Read Online Love Me Forever by Johanna Lindsey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Johanna Lindsey
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morning, in her frill-less, serviceable brown morning dress that hung loosely on herframe, her hair in an unbecoming, plain style that merely emphasized the redness of her nose, Lady Kimberly was infinitely ignorable, and yet—Lachlan couldn’t seem to ignore her. She rubbed him wrong, she truly did. Every word out of her mouth pricked at his ire and had him hot to retaliate in kind.
She had managed to disturb his sleep a number of times throughout the night. This morning he had awakened as tired as he was when he’d finally gotten to sleep. That hadn’t annoyed him, had amused him actually, that an Englishwoman could be that vindictive. He’d merely accepted that as his due and came down to breakfast hopeful, after a servant had delivered the message that he would be welcome at Sherring Cross indefinitely. Yet he’d been tired, and even the sight of his beautiful Megan hadn’t perked him up as it should have. But damned if he wasn’t wide awake now, after exchanging barbs with the spiky lady next to him.
Refrain from speaking to her at all? The devil he would. The MacGregor wouldn’t back down from a challenge like that. But he’d won this round. So he could desist for the moment.
Guts she had aplenty, although she was bolstered by the presence of others, he didn’t doubt. She’d likely sing a different tune if they’d been alone, one not so grating on the ears. Then again, maybe not. But he’d find out. He wasn’t leaving, had all the time he needed now in win his heart’s desire. And in the meantime, he had little doubt that he and Lady Kimberly would cross swords again.
10
K imberly spent a good portion of the day sleeping. It wasn’t very sociable, it being only her second day at Sherring Cross, but she’d had no choice. And even the duchess agreed she should do so when Kimberly had nodded off just as Megan was beginning to discuss the “plan” that would see her on her way to matrimony.
Megan had herded both Lucinda, Devlin’s grandmother, and Kimberly to her sitting room directly after that—how should she put it?—torturous breakfast. The “plan,” as Megan called it, was a strategy that they could all agree on, in other words, how to expose Kimberly to the widest assortment of bachelors at the soonest opportunity to assure her a wide range of possibles that she could then have ample time to consider.
It was mentioned that a number of social events were already scheduled in the coming weeks at Sherring Cross. And a slew of invitations to entertainments elsewhere also needed tobe sorted through and decided on, including several imminent balls.
Kimberly had fallen asleep just as Lucinda, or Duchy, as her family fondly called her, mentioned that one of those balls was in London and a mere four days hence. Kimberly had been about to confess that there was no way she could prepare for an event of that formal magnitude in that short of time, having not a single ball gown to her name, when her eyes had closed for the umpteenth time and stayed closed.
The next thing she knew, Megan was shaking her awake, laughing softly, and telling her to go to bed.
It was, of course, the height of bad manners to fall asleep on one’s hostess, and Kimberly was truly embarrassed. She made her excuses, blamed her cold and the journey. And she wasn’t sure why she didn’t put the blame where it belonged, on the guest in the room next to hers, but she didn’t.
Now, as she dressed for dinner, she also wondered why she hadn’t requested another room today. Having that Scot sleeping nearby was going to disturb her peace of mind, she knew it was. Knowing that she might run into him in the halls, coming to and from her room. Knowing that she was bound to hear him, whether he decided to have a little more consideration for the sort of noise he made or not. She had decisions to make that were going to affect the rest of her life. She didn’t need distractions.
Yet she’d said nothing to her hostess, and now
She had managed to disturb his sleep a number of times throughout the night. This morning he had awakened as tired as he was when he’d finally gotten to sleep. That hadn’t annoyed him, had amused him actually, that an Englishwoman could be that vindictive. He’d merely accepted that as his due and came down to breakfast hopeful, after a servant had delivered the message that he would be welcome at Sherring Cross indefinitely. Yet he’d been tired, and even the sight of his beautiful Megan hadn’t perked him up as it should have. But damned if he wasn’t wide awake now, after exchanging barbs with the spiky lady next to him.
Refrain from speaking to her at all? The devil he would. The MacGregor wouldn’t back down from a challenge like that. But he’d won this round. So he could desist for the moment.
Guts she had aplenty, although she was bolstered by the presence of others, he didn’t doubt. She’d likely sing a different tune if they’d been alone, one not so grating on the ears. Then again, maybe not. But he’d find out. He wasn’t leaving, had all the time he needed now in win his heart’s desire. And in the meantime, he had little doubt that he and Lady Kimberly would cross swords again.
10
K imberly spent a good portion of the day sleeping. It wasn’t very sociable, it being only her second day at Sherring Cross, but she’d had no choice. And even the duchess agreed she should do so when Kimberly had nodded off just as Megan was beginning to discuss the “plan” that would see her on her way to matrimony.
Megan had herded both Lucinda, Devlin’s grandmother, and Kimberly to her sitting room directly after that—how should she put it?—torturous breakfast. The “plan,” as Megan called it, was a strategy that they could all agree on, in other words, how to expose Kimberly to the widest assortment of bachelors at the soonest opportunity to assure her a wide range of possibles that she could then have ample time to consider.
It was mentioned that a number of social events were already scheduled in the coming weeks at Sherring Cross. And a slew of invitations to entertainments elsewhere also needed tobe sorted through and decided on, including several imminent balls.
Kimberly had fallen asleep just as Lucinda, or Duchy, as her family fondly called her, mentioned that one of those balls was in London and a mere four days hence. Kimberly had been about to confess that there was no way she could prepare for an event of that formal magnitude in that short of time, having not a single ball gown to her name, when her eyes had closed for the umpteenth time and stayed closed.
The next thing she knew, Megan was shaking her awake, laughing softly, and telling her to go to bed.
It was, of course, the height of bad manners to fall asleep on one’s hostess, and Kimberly was truly embarrassed. She made her excuses, blamed her cold and the journey. And she wasn’t sure why she didn’t put the blame where it belonged, on the guest in the room next to hers, but she didn’t.
Now, as she dressed for dinner, she also wondered why she hadn’t requested another room today. Having that Scot sleeping nearby was going to disturb her peace of mind, she knew it was. Knowing that she might run into him in the halls, coming to and from her room. Knowing that she was bound to hear him, whether he decided to have a little more consideration for the sort of noise he made or not. She had decisions to make that were going to affect the rest of her life. She didn’t need distractions.
Yet she’d said nothing to her hostess, and now
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