Read Online One Night of Passion by Elizabeth Boyle - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elizabeth Boyle
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where did you find this poor excuse for a whore?” he asked. “I’m surprised you can afford her—that is, unless the rumors of you accepting French gold over the years are true.”
Colin had held himself in check long enough. He could tolerate all the insults they wanted to sling at him. After all, if he were on the other side of the fence looking at a brother officer who’d been court-martialed without a proper hanging, he might be tossing a few insults himself.
But he wasn’t about to let them hurl their animosity at the lady on his arm. Whatever she might be, she didn’t deserve to bear their insults.
But even as he surged forward, fist balled into a solid hammer, a hand caught his shoulder and reined him back in.
“There you are, Cousin. I was starting to fear you’d ducked out on me.”
Temple. Colin had almost forgotten that he’d come with his illustrious cousin.
“You’ll not believe the trio of ladies I just met.” Temple’s assessing gaze swept over Georgie in a quick flash, and from the slight uplift of his brow, Colin could tell his cousin found her an oddity as well.
And not in an intriguing way.
“Templeton,” Paskims said. “Stay out of this.”
Temple smiled at the three. “What have we here? A party without me? How rude.”
Hinchcliffe snorted. “Templeton, you’re a perfect fool. Be on your way, if you know what’s good for you.”
Colin’s cousin struck the perfect Corinthian pose, lorgnette in one hand, his other on his hip. “A perfect fool, you say? You should try it, Hinchcliffe. Foolishness would be a tremendous step up for you and your colleagues. You never know, you might find the change refreshing.”
Paskims and Brummit shot looks at Hinchcliffe, and Colin knew the three of them were weighing whether to issue a challenge, or just haul Temple outside and beat the daylights out of him.
With a slight shake of his head, Hinchcliffe made it clear that they were to hold their positions. And the pair did.
Not that it surprised Colin; while the three outwardly worked like a pack, Hinchcliffe was their undisputed leader, though lower in rank.
“This isn’t the time or place,” he said, his gaze still on Colin. “But soon, Romulus. Very soon, we shall meet and finish what you started.”
They moved off, much as they had arrived, taking their ill wind with them.
Beside him, Georgie let out a loud sigh. “I may have been mistaken about you, sir. You do appear to have a certain reputation,” she said, glancing back at the departing trio. When she turned and looked up at him, it was with something akin to admiration and . . . interest.
While earlier he’d tried his best to convince this Cyprian, who was quite possibly out of her mind, that he was a rake, now . . . now he knew only too well he wasn’t the man for her. Nor was any other man in this room right for her.
The drabs on Brummit’s and Paskims’s arms had shown him only too clearly how much his fresh-faced little Cyprian did not belong here. The last thing he wanted was to see Georgie’s bloom turned into the sad and sallow look of an aging lightskirt.
While he knew that, as a cad and a bounder, he shouldn’t care, he did.
“Why, it sounds like you’re barely received,” she was saying, her excitement scarcely concealed. “So if you’re available for the evening, I think you’ll do quite nicely.”
Quite nicely?
Colin sputtered, trying to come up with a reply. He’d been propositioned by women before, usually with flirtatious glances, mayhap a note passed by a servant, even a slippered foot sliding up his leg under a dining table.
But never in his life had he been told by a lady that he might “do quite nicely.”
Temple didn’t bother trying to conceal his laughter. He burst out in a loud guffaw, bending over and clutching at his bottle-green waistcoat.
“Did I say something wrong?” Georgie asked. “Or was it my inglorious entrance that has you frightened? Truly, once I am out
Colin had held himself in check long enough. He could tolerate all the insults they wanted to sling at him. After all, if he were on the other side of the fence looking at a brother officer who’d been court-martialed without a proper hanging, he might be tossing a few insults himself.
But he wasn’t about to let them hurl their animosity at the lady on his arm. Whatever she might be, she didn’t deserve to bear their insults.
But even as he surged forward, fist balled into a solid hammer, a hand caught his shoulder and reined him back in.
“There you are, Cousin. I was starting to fear you’d ducked out on me.”
Temple. Colin had almost forgotten that he’d come with his illustrious cousin.
“You’ll not believe the trio of ladies I just met.” Temple’s assessing gaze swept over Georgie in a quick flash, and from the slight uplift of his brow, Colin could tell his cousin found her an oddity as well.
And not in an intriguing way.
“Templeton,” Paskims said. “Stay out of this.”
Temple smiled at the three. “What have we here? A party without me? How rude.”
Hinchcliffe snorted. “Templeton, you’re a perfect fool. Be on your way, if you know what’s good for you.”
Colin’s cousin struck the perfect Corinthian pose, lorgnette in one hand, his other on his hip. “A perfect fool, you say? You should try it, Hinchcliffe. Foolishness would be a tremendous step up for you and your colleagues. You never know, you might find the change refreshing.”
Paskims and Brummit shot looks at Hinchcliffe, and Colin knew the three of them were weighing whether to issue a challenge, or just haul Temple outside and beat the daylights out of him.
With a slight shake of his head, Hinchcliffe made it clear that they were to hold their positions. And the pair did.
Not that it surprised Colin; while the three outwardly worked like a pack, Hinchcliffe was their undisputed leader, though lower in rank.
“This isn’t the time or place,” he said, his gaze still on Colin. “But soon, Romulus. Very soon, we shall meet and finish what you started.”
They moved off, much as they had arrived, taking their ill wind with them.
Beside him, Georgie let out a loud sigh. “I may have been mistaken about you, sir. You do appear to have a certain reputation,” she said, glancing back at the departing trio. When she turned and looked up at him, it was with something akin to admiration and . . . interest.
While earlier he’d tried his best to convince this Cyprian, who was quite possibly out of her mind, that he was a rake, now . . . now he knew only too well he wasn’t the man for her. Nor was any other man in this room right for her.
The drabs on Brummit’s and Paskims’s arms had shown him only too clearly how much his fresh-faced little Cyprian did not belong here. The last thing he wanted was to see Georgie’s bloom turned into the sad and sallow look of an aging lightskirt.
While he knew that, as a cad and a bounder, he shouldn’t care, he did.
“Why, it sounds like you’re barely received,” she was saying, her excitement scarcely concealed. “So if you’re available for the evening, I think you’ll do quite nicely.”
Quite nicely?
Colin sputtered, trying to come up with a reply. He’d been propositioned by women before, usually with flirtatious glances, mayhap a note passed by a servant, even a slippered foot sliding up his leg under a dining table.
But never in his life had he been told by a lady that he might “do quite nicely.”
Temple didn’t bother trying to conceal his laughter. He burst out in a loud guffaw, bending over and clutching at his bottle-green waistcoat.
“Did I say something wrong?” Georgie asked. “Or was it my inglorious entrance that has you frightened? Truly, once I am out
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