Read Online Rules for Reforming a Rake by Meara Platt - Free Book Online Page A

how badly he’d injured her feelings the other day. Retrieving the necklace would be the best sort of apology, better than his earlier offer of a dance. “When did you notice it was missing?”
    She sniffled. “A short while ago. It fell off in the conservatory, I think. I tried to return to search for it, but didn’t get very far. I wasn’t alone in there.”
    He understood.
    The Hornby conservatory wasn’t the sort of place an innocent girl could handle without proper chaperone. He’d seen her attended earlier by her Aunt Julia, but apparently her aunt had found other distractions to occupy her time. He also suspected that Graelem and Eloise, despite their earlier teasing, must have believed she was still being chaperoned by her aunt or they would have taken up the slack immediately.
    Daisy started to pull out of his arms, but he held her back, reluctant to let her go. She felt nice, he decided, surprised by how perfectly her slight body molded to his gruff contours. Her silky curls tickled his chin and her scent tickled his senses. She smelled of cinnamon and apples, as delicious as a Viennese dessert. “I’ll help you search.”
    Her eyes widened in astonishment. “You will?”
    He ran his thumb gently along her cheek to wipe away the trail of tears. “If you’ll let me.”
    Leaning back to meet his gaze, she let out a long breath and cast him a dazzling smile. “Gladly. Thank you for the offer. I need all the help I can get.”
    “Good. Yes, then. It’s settled.” Reluctantly, he withdrew his hand from her cheek. There was something about her admission that roused his protective instincts. Ian would have called it a dangerous sign, but it wasn’t. He’d survived to the age of twenty-seven by using his wits, by learning to defend himself against all enemies. This pretty slip of a girl wasn’t much of an enemy and hardly a danger to his bachelorhood. “Now let’s retrace your steps. Exactly where were you when you first noticed it was missing?”
    “On my way back to the ballroom. But I’m certain I lost it in the conservatory. Yes, most certainly in the conservatory. You see,” she said with a little hiccup followed by a harrumph. “Lumley Hornby lured me there in order to show me his... well... his...”
    “His what?” he prompted, noting her hesitation.
    “His cucumber !” she cried, her magnificent eyes rounding in horror. “Only it wasn’t a cucumber at all!”
    “Good Lord!” He’d always thought of young Hornby as a harmless twit, but obviously he wasn’t. To expose himself to a respectable girl. No, not even Hornby could be that much of a muff. Hornby? He wasn’t the sort. Was he? Gabriel shook his head, certain that he’d misunderstood her words.
    “And then he wanted me to touch it!”
    What?
    “But I thought it more closely resembled a gherkin, so I refused. I mean, he led me to believe it would be enormous, the sort of thing one couldn’t resist putting one’s hands around and stroking.”
    Gabriel’s jaw dropped open.
    “Only it was this funny sort of twisted thing that hung limp on the end, like this.” She curved her index finger and held it up to his view.
    Did the girl realize what she was saying?
    “I told Lord Lumley that if he thought to impress me by showing me that... that shriveled thing, he’d have to do a better job of it. Reminded me of a gherkin,” she grumbled again. “Then I told him about your cousin, Graelem.”
    “What about Graelem?” Lord, what had his cousin done to involve himself in this imbroglio?
    “Now there’s a man with an enormous cucumber, but he doesn’t go around bragging about it. Why are you looking at me so oddly? Surely you knew Graelem was an avid gardener. His beets and squash won first prize at last year’s Midlands fair. Are you laughing, Gabriel?”
    “No.” Lord help him! The girl was actually speaking of vegetables. Thank the Graces. He’d been angry enough to grab that clunch, Hornby, and stuff his entrails up