Read Online Our Wicked Mistake by Emma Wildes - Free Book Online Page A

gentlemen and ladies, and the horse paths were also busy. They walked side by side, parasols above their heads. “We grew up together. Quite frankly, I am not sure why he is garnering so much attention. He’s just . . . Miles.”
    Her friend laughed. “To you, perhaps. To the rest of the young females of this season he is rather deliciously handsome. He also reputedly possesses a decided skill for flirtation and has that singular lazy smile. Trust me, I know the power of a wicked smile quite well.”
    Considering Amelia’s recent marriage to one of London’s most celebrated rakehells, Lord Alexander St. James, youngest son of the Duke of Berkeley, she probably did know. “Hmm. Well, Miles isn’t half—no, even a third—as charming as your husband,” Elizabeth muttered. “He’s abrasive and annoyingly smug at times. Not to mention his sometimes questionable sense of humor.”
    “He’s considered quite charming.”
    “If they knew him, they might change their minds.”
    “That is precisely what Susanna wants. To get a chance to know him. Miles Hawthorne isn’t titled or rich, but she has enough money for the both of them and her father indulges her.”
    Oddly enough, the summary of Miles’s shortcomings as a suitor made Elizabeth bristle. “His family, even aside from the Daudets, is perfectly respectable.”
    “My very point.” Amelia raised her brows slightly. “Can I tell Susanna you will give your cousin a gentle nudge in her direction? She’s a friend.”
    The flicker of irritation was illogical. Elizabeth couldn’t care less what young woman Miles chose to consider in a romantic fashion. She nodded once. “For what it is worth, I will mention her name the next time I am in his company.”
    “Thank you.”
    Elizabeth glanced sideways. “Perhaps you can return the favor.”
    Blond, stunning in lemon muslin this warm afternoon, her parasol held in slim fingers, Amelia was the personification of the true English beauty: pale, perfect skin, shining hair caught at her nape, azure eyes framed by long lashes. No wonder St. James had fallen for her. And Alex St. James just happened to be one of Luke’s closest friends.
    “How so?” Amelia’s eyebrows rose in question. “Is there someone who has caught your interest? Does Alex know him?”
    “That isn’t the kind of favor I mean. I’m worried about my brother,” Elizabeth said bluntly. Amelia was trustworthy; of that she had no doubt. “I know you’ve heard about the wager of the other evening. As I understand it, all of London is agog.”
    A small child raced after a puppy in front of them, both delightfully clumsy, an observant nanny trailing behind with an indulgent expression on her face. Amelia smiled as both puppy and child collided in a heap of chubby legs and wagging tail and the little boy shrieked with laughter. She acquiesced, “Yes, I heard.”
    Green grass brushed their skirts and the breeze was gentle.“Will you ask Alex if he has noticed anything wrong with Luke lately? They know each other well, and if Alex would confide in anyone, it would be him or Lord Longhaven. I cannot quite imagine asking the formidable marquess anything, but you ,” she said pointedly, “also know Alex very well.”
    Mirth surfaced in Amelia’s voice. “I suppose you could say that, as he is my husband.”
    The word husband conjured obscure images of dark bedrooms and secretive touches, and Elizabeth had to acknowledge that her lack of information on just what marriage entailed became more and more the subject of her thoughts as the season progressed. “You always smile a certain way when his name is mentioned. Is it really that . . .” She trailed off, not sure how to finish.
    “Magical?” Amelia supplied, her voice hushed. “I cannot speak for everyone, naturally, but for us . . . Yes.”
    “I really can’t imagine it.” So far, the whirl of society had been entertaining enough, but Elizabeth wasn’t impressed with any specific gentleman.