Read Online The Duke and the Virgin by Dominique Eastwick - Free Book Online Page A

then peeked out into the hall. Motioning for Llysa to follow her, she made her way wordlessly through the large house. As expected, all the servants were in the dining room in the lower level, none wandering about. They had hours until their mistress would return.
    Exiting through the servant’s entrance in the back, Llysa embraced Anna before hopping into the unmarked carriage. Only inside did she don her mask and belatedly wonder what she had gotten herself into.
    Madame Evangeline, the woman of myth, talked about in hushed whispers, yet no one really knew who she was, and none spoke of her in polite circles. Llysa had first learned of the woman three years earlier, overhearing two women discuss her in the retiring room at a garden party. Anna, ever her champion, had made discreet enquires about Madame Eve at Llysa’s request. What began as a way to feed both her and her maid’s curiosity eventually turned into a desire to hire the matchmaker’s services. On her twenty-fifth birthday, and now firmly nailed to the shelf, Llysa had decided to find out what she offered and how much. Madame guaranteed one night with a man well-suited to her desires, and with complete discretion.
    The fee might not be cheap but Llysa had saved her allowance and had nothing better to spend it on. So, when the letter addressed to her, sealed with red wax and embossed with an E, had been delivered, there had been no going back.
    As London passed by, she closed her eyes and let the rocking hackney ease her into rest. If the evening went the way she hoped, she would be having a sleepless night.

 
     
     
Chapter Two
     
     
    His Grace, Wolfe Thane, Duke of Foxhaven and possessing a slew of other titles he cared nothing about, looked up from his book toward the clock on the mantel. She would arrive in less than ten minutes. Having arrived himself an hour ago, he’d confirmed everything was in order for their rendezvous. A lifetime of distrust had taught him never to take anything for granted. And since Madame Evangeline seemed to value her anonymity, he knew she would value his. The residence she’d arranged to carry out the date was akin to an upper-class brothel, without the harlots, thankfully. Nestled in an out of the way area of London, it also offered private access. Whoever owned it must be making a pretty penny on dates such as his. Wolfe didn’t trust anyone he couldn’t look in the eye while speaking, and didn’t trust a great many more he could. He needed to ensure he hadn’t gotten entangled in a big ruse to get him leg-shackled. As if sensing his concern, the underbutler had shown him a number of escape routes on the way to the room.
    “None of the servants will see both of you. Those you see now will be replaced when your date arrives, and then, only the butler will be in contact with you through the night,” the young man had informed him.
    Ultimately, it didn’t matter what happened that night. Wolfe doubted it would be anything but a brief memory by morning. And certainly, with the Season winding down and everyone about to head to their summer homes, it was unlikely he would think on this again. But boredom surrounded him and anything for a bit of excitement seemed like a plan. When he had beat Lord Railey in a game of poker, the despot hadn’t a thing to pay his debt with except offer arrangements for a date he had made through Madame Eve. Wolfe had the choice to take the voucher from the man for his date, or wait until the idiot’s next allowance came in. Taking said voucher played more to the satisfaction of seeing Railey’s disappointment than Wolfe needing a date. But, as the season and its boredoms became more than he could bear, he’d contacted the elusive woman to arrange to replace Railey for the rendezvous.
    He was surprised to learn that although he held a voucher, the date could not be transferred from one person to another. If he wanted to use the service, he would have to pay for it. She sent a minion