Read Online Rendezvous by Amanda Quick - Free Book Online
Authors: Amanda Quick
Tags: love_history
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find it necessary to take them apart one by one. Go on back to Sally's. I'll take care of Miss Ballinger."
"Sally is planning to send her home in her carriage with a couple of other members of Pompeia's," Peter said softly in his own voice. "Do not fret, Harry. No one except Sally and myself knows what is going on here. I'll wait for Augusta in Sally's garden. She'll be safe enough once you get her back there."
"You cannot know how that knowledge relieves my mind, Sheldrake."
Peter grinned through his false whiskers. "This was not my idea, you know. Miss Ballinger came up with it all on her own."
"Unfortunately, I can believe that."
"There was no stopping her. She asked Sally to let her sneak through the gardens and down the lane to your house and Sally very wisely insisted I come along. Wasn't much else we could do except make certain she did not come to harm in the process of getting to you."
"Be off, Sheldrake. Your excuses are too lame to interest me."
Peter grinned again and faded into the shadows. Harry went back to the open window where Augusta stood peering down into the darkness.
"Where is Scruggs going?" she demanded.
"Back to his employer's house." Harry climbed back into the library and closed the window.
"Oh, good. That was very kind of you to send him back." Augusta smiled. "It is very cold out there and I would not want him standing around in the damp air. He suffers from rheumatism, you know."
"That is not all he will be suffering from if he tries anything like this again," Harry muttered as he relit the lamp.
"Please, you must not blame Scruggs for my appearance here tonight. It was all my idea."
"So I understand. Allow me to tell you it was a distinctly unsound notion, Miss Ballinger. An addlepated, idiotic, entirely reprehensible idea. But as you are here now, perhaps you will explain exactly why you felt it necessary to risk your neck and your reputation to see me in such a fashion?"
Augusta gave a small, frustrated exclamation. "This is going to be extremely difficult to explain, my lord."
"No doubt."
She turned to face what was left of the fire, allowing her cloak to fall open as she stood in front of the glowing embers. The large red gem above her breasts glowed with the reflection of the flames.
Harry caught a glimpse of the sweet curves revealed by the low neckline of Augusta's gown and stared.
Good lord, he could almost see her nipples peeping out from behind a couple of strategically placed satin roses
. His imagination soared, providing a vivid image of those barely concealed buds. Firm and ripe, they would be made for a man's mouth.
Harry blinked, suddenly aware that he was already half aroused. He fought for his normal, unshakable self-control.
"I suggest you start the explanations, whatever they may be, immediately. It's getting late." Harry propped himself against the edge of his desk. He folded his arms across his chest and contented himself with an expression of severe reproof. It was hard to maintain the scowl when what he really wanted to do was pull Augusta down onto the carpet and make love to her. He sighed inwardly. The woman had bewitched him.
"I came here tonight to warn you that a disaster is imminent."
"May I inquire as to the nature of this disaster, Miss Ballinger?"
She turned her head to give him an unhappy look. "There has been a dreadful mistake, my lord. You apparently paid a visit to my uncle this afternoon?"
"I did." Surely she had not pulled this stunt just to tell him she was going to reject his proposal, Harry thought, seriously alarmed for the first time.
"Uncle Thomas misunderstood you, sir. You see, he thought you were offering for me, rather than my cousin. Wishful thinking on his part, no doubt. He has been fretting about my spinster status for ages. Feels he has a duty to see me wed. In any event, I fear he has already sent the notices off to the papers. I regret to inform you that the announcement of our betrothal will be all over town
"Sally is planning to send her home in her carriage with a couple of other members of Pompeia's," Peter said softly in his own voice. "Do not fret, Harry. No one except Sally and myself knows what is going on here. I'll wait for Augusta in Sally's garden. She'll be safe enough once you get her back there."
"You cannot know how that knowledge relieves my mind, Sheldrake."
Peter grinned through his false whiskers. "This was not my idea, you know. Miss Ballinger came up with it all on her own."
"Unfortunately, I can believe that."
"There was no stopping her. She asked Sally to let her sneak through the gardens and down the lane to your house and Sally very wisely insisted I come along. Wasn't much else we could do except make certain she did not come to harm in the process of getting to you."
"Be off, Sheldrake. Your excuses are too lame to interest me."
Peter grinned again and faded into the shadows. Harry went back to the open window where Augusta stood peering down into the darkness.
"Where is Scruggs going?" she demanded.
"Back to his employer's house." Harry climbed back into the library and closed the window.
"Oh, good. That was very kind of you to send him back." Augusta smiled. "It is very cold out there and I would not want him standing around in the damp air. He suffers from rheumatism, you know."
"That is not all he will be suffering from if he tries anything like this again," Harry muttered as he relit the lamp.
"Please, you must not blame Scruggs for my appearance here tonight. It was all my idea."
"So I understand. Allow me to tell you it was a distinctly unsound notion, Miss Ballinger. An addlepated, idiotic, entirely reprehensible idea. But as you are here now, perhaps you will explain exactly why you felt it necessary to risk your neck and your reputation to see me in such a fashion?"
Augusta gave a small, frustrated exclamation. "This is going to be extremely difficult to explain, my lord."
"No doubt."
She turned to face what was left of the fire, allowing her cloak to fall open as she stood in front of the glowing embers. The large red gem above her breasts glowed with the reflection of the flames.
Harry caught a glimpse of the sweet curves revealed by the low neckline of Augusta's gown and stared.
Good lord, he could almost see her nipples peeping out from behind a couple of strategically placed satin roses
. His imagination soared, providing a vivid image of those barely concealed buds. Firm and ripe, they would be made for a man's mouth.
Harry blinked, suddenly aware that he was already half aroused. He fought for his normal, unshakable self-control.
"I suggest you start the explanations, whatever they may be, immediately. It's getting late." Harry propped himself against the edge of his desk. He folded his arms across his chest and contented himself with an expression of severe reproof. It was hard to maintain the scowl when what he really wanted to do was pull Augusta down onto the carpet and make love to her. He sighed inwardly. The woman had bewitched him.
"I came here tonight to warn you that a disaster is imminent."
"May I inquire as to the nature of this disaster, Miss Ballinger?"
She turned her head to give him an unhappy look. "There has been a dreadful mistake, my lord. You apparently paid a visit to my uncle this afternoon?"
"I did." Surely she had not pulled this stunt just to tell him she was going to reject his proposal, Harry thought, seriously alarmed for the first time.
"Uncle Thomas misunderstood you, sir. You see, he thought you were offering for me, rather than my cousin. Wishful thinking on his part, no doubt. He has been fretting about my spinster status for ages. Feels he has a duty to see me wed. In any event, I fear he has already sent the notices off to the papers. I regret to inform you that the announcement of our betrothal will be all over town
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