Read Online Pleasuring the Lady (The Pleasure Wars) by Jess Michaels - Free Book Online
Authors: Jess Michaels
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this is? Punishment?”
“Indeed it is. The world is raining down a heap of pain for my sins, isn’t it?”
Ava shook her head. “Is it so terrible? I thought you and Miles were friends as children.”
“We were , though I am certain he now hates me. And why wouldn’t he? I have stolen his future with my impulsive behavior.” She shook her head. “And the talk…well, it must be very bad.”
Ava shifted. “What makes you think that?”
“You were here without my calling you to me,” Portia said with a shake of her head. “Which means you heard of my plight from some other source. Likely one that very much enjoyed sharing the details with you.”
Ava swallowed hard and her pale face told Portia all she needed to know. “I won’t tell you untruths. Yes, the word of your shocking appearance at the Donville Masquerade and your brother catching you in the arms of the Marquis Weatherfield are spreading like wildfire through our circles.”
Portia covered her face. “Damn. Then I really have made an utter cock-up of everything, haven’t I?”
“Perhaps not entirely. There are some who seem to hold you in high regard for catching a man after all these years,” Ava said, trying to have a bright tone.
Portia rolled her eyes at her friend. “As if I went into the place looking to get caught this humiliating way?” She hesitated and her heart sank as a new terrible thought entered her mind. “Great God, you don’t think Miles believes that, do you?”
Ava shrugged. “There is no telling what he believes. You should ask him, it is the most direct way of determining such things.”
“I’m having a difficult time picturing that conversation,” Portia sighed. In truth, she was having a difficult time picturing Miles in any scenario except for one where his mouth and hands were on her.
A wanton, she had surely become.
“What of your brother?” Ava said, shattering any pleasant wayward thoughts in Portia’s mind.
She shook her head in surrender. “Hammond continues to despise me, though I believe he revels in the rich brother-in-law he will receive. I’m certain in his mind he has already gambled away whatever settlement they will come to. But even still he threatens punishment.”
“What kind of punishment?” Ava asked.
She sighed. “My mother will be sent to a madhouse.”
Ava’s hand came up to cover her mouth as she made a little pained cry. “Oh no.”
“Yes.”
“He cannot mean it,” Ava whispered.
Portia swallowed the harsh bile that had suddenly risen in her throat. “He does, I’m afraid. He had some bastard from Townshend House here a few nights ago to look at her and tell him prices. As if they were haggling over the disposal of a horse.”
“What will you do?” her friend asked, tears flooding her eyes.
“I don’t know. I suppose I must ask Miles for help now that I am under his jurisdiction. But he could hardly look at me, so I doubt I will find relief from him.”
“You told me the two of you were quite…physically connected at the masquerade,” Ava said after a long pause.
Portia blushed. “Yes.”
“He wants you?” her friend pressed. When Portia hesitated, she laughed. “He wants you. You could…use that to your advantage.”
“What do you mean?”
Ava shrugged. “Men like Weatherfield are driven by passions. An untouched lady who is willing to give him everything he desires is…well, I know of no man who would turn that down. If you feel he will resist helping you out of gentlemanly reasons, don’t fear using your body to your advantage. It could be beneficial to you in more ways than one.”
Portia stared at her friend in utter disbelief. “Barter for my mother’s safety with…with my body?”
“From everything I’ve heard about Miles, I do not think it will be an unfair bargain to you. You liked what he did to you the other times, didn’t you?”
Portia swallowed hard. She had spent a lifetime being told not to want physical
“Indeed it is. The world is raining down a heap of pain for my sins, isn’t it?”
Ava shook her head. “Is it so terrible? I thought you and Miles were friends as children.”
“We were , though I am certain he now hates me. And why wouldn’t he? I have stolen his future with my impulsive behavior.” She shook her head. “And the talk…well, it must be very bad.”
Ava shifted. “What makes you think that?”
“You were here without my calling you to me,” Portia said with a shake of her head. “Which means you heard of my plight from some other source. Likely one that very much enjoyed sharing the details with you.”
Ava swallowed hard and her pale face told Portia all she needed to know. “I won’t tell you untruths. Yes, the word of your shocking appearance at the Donville Masquerade and your brother catching you in the arms of the Marquis Weatherfield are spreading like wildfire through our circles.”
Portia covered her face. “Damn. Then I really have made an utter cock-up of everything, haven’t I?”
“Perhaps not entirely. There are some who seem to hold you in high regard for catching a man after all these years,” Ava said, trying to have a bright tone.
Portia rolled her eyes at her friend. “As if I went into the place looking to get caught this humiliating way?” She hesitated and her heart sank as a new terrible thought entered her mind. “Great God, you don’t think Miles believes that, do you?”
Ava shrugged. “There is no telling what he believes. You should ask him, it is the most direct way of determining such things.”
“I’m having a difficult time picturing that conversation,” Portia sighed. In truth, she was having a difficult time picturing Miles in any scenario except for one where his mouth and hands were on her.
A wanton, she had surely become.
“What of your brother?” Ava said, shattering any pleasant wayward thoughts in Portia’s mind.
She shook her head in surrender. “Hammond continues to despise me, though I believe he revels in the rich brother-in-law he will receive. I’m certain in his mind he has already gambled away whatever settlement they will come to. But even still he threatens punishment.”
“What kind of punishment?” Ava asked.
She sighed. “My mother will be sent to a madhouse.”
Ava’s hand came up to cover her mouth as she made a little pained cry. “Oh no.”
“Yes.”
“He cannot mean it,” Ava whispered.
Portia swallowed the harsh bile that had suddenly risen in her throat. “He does, I’m afraid. He had some bastard from Townshend House here a few nights ago to look at her and tell him prices. As if they were haggling over the disposal of a horse.”
“What will you do?” her friend asked, tears flooding her eyes.
“I don’t know. I suppose I must ask Miles for help now that I am under his jurisdiction. But he could hardly look at me, so I doubt I will find relief from him.”
“You told me the two of you were quite…physically connected at the masquerade,” Ava said after a long pause.
Portia blushed. “Yes.”
“He wants you?” her friend pressed. When Portia hesitated, she laughed. “He wants you. You could…use that to your advantage.”
“What do you mean?”
Ava shrugged. “Men like Weatherfield are driven by passions. An untouched lady who is willing to give him everything he desires is…well, I know of no man who would turn that down. If you feel he will resist helping you out of gentlemanly reasons, don’t fear using your body to your advantage. It could be beneficial to you in more ways than one.”
Portia stared at her friend in utter disbelief. “Barter for my mother’s safety with…with my body?”
“From everything I’ve heard about Miles, I do not think it will be an unfair bargain to you. You liked what he did to you the other times, didn’t you?”
Portia swallowed hard. She had spent a lifetime being told not to want physical
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