Read Online Midnight Temptations With a Forbidden Lord by Tiffany Clare - Free Book Online Page A

cards at Lord Hauxley’s on the third of June noteworthy, I’m afraid it’s mostly the usual.”
    He came forward and kissed his sister on the cheek before taking a seat across from her. Her chestnut-colored hair twisted becomingly at her temples and was tied into a bun at her nape, simple and unnoticeable. It saddened him that his sister couldn’t find a husband and have a family of her own.
    Ronnie and Rowan filled their plates from the long table while a footman came around and poured Tristan a cup of coffee.
    “There was a note from Lady Carleton,” his sister said as she placed the rim of her teacup to her lips and watched him.
    He raised an eyebrow in silent query.
    “She wanted to send an early invitation to her house party at the end of June. She knows how you are often unavailable come summer.”
    He hadn’t been invited to a Carleton summer party for more years than he could remember. Not that he cared, but it was an event that Bea had cherished the summer before their parents’ untimely death, and it had been the place where she’d fallen in love for the first and only time in her life.
    “I’ll not leave you alone with the children. You’ve only just arrived in London, and I plan on spoiling them rotten before we head north for the hotter weather.”
    “You’re trying to change the topic.” Her sister slid a few of the envelopes from the top of the stack until she came to the one she was looking for. She fished out the ivory parchment with a monogrammed C decorating the flap.
    “You should go,” she said. “I don’t mind staying here.”
    “You’ve only just arrived.” He dropped a sugar cube in his coffee and gave it a frustrated stir. The Carleton party would be a perfect excuse to get closer to Lady Charlotte, but his family always came first. He would not neglect them for a mere infatuation. Not even for his promise to Jez.
    “I’ve not seen you for months.”
    “You’re impossible, brother.”
    “And you, sister, are relentless and often overbearing.”
    “Where would you be without me to keep you in line?”
    “You’re in a mood this morning.” He gave her a quizzical glance, trying to figure out what game she’d devised, and why she would care so much that he go to this particular house party. “Besides, it really should be you attending these country house parties, balls, and soirees. I say, they’re all a bunch of rot with far too much postulating.”
    His sister looked at Rowan and then Ronnie pointedly. “They were on occasion fun, but I don’t miss it in the least.”
    He took a long sip of his coffee, savoring the strong brew Cook had made. She’d put a dash of cinnamon in it this time, and he quite liked the hint of spice.
    When he opened his eyes again, he drolly looked at his sister. He couldn’t care too much about her invisibility among the ton or she’d be offended. “It’s not right that you hide yourself away in the country to care for the children.”
    “It’s my choice,” Bea said, stacking up the envelopes violently and turning her gaze away from his.
    He would not fight with his sister. Not over this. “And I’ve always supported whatever choice you wanted to make.”
    Rowan sat next to him, his plate filled with eggs, toast, and little potato wedges that Cook prepared in a fryer. Tristan stole one from his son’s plate.
    Rowan pouted his bottom lip. “Papa, why did you do that? Aunty Bea has a plate of stinky fish for you—”
    Tristan raised his forefinger to his lips to shush his son too late. Now his sister was on to the mischief he’d already caused this morning.
    “Tristan!” Bea admonished. “If you tell them what you dislike, I’ll never be able to get them to eat certain foods again.”
    “It’s probably better they don’t eat the herring.”
    “I’ll eat it, Aunty Bea,” Ronnie said, and took her seat next to Bea, pointedly taking a kipper and placing it at the side of her plate.
    Bea gave her a hug around the shoulders