Read Online Seducing the Spy by Celeste Bradley - Free Book Online
Authors: Celeste Bradley
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practice excursion before we attend Lord Cross's house party. Perhaps you have received a suitable invitation?
To Lady A.,
I think not. It is one thing to bring your mistress to a gathering of sophisticated adults. It is quite another to flaunt a woman of bad virtue before the innocent young ladies at Almacks.
W.
W,
"A woman of bad virtue"? Couldn't have put it better myself.
A.
To Lady Alicia Lawrence,
I assume from your lack of correspondence during the past two days that you are busily preparing for our departure. I will arrive at your new residence tomorrow morning to escort you to Lord Cross's house party. The journey will take less than a day.
W.
To Lady Alicia,
Did you receive my earlier notice of our departure tomorrow morning? I received no reply.
W.
W.
I shall be late.
A.
To Lady Alicia,
You shall not.
W.
Stanton folded his admittedly terse note and sealed it absently. He ought not to have written that about the "woman of bad virtue." He had slipped into a strangely informal correspondence with Lady Alicia over the last week and had not been taking careful note of his tone.
Well, there was little he could do about it now, although he would make a point to apologize tomorrow. In fact, it would be an opportunity to model some pretty manners for the woman. Hers could do with improvement.
Herbert tapped at the door of Stanton's study. "My lord, Gunther is here to report."
Oh, dread. What was the maddening creature up to now?
Gunther stepped into the room and bowed. "My lord, you wished to be informed whenever her ladyship made plans without you."
Stanton nodded at Gunther with a wry twist to his lips. "So I did." He'd taken Gunther from his own household and installed him at Lady Alicia's on the off chance the man would be useful. It turned out that he'd been vital to keeping Lady Alicia's excesses in check.
"Her ladyship has arranged to attend the final performance of the opera this evening. She has reserved a very prominent box, where she will be sure to be seen."
Stanton narrowed his eyes and considered his options. Lady Alicia had already proven her complete lack of discretion and decorum. There was no telling what mayhem she might ignite in the torridly dramatic setting of the opera.
"Should I try to talk her ladyship out of her plans?"
Stanton eyed the overeager Gunther sourly. "Thank you, no." Then he smiled slightly. "I haven't been to the opera in years."
If Lady Alicia thought he would turn her loose on an unsuspecting London, she was sadly mistaken. He would meet her there and keep her contained. She would accomplish her goal of putting herself on tawdry display and he would be able to keep an eye on her every move.
And you'll be in public, so you'll be safe.
Stanton dismissed that errant thought. Ridiculous. As if he needed protection from one wayward lady!
Although Alicia had vowed never to care what a man thought of her ever again, she found herself wondering what Lord Wyndham would think if he could see her now.
The gown she'd chosen for the opera was an opulent concoction of midnight-blue winter velvet and gold lace.
"I feel rather like a stage curtain," she muttered as she twisted and turned before the mirror. "From a very disreputable stage."
When she'd ordered the gown, she'd been aiming to cause shock and consternation, and possibly to prompt a few ladies to cover their gentlemen's eyes. The skirts of the gown were designed to cling and sway with her figure's movements, with very little in the way of petticoat beneath. The bodice was boned and padded, secretly of course, to lift and expose every legal inch of skin… and then a bit more.
Seeing the upper half-moon of her own areola peeking above the neckline proved to be too much for even Alicia's determination. She took the length of gold lace which had been intended to be used in her hair and tucked it into her décolletage.
Much better. Still daring and still shocking, for the
To Lady A.,
I think not. It is one thing to bring your mistress to a gathering of sophisticated adults. It is quite another to flaunt a woman of bad virtue before the innocent young ladies at Almacks.
W.
W,
"A woman of bad virtue"? Couldn't have put it better myself.
A.
To Lady Alicia Lawrence,
I assume from your lack of correspondence during the past two days that you are busily preparing for our departure. I will arrive at your new residence tomorrow morning to escort you to Lord Cross's house party. The journey will take less than a day.
W.
To Lady Alicia,
Did you receive my earlier notice of our departure tomorrow morning? I received no reply.
W.
W.
I shall be late.
A.
To Lady Alicia,
You shall not.
W.
Stanton folded his admittedly terse note and sealed it absently. He ought not to have written that about the "woman of bad virtue." He had slipped into a strangely informal correspondence with Lady Alicia over the last week and had not been taking careful note of his tone.
Well, there was little he could do about it now, although he would make a point to apologize tomorrow. In fact, it would be an opportunity to model some pretty manners for the woman. Hers could do with improvement.
Herbert tapped at the door of Stanton's study. "My lord, Gunther is here to report."
Oh, dread. What was the maddening creature up to now?
Gunther stepped into the room and bowed. "My lord, you wished to be informed whenever her ladyship made plans without you."
Stanton nodded at Gunther with a wry twist to his lips. "So I did." He'd taken Gunther from his own household and installed him at Lady Alicia's on the off chance the man would be useful. It turned out that he'd been vital to keeping Lady Alicia's excesses in check.
"Her ladyship has arranged to attend the final performance of the opera this evening. She has reserved a very prominent box, where she will be sure to be seen."
Stanton narrowed his eyes and considered his options. Lady Alicia had already proven her complete lack of discretion and decorum. There was no telling what mayhem she might ignite in the torridly dramatic setting of the opera.
"Should I try to talk her ladyship out of her plans?"
Stanton eyed the overeager Gunther sourly. "Thank you, no." Then he smiled slightly. "I haven't been to the opera in years."
If Lady Alicia thought he would turn her loose on an unsuspecting London, she was sadly mistaken. He would meet her there and keep her contained. She would accomplish her goal of putting herself on tawdry display and he would be able to keep an eye on her every move.
And you'll be in public, so you'll be safe.
Stanton dismissed that errant thought. Ridiculous. As if he needed protection from one wayward lady!
Although Alicia had vowed never to care what a man thought of her ever again, she found herself wondering what Lord Wyndham would think if he could see her now.
The gown she'd chosen for the opera was an opulent concoction of midnight-blue winter velvet and gold lace.
"I feel rather like a stage curtain," she muttered as she twisted and turned before the mirror. "From a very disreputable stage."
When she'd ordered the gown, she'd been aiming to cause shock and consternation, and possibly to prompt a few ladies to cover their gentlemen's eyes. The skirts of the gown were designed to cling and sway with her figure's movements, with very little in the way of petticoat beneath. The bodice was boned and padded, secretly of course, to lift and expose every legal inch of skin… and then a bit more.
Seeing the upper half-moon of her own areola peeking above the neckline proved to be too much for even Alicia's determination. She took the length of gold lace which had been intended to be used in her hair and tucked it into her décolletage.
Much better. Still daring and still shocking, for the
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