Read Online Mistletoe Menage by Molly Ann Wishlade - Free Book Online

your pain, then I will
have achieved my life’s purpose.”
    Edward leaned forward and rested
his brow against Guy’s while the woman in the painting sat waiting quietly, unaware
of what her future might hold or how the direction of it depended upon a
handsome young artist.
     

 
    Chapter Six
     
    Anne strolled around the library,
running her fingers over the dusty covers of Alfred’s books. He had been so
proud when he’d first brought her here to his home. As a self-made man of
means, he had never forgotten his roots and he’d regularly made generous
donations to the local parish as well as other charitable organizations.
    He’d been a good man but more
like a father than a husband in many ways. Anne had not been overjoyed on their
wedding day as she suspected she would have been had she married Edward, but
then circumstances had forced her into a corner and she had seen no other way
forward.
    The way her feelings for Guy were
developing confused her. Lady Jane had told Anne exactly what Guy was and what
services he could offer, but to Anne, it seemed like more than just a physical
act for him. She might be wrong, and that thought pained her beyond belief, but
he was so attentive and seemed so earnest that she hoped he harbored feelings
for her. But where would it take them? Where could it take them? They could hardly wed and settle down to have
children, could they?
    Could they?
    Her heart danced at the thought
and she placed a protective hand over her breast. She had been hurt once—deeply
hurt by the family of the man she had loved when she was told to forget him, that
he would not fight for her—and she had no desire to feel such endless agony
again. Most of the time the pain was now a dull ache, it was true, yet it was
wont to catch her from time to time with its old ferocity, rendered her weak,
and took her breath away. She had loved Edward and believed he felt the same.
    Her feelings for Guy were
dangerous. She was edging into unchartered waters and she knew that she must
soon end this time they shared or risk being carried away by a rogue current.
    But not today,
for it was Christmas Eve, and not the time for breaking hearts or saying
farewell. She would leave that until the New Year dawned with its harsh,
cold, January winds.
    Anne had ordered the library be
dressed in greenery and the yule log burnt now in the large hearth. There was a
kissing bow suspended from the ceiling above the fireplace and although
mistletoe was usually confined to the servants’ quarters, she had insisted that
some be woven in with the holly and bay. To mark the festive occasion, Anne
wore a new gown of damask satin and left her hair loose so that it fell down
her back in heavy chestnut waves. She knew that she glowed now with health,
happiness, and at times, hope . Her improved appetite
meant that her already-generous curves were fuller than ever and she wondered
if Guy would notice the changes in her since their last encounter two weeks prior.
    He had written to her to inform
her that he was to complete her paintings and that he would bring them to her
on Christmas Eve. Her belly bubbled with excitement at the thought of seeing
his hard work, and she hoped he would have another present for her now that his
artwork was done. Surely, now he would consummate their affair completely. Anne
didn’t think that she could wait another day to hold him close and make love to
him in the ways she had dreamed.
    When the butler knocked at the
door and announced the arrival of Mr. Harper, Anne had to sit down. Her breaths
came fast and shallow and when Guy entered and saw her, he hurried to her side.
    “Anne! What is wrong?” She took
his hand and focused on slowing her breathing as he knelt before her and
waited, showering her fingers with soft kisses.
    “There. I am well. I felt a
trifle faint. It might be this new corset…it is rather tight.”
    “Then remove it immediately,” Guy
replied as a smile played on his lips, relief