Read Online Love Only Once by Johanna Lindsey - Free Book Online Page A

him.”
    “You don’t—by God, you’ll tell me why!”
    “I like him,” she said simply. “He reminds me of you.”
    Lord Malory turned livid. “I will kill him!”
    “Stop!” she cried. “You would never have forced yourself on an unwilling maid, and neither did he.”
    “Did he kiss you?”
    “Well—”
    “Of course he did. Only a fool wouldn’t, and he’s no fool. I’ll—”
    “No, you won’t!” she cried again. “You will pretend you never learned his name, and when you see him, you will ignore him. You will do that for me, Tony, because I don’t know if I would be able to forgive you if you did anything to hurt Nicholas Eden. I enjoyed myself tonight, more than I have for a very long time.” Having said so much, she pleaded with him, “Please, Uncle Tony.”
    He started to say something, clamped his mouth shut, scowled, sighed heavily, and finally said gently, “He’s not for you, puss. You know that, don’t you?”
    “Yes, I do. If he were a little less disreputable, though, I would set my cap for him.”
    “Over my dead body!”
    She gave him her sweetest smile.
    “Somehow I knew you would say that.”

Chapter 7
    R EGGIE sat at her dressing table, staring dreamily at the little bruise on the base of her throat. Nicholas Eden’s love mark. She touched the spot. It was fortunate she had not removed her cape when she returned to Tony’s house last night. As it was, she would have to wear a scarf until the mark went away.
    It was late in the morning, and she had slept much longer than was her habit. Her cousins would have breakfasted already, and if they were still at home, she would have to go through the story she and Tony had come up with last night.
    Tony had sent a message to his brother Edward before she returned home, saying simply that Reggie would not be coming to the ball after all. Only that, no reason given. Their story was that Tony hadn’t been at home when she got to his house, so she had waited for him for hours. When he did arrive, they had their talk. As it was so late after their conversation, she had simply gone home to bed. The servants at Uncle Edward’s would confirm that Tony hadbrought her back there and she had indeed gone right to bed.
    Reggie sighed and rang for Meg, then hastily went through her bureau in search of a scarf. Meg mustn’t see her lovebite either.
    When she came downstairs a half hour later, it was to find Aunt Charlotte and cousins Clare and Diana receiving. They were in the drawing room with their visitors—the Ladys Braddock, mother and daughter; Mrs. Faraday and her sister Jane; and two ladies Reggie didn’t know. They all stared at her as she entered, and Reggie became most uncomfortable over the lies she was about to tell.
    “My dear Regina,” Mrs. Faraday spoke in a strangely sympathetic tone. “How divine you look—considering.”
    Reggie felt a tight knot forming in the pit of her stomach. No. It wasn’t possible. Only her own guilty conscience made her think they could know about last night’s escapade.
     
    Nicholas Eden, Fourth Viscount Eden of Montieth, lay stretched out on his large bed, his arms tucked behind his head, only a thin sheet covering his nakedness. He had lain there after waking for nearly an hour, but made no move to get up and face the day. He had long since missed his usual morning ride through Hyde Park. There was nothing immediate that he needed to see to. Another letter to the Earl of Penwich demanding an answer about the land he wanted, but that could wait. It was bound tobe only a source of irritation anyway, since he’d never received an answer from the man.
    He needed to contact the manager of his shipping firm in Southampton to cancel the ship he had recently ordered made ready for him. He had planned to put London behind him for a few months, to sail to the West Indies again. But as of last evening, nothing could make him leave London.
    Her name was Regina. He said the name aloud, letting it roll