Read Online Pride and Fire by Jomarie Degioia - Free Book Online Page A

mother-in-law. He strode to where Michelle sat and grasped her hands in his. He placed a chaste kiss on her fingers. She looked up at him, into his sparkling eyes, and to her delight he gave in to one temptation. He pulled her up out of the chair and kissed her. Her mother gasped, the sound drawing his attention.
    Paul broke off the kiss with a chuckle. “Do forgive me, Lady Helen. I couldn’t resist.”
    Lady Helen smiled and fanned herself with her hand. “Oh, that’s quite all right, Lord Leed.”
    Paul tugged on Michelle’s hand and brought her to join him on the settee. Lady Helen rang for tea and they sat.
    “Lord Leed,” Lady Helen began, “when can we expect the wedding to take place?”
    Paul bristled, and a tingle of unease crept down Michelle’s back. He set his cup aside and looked from the woman to her daughter and back again, his eyes hooded.
    “Paul?”
    “I thought the wedding would take place next Season,” he said.
    Lady Helen blinked rapidly. “I… I’m sorry,” she stammered. “Did you say ‘next Season?’”
    “Yes,” he said in a low voice.
    “But,” Lady Helen went on, “Michelle is twe—well, she’s passed the age to wait—”
    “Next Season?” Michelle asked, coming to her feet.
    Paul winced.
    “Next Season!?” she repeated, her hands in fists at her sides. “Why on earth would we wait until then?”
    He stood and reached for her hand again. “Michelle, I—”
    “You don’t care for me. By next Season you’ll find a new girl to taunt and tease.” She pulled out of his grasp. “You… you only offered for me to soothe your guilty conscience!”
    “Guilty conscience?” Lady Helen wondered aloud. “Why on earth would he feel…? Oh, my!”
    Paul’s head turned sharply. “Lady Helen, she doesn’t mean what you’re—”
    “You don’t care for me,” Michelle cried again. “You could never love me.”
    She couldn’t face him, certain that the cold man she’d known before would simply dismiss her hysterics and consider himself lucky to be rid of the obligation. Not caring a whit, she ran from the room.
    Paul could only stare at the doorway, shocked. He slowly turned back to Lady Helen. The expression on the woman’s face gave him pause.
    “Lady Helen.” He took a deep breath. “I assure you I have not compromised your daughter’s virtue in any way.”
    Lady Helen studied him for a moment. Thankfully he could see she believed he spoke the truth. She gave a nod of her head, at which his shoulders slumped in relief.
    “I promise to remedy this,” he assured her.
    Paul took his leave then. He stood on the sidewalk outside, gazing up at the fine house. He caught movement in one of the upper-story windows, the one farthest on the left. Michelle stood there, her face pale behind the glass. He opened his mouth to call to her but she turned away. The hurt in Michelle’s eyes had cut him to the quick. “I’ll find a way out of this mess,” he softly vowed.
    He climbed into his carriage, bound for his townhouse.

Chapter 7
    Michelle turned from the window and fell on her bed.
    “Why does he want to wait until next Season?” she murmured into the coverlet she soaked with her tears. “If he truly cared for her, he wouldn’t want to wait more than a few weeks!”
    She sniffled and let the tears flow. She was twenty years old. Both of them had resided in London for much longer than the required fifteen days. All that was necessary, really, was for Paul to secure a license from the local clergyman.
    She dashed the tears from her cheeks and sat. “He mustn’t want me as much as he professed. More fool me.”
    Betsy knocked on the door. “It’s time to ready for the evening’s parties, My Lady.”
    “The parties.” Michelle snorted. “I don’t want to attend the blasted parties.”
    Betsy blinked at her.
    Michelle climbed off the bed and smoothed out her skirt. “But since the alternative is staying home with my mother… Betsy, I believe you have the