Read Online The Marquess Who Loved Me by Sara Ramsey - Free Book Online

only added to her pallor. “There isn’t a potion in England that will make me look like less of a hag. I look wretched if I haven’t slept.”
    The fine lines starting to crinkle around her eyes drew attention to the dark circles beneath them. She hadn’t indulged in her annual cry the previous night, but she had barely slept. She couldn’t stop thinking of Nick — both the Nick who touched her like he loved her, and the Nick who intended to take every bit of vengeance he could wring from her flesh.
    But the fragile winter sunlight brought unwelcome clarity. The part of her that craved his seduction was thoroughly browbeaten by the part that raged at his villainy. Hadn’t she vowed to stop being obsessed with him? Wasn’t she ready to leave England and all her desperate dreams of him behind?
    She was in command of herself again. She knew what Nick wanted now, and she wouldn’t be tricked into betraying what she felt for him. She could manage him until she raised enough money to buy her escape.
    Or at least she could lie to herself.
    Lucia tapped her on the shoulder. “White lead?” she asked, with all the patience of a nurse talking to an invalid.
    “No. We’re going to London for business, not pleasure. I trust my face won’t scare the men at Rundell and Bridge too terribly.”
    “They may give you a better price for your jewels if you terrify them,” Lucia mused.
    Ellie laughed. “I should have asked you to manage my estate instead of Marcus. You’re ruthless enough for it.”
    Lucia didn’t smile. “Mr. Claiborne will regret what he’s done to you, my lady.”
    Her words sounded like a vow. The maid’s relationship with Marcus had always been prickly. Lucia had once been a gentleman’s daughter, although Ellie had never asked how she’d fallen from grace and landed on the Theatre Royal stage where Ellie had discovered her. She had been in Ellie’s employ for over two years, since the day Ellie had asked her to sit for a painting and then impulsively asked her to stay on as her lady’s maid.
    Lucia’s bold dark hair and dreamy grey eyes made her look enchanted — a Celtic witch, perhaps, rather than a household drudge. She was far too striking to be safe as a servant in most houses. But Lucia knew how to take care of herself. She kept every man, and particularly Marcus, at arm’s length. They still called each other Mrs. Grafton and Mr. Claiborne, although Ellie suspected Marcus wanted more from Lucia than the cool disregard she offered him.
    Today, Lucia's voice finally held a thread of emotion toward him. Ellie wanted to grin, but she kept her face solemn. “Leave Marcus ungutted until he explains exactly where the money went. After that, you may have him.”
    Lucia made a noncommittal sniff before disappearing into the dressing room. She was usually as quiet as a church mouse, but this morning she slammed through every drawer as she selected Ellie’s attire. She returned with a fresh chemise, stockings, and stays. She had just helped Ellie into her undergarments and fastened the corset when a knock on the door interrupted them.
    Ellie glanced at the clock on the mantel. It was a few moments after eight. She nodded at Lucia, who answered the door as Ellie shrugged into her dressing gown again.
    “This is the earliest I have ever known you to be out of bed,” Madeleine said as she walked into Ellie’s chamber. “When we were in Scotland last autumn, I swear I never saw you before ten at the earliest.”
    Ellie accepted her sister-in-law’s kiss. “Desperate times and all that. I am sorry to have sent for you and Prudence so early.”
    Behind them, Miss Prudence Etchingham entered, followed by a servant bearing a tray with tea and chocolate. “This isn’t early by my standards,” Prudence said. “Lady Salford is an early riser, and I am up even earlier so that I may have an hour to myself before attending her. But I will gladly sacrifice that hour if the story you want to share is as