Read Online The Earl in My Bed: A Forgotten Princesses Valentine Novella by Sophie Jordan - Free Book Online

single kiss wasn’t ruinous. It was not as though they had seen her with her dress pulled down and Jamie lavishing his mouth on her breasts. That would have been ruinous. Not this . . . surely . . . not . . .
    “Lord Winningham and I were simply sharing a brief, friendly kiss . . . to welcome him home . . .” Her cheeks heated at her outrageous words. She did not need to see their incredulous expressions to know just how very lame that excuse rang.
    There had been nothing innocent about their kiss. Staring at the women, she knew they did not for one moment consider it an innocent peck either. They knew it for exactly what it had been . . . a passionate, hungry kiss.
    “Indeed,” Mrs. Willoughby said haughtily. “That is some welcome home kiss. I cannot even imagine how you shall greet Lord McDowell upon his return.”
    Miss Manchester tittered. “Let us hope there are no prying eyes to that auspicious event.”
    The reminder of Owen made her face burn. Of course, they believed her to be a faithless harlot . . . kissing his older brother whilst he fought for their country legions away.
    She wanted to stamp her foot in frustration. She did not belong to Owen. She was a free woman . . . entitled to kiss whom she chose.
    “Well, pardon us, we have no wish to intrude further.” Miss Manchester nodded to each of them and tugged on her sister’s arm, pulling her back down the path toward the house.
    Once they were out of sight, she whirled on Jamie. “A great deal of help you were!” she charged.
    He shrugged. “What could I say? There was no erasing what they witnessed.”
    “Brilliant! Now every tongue will be wagging that I kissed you . . . Owen’s brother!” She groaned, waving her arms wildly.
    He nodded grimly. “I’ll speak with your father tomorrow.”
    She stilled, dropping her arms at her sides. “Whatever for?”
    He sighed heavily. “Do I need to say it? There is but one recourse here.”
    She shook her head blankly, utterly befuddled.
    He pointed in the direction Miss Manchester and Mrs. Willoughby fled. “Those two biddies are at this very moment regaling all who will listen with the news that I have thoroughly compromised you.”
    She jerked back as though slapped. “Compromised? I would not go so far as to say that—”
    “No? Even now wagers are being made on how long until it becomes evident you are ‘increasing.’ ”
    She gasped. “Of all the vulgar—”
    “ ’Tis the truth. You are compromised, Paget. There is only one thing left for us to do.”
    “Marriage?” She choked the word out as if it were the foulest of epithets.
    He nodded, his mouth pulling in a tight frown. Clearly, he was no more thrilled at the prospect than she.
    She stared at his impassive face, searching for some sign that he was hesitant on the matter. He was quite serious. “What of Owen? I thought I was to wait for Owen? You seemed quite adamant on that point.”
    “It’s too late to worry for Owen. I must protect you now.” His lips twisted sardonically. “Owen would expect that of me.”
    She shook her head. “You make no sense.”
    “It’s simple. Either I leave you in scandal, utterly and irreparably ruined. Or I save your name and wed you. Neither situation will please my brother, but even he would agree that the former is unacceptable. The latter, a lesser evil, if you will.”
    She blinked. “You just characterized marriage to me as an evil?
    He winced. “That’s not precisely what I meant to say, Paget.”
    She wasn’t too sure about that. Everything about him was dour and disappointed. He clearly did not want to marry her. Obligation drove him and nothing else. Oh, how he would come to resent her if she agreed. And if it cost him a relationship with his brother, he might grow to loathe her. No matter that he had been just as much a participant in that kiss. He would look at her and see only what she had cost him. His freedom. His brother. She could not live with