Read Online The Perfect Temptation by Leslie Lafoy - Free Book Online
Authors: Leslie Lafoy
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what?"
"Lolling about, I
believe," Sawyer replied easily. '' Inwhat
seems to be, at first glance,
considerable comfort and luxury."
Aiden's smile withered in
disappointment. He gestured
toward the silk-covered pallet.
"I haven't lain on the floor
since ... Since ... Well, it's
been at least twenty years."
''That would have made you six at
the time, sir," he said,
advancing into the room with the
valise.
God. Ever unflappable. ''Thank
you, Sawyer."
"If I may ask a question,
sir?" the man inquired, bending
down to open the lid of an
ornately carved trunk that sat beneath
the windows on the far waIl.
"Go ahead," Aiden
replied, sighing and propping his
shoulder against the doorjamb.
"Have you any general
knowledge of the Indian culture?"
''Absolutely none. If you do, I'd
appreciate the sharing
of it."
"Personally," Sawyer
said, moving items from the valise
to the trunk, "I've never
been to the subcontinent, but in the
course of my service in Her
Majesty's Army, I e~countered
several men who had been
garrisoned there for a time. While
they e x pressed
some reservations concerning the overspicing
of food, they appeared to be qu i te
taken with other aspects of
Indian life. In particular, they
described in most favorable
terms the natives' appreciation
for earthly pleasures."
"What kind of earthly
pleasures?" Aiden asked, intrigued.
"An abiding appreciation for
food, drink, and ... ah ...
comfort, sir."
That was the thing with Sawyer.
You had to listen carefully.
The hesitations often had more
meaning than the
words. "Could you define
'comfort,' Sawyer?"
" It
would be sufficient, I think." he said, closing the lid
and turning to face him. "to
say that physical satisfaction on
all levels is considered an
appropriate quest and the regular
attainment of it a most desirable
state of being."
Well, Sawyer might have
considered it sufficient, but he
didn ' t.
Physical satisfactions covered a very broad range of
human activity. "That last
part sounded a great deal like
something the duchess
would say , " Aiden groused , knowing
that when Sawyer declared a
pronouncement sufficient it
was pointless to ask for an
expansion. As habits went, it was
one of his more frustrating ones. .
''The duchess, sir?"
"Miss Radford," Aiden
supplied. "Trust me, it fits. And
just in case you're wondering,
her ward shows every sign of
being the Spawnof
Satan."
Sawyer cleared his throat softly. " Be that as it may ... I
gather that she's spent some
considerable time in India.
Those who have tend to develop
a unique way of expressing
themselves that clearly
identifies their experience."
"She's lived there all of
her life:' Aiden supplied, coming
off the jamb and moving into his
room. "Except for the last
three years here in London,"
he added, prodding the pallet
with the toe of his booL
"Then I would say, sir, that
the general appointment of
your room is a clear testament to
the fullness of Miss Radford's
understanding of the Indian
approach to life. Were I
so fortunate as to be in your
shoes, Mr. Terrell, I do believe
that I'd be tempted to fully
wallow about in the rare and exceptional
opportunities I've been
afforded."
"Rare and exceptional?"
he repeated,looking up to meet
Sawyer's gaze.
Sawyer started to respond but his
gaze suddenly shifted
to a point over Aiden's shoulder.
A fraction of a second later
he snapped his mouth closed and
drew himself up to his full
height.
"Pardon the intrusion, Mr.
Terrell," she said from the
doorway. "I wasn't aware
that your man had arrived."
Thanks to his man, he'd known she
had. Bless Sawyer.
He turned and, indicating the
butler with a genteel sweep of
his hand, began the formalities.
"Miss Radford, may I present
Sawyer. Sawyer, Miss Alexandra
Radford." The duchess,
he silently added.
"Emmaline speaks most highly
of you, sir," she replied,
seemingly
"Lolling about, I
believe," Sawyer replied easily. '' Inwhat
seems to be, at first glance,
considerable comfort and luxury."
Aiden's smile withered in
disappointment. He gestured
toward the silk-covered pallet.
"I haven't lain on the floor
since ... Since ... Well, it's
been at least twenty years."
''That would have made you six at
the time, sir," he said,
advancing into the room with the
valise.
God. Ever unflappable. ''Thank
you, Sawyer."
"If I may ask a question,
sir?" the man inquired, bending
down to open the lid of an
ornately carved trunk that sat beneath
the windows on the far waIl.
"Go ahead," Aiden
replied, sighing and propping his
shoulder against the doorjamb.
"Have you any general
knowledge of the Indian culture?"
''Absolutely none. If you do, I'd
appreciate the sharing
of it."
"Personally," Sawyer
said, moving items from the valise
to the trunk, "I've never
been to the subcontinent, but in the
course of my service in Her
Majesty's Army, I e~countered
several men who had been
garrisoned there for a time. While
they e x pressed
some reservations concerning the overspicing
of food, they appeared to be qu i te
taken with other aspects of
Indian life. In particular, they
described in most favorable
terms the natives' appreciation
for earthly pleasures."
"What kind of earthly
pleasures?" Aiden asked, intrigued.
"An abiding appreciation for
food, drink, and ... ah ...
comfort, sir."
That was the thing with Sawyer.
You had to listen carefully.
The hesitations often had more
meaning than the
words. "Could you define
'comfort,' Sawyer?"
" It
would be sufficient, I think." he said, closing the lid
and turning to face him. "to
say that physical satisfaction on
all levels is considered an
appropriate quest and the regular
attainment of it a most desirable
state of being."
Well, Sawyer might have
considered it sufficient, but he
didn ' t.
Physical satisfactions covered a very broad range of
human activity. "That last
part sounded a great deal like
something the duchess
would say , " Aiden groused , knowing
that when Sawyer declared a
pronouncement sufficient it
was pointless to ask for an
expansion. As habits went, it was
one of his more frustrating ones. .
''The duchess, sir?"
"Miss Radford," Aiden
supplied. "Trust me, it fits. And
just in case you're wondering,
her ward shows every sign of
being the Spawnof
Satan."
Sawyer cleared his throat softly. " Be that as it may ... I
gather that she's spent some
considerable time in India.
Those who have tend to develop
a unique way of expressing
themselves that clearly
identifies their experience."
"She's lived there all of
her life:' Aiden supplied, coming
off the jamb and moving into his
room. "Except for the last
three years here in London,"
he added, prodding the pallet
with the toe of his booL
"Then I would say, sir, that
the general appointment of
your room is a clear testament to
the fullness of Miss Radford's
understanding of the Indian
approach to life. Were I
so fortunate as to be in your
shoes, Mr. Terrell, I do believe
that I'd be tempted to fully
wallow about in the rare and exceptional
opportunities I've been
afforded."
"Rare and exceptional?"
he repeated,looking up to meet
Sawyer's gaze.
Sawyer started to respond but his
gaze suddenly shifted
to a point over Aiden's shoulder.
A fraction of a second later
he snapped his mouth closed and
drew himself up to his full
height.
"Pardon the intrusion, Mr.
Terrell," she said from the
doorway. "I wasn't aware
that your man had arrived."
Thanks to his man, he'd known she
had. Bless Sawyer.
He turned and, indicating the
butler with a genteel sweep of
his hand, began the formalities.
"Miss Radford, may I present
Sawyer. Sawyer, Miss Alexandra
Radford." The duchess,
he silently added.
"Emmaline speaks most highly
of you, sir," she replied,
seemingly
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