Read Online Say You Love Me by Johanna Lindsey - Free Book Online
Authors: Johanna Lindsey
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door interrupted her reminiscing. A young maid opened it and poked her head in to say, “The carriage has arrived and His Lordship’s awaiting.”
“Goodness, this early?” Mrs. Hershal said as she waved a hand to dismiss the maid, then with a glance to Kelsey, “Well, then, no time to press this, is there? But I think I’ve worked out enough of the wrinkles for it to do, and I’ll leave you to ready yourself. No time for breakfast either, so I’ll have Cook do you up a basket to take with you.”
“That isn’t necessa——” Kelsey quickly began, but the woman was already out the door.
Kelsey sighed, hoping the whopping lie she’d just told wouldn’t go any further. Not that it mattered, since she wasn’t staying there.
But this lying business didn’t sit well with her. And she certainly wasn’t very good at it, never having had the practice. She and Jean had both been raised to be scrupulously honest, and neither of them had ever had cause to deviate from that—at least Kelsey hadn’t—until now.
The tea wasn’t quite hot any longer, but she gulped down a quick cup as she hurriedly washed and dressed. She thought about leaving that red dress behind, she really did, but she recalled some of the advice that May had imparted to her at Lonny’s about always looking her best and enticing for her lover, and she had nothing else that fell into the category of enticing. She might think the dress was in appalling bad taste, but apparently men didn’t,or the bidding would never have gone quite so high.
But if she ever did wear it again, it would only be late of an evening, and only behind closed doors. For now, she dressed in the gown Mrs. Hershal had brought out, the winter-thick woolen beige that matched her spencer jacket. And goodness, it felt good to dress decently again, even if “decent” wasn’t going to be part of her future.
When she went downstairs, she found Lord Derek waiting in the foyer, rather than Jeremy, and he was slapping a pair of gloves against his thighs in an impatient manner. He looked different in the lighter colors of day wear, though no less handsome.
Actually, the strong light in the foyer pointed out just how handsome he was in every way, from his tall, lean physique to his finely chiseled face and…his eyes really were hazel. It must have been a trick of the light last night that had made them appear green.
And they were certainly going over her in a critical manner this morning, giving her the impression that he didn’t care for her demure dress. Which was quite likely. After all, now she looked like a lady, and he wouldn’t have expected that. But he wasn’t the one she needed to impress or entice, so she wasn’t going to worry about it.
She had assumed “His Lordship’s awaiting” had meant that Jeremy had come to fetch her, but the younger lord was nowhere about. Of course, he could be waiting in the carriage.
“You slept well, I trust?” Derek asked her when she reached him, his tone somewhat challenging, as if he didn’t think that was possible.
“Yes, very.”
She was amazed that that was true, but now she thought of it, she must have fallen asleep the moment her head touched the pillow. But, then, the fear and anxiety she had undergone the day before had seriously worn her out.
“This is for you, I believe.”
She hadn’t noticed the basket he’d been holding partially behind him. She nodded, hoping Mrs. Hershal hadn’t handed it over herself, or if she had, that she’d done so without comment. But no such luck…
“So I’m credited with doing a good deed I don’t quite remember doing?”
Kelsey blushed furiously to have been caught in the lie. “I’m sorry, but your housekeeper was badgering me with questions this morning, and I didn’t think you’d want the truth known to her.”
“Quite right, and none of her business in any case. You really slept well?”
She was surprised that he’d ask that again, and again in a tone
“Goodness, this early?” Mrs. Hershal said as she waved a hand to dismiss the maid, then with a glance to Kelsey, “Well, then, no time to press this, is there? But I think I’ve worked out enough of the wrinkles for it to do, and I’ll leave you to ready yourself. No time for breakfast either, so I’ll have Cook do you up a basket to take with you.”
“That isn’t necessa——” Kelsey quickly began, but the woman was already out the door.
Kelsey sighed, hoping the whopping lie she’d just told wouldn’t go any further. Not that it mattered, since she wasn’t staying there.
But this lying business didn’t sit well with her. And she certainly wasn’t very good at it, never having had the practice. She and Jean had both been raised to be scrupulously honest, and neither of them had ever had cause to deviate from that—at least Kelsey hadn’t—until now.
The tea wasn’t quite hot any longer, but she gulped down a quick cup as she hurriedly washed and dressed. She thought about leaving that red dress behind, she really did, but she recalled some of the advice that May had imparted to her at Lonny’s about always looking her best and enticing for her lover, and she had nothing else that fell into the category of enticing. She might think the dress was in appalling bad taste, but apparently men didn’t,or the bidding would never have gone quite so high.
But if she ever did wear it again, it would only be late of an evening, and only behind closed doors. For now, she dressed in the gown Mrs. Hershal had brought out, the winter-thick woolen beige that matched her spencer jacket. And goodness, it felt good to dress decently again, even if “decent” wasn’t going to be part of her future.
When she went downstairs, she found Lord Derek waiting in the foyer, rather than Jeremy, and he was slapping a pair of gloves against his thighs in an impatient manner. He looked different in the lighter colors of day wear, though no less handsome.
Actually, the strong light in the foyer pointed out just how handsome he was in every way, from his tall, lean physique to his finely chiseled face and…his eyes really were hazel. It must have been a trick of the light last night that had made them appear green.
And they were certainly going over her in a critical manner this morning, giving her the impression that he didn’t care for her demure dress. Which was quite likely. After all, now she looked like a lady, and he wouldn’t have expected that. But he wasn’t the one she needed to impress or entice, so she wasn’t going to worry about it.
She had assumed “His Lordship’s awaiting” had meant that Jeremy had come to fetch her, but the younger lord was nowhere about. Of course, he could be waiting in the carriage.
“You slept well, I trust?” Derek asked her when she reached him, his tone somewhat challenging, as if he didn’t think that was possible.
“Yes, very.”
She was amazed that that was true, but now she thought of it, she must have fallen asleep the moment her head touched the pillow. But, then, the fear and anxiety she had undergone the day before had seriously worn her out.
“This is for you, I believe.”
She hadn’t noticed the basket he’d been holding partially behind him. She nodded, hoping Mrs. Hershal hadn’t handed it over herself, or if she had, that she’d done so without comment. But no such luck…
“So I’m credited with doing a good deed I don’t quite remember doing?”
Kelsey blushed furiously to have been caught in the lie. “I’m sorry, but your housekeeper was badgering me with questions this morning, and I didn’t think you’d want the truth known to her.”
“Quite right, and none of her business in any case. You really slept well?”
She was surprised that he’d ask that again, and again in a tone
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