him to its heart. They quickly and deliberately undressed, the sun hot on his back, the grass tickling his legs as they sunk to the ground. He closed his eyes with a deep sigh as he sank into her, his pleasure increasing with her pleasure, muffling her soft moans, and gasps, and giggles with his mouth, wanting not even the wind to share in their bliss. His climax was slow and exquisite, made even more so by her arms wrapped tightly around him as she whispered “I love you Richard,” in his ear. He held her in the aftermath and suddenly grinned, delighted by the circumstances in which he became Lady Myddelton’s lover.
                 

Coming Soon
     
    ABERCONWY HALL — a series following two families, their manor houses, and their