Read Online The Pleasure Trap by Elizabeth Thornton - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Elizabeth Thornton
Ads: Link
want to.”
She looked over his shoulder and scanned his notes. “You want me to make the villain into the hero of my book?” Her laugh was low and rich.
“He’s not a villain. He’s a rogue.”
“Like you?” she teased.
He looked up at her and his smile slowly died. “Eve?” he said. “You look different.”
She batted her eyelashes. “Do I?”
“You’re beautiful. Ravishing. That red dress suits you to perfection. You should always wear red.”
She did a little pirouette. “Thank you kindly, sir.”
He got up slowly and his hands cupped her shoulders. He looked like a blind man who could suddenly see. “You take my breath away,” he murmured. “There’s more to you than shows on the surface. Let me teach you about pleasure, Eve. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
He was going to kiss her and she was going to allow it, because this was a dream. She couldn’t be held responsible for what happened in her dreams.
She lifted her head and went on tiptoe. His lips hovered over hers. Anticipation had all her senses humming. Why wouldn’t he kiss her?
“You’re the rogue, Eve,” he said. “Oh, you’re quiet on the outside, but inside you’re a dasher.”
Her brow puckered. “I’ve heard those words before.
You’re dashing on the inside.
I’m dreaming, aren’t I? This is nothing but a dream.”
No sooner were those words out of her mouth than everything that seemed real and substantial was sucked into a swirling mist, and she was left alone.
Chapter Five
The following afternoon, a carriage pulled up outside the doors of Lady Sayers’s house, and Ash helped his grandmother and Amanda to alight. The Manor, as it was called, was set in one of the prettiest districts in London, though strictly speaking it wasn’t in the city. It was on the south side of the river, largely rural, with many market gardens and orchards nearby. Yet Westminster Bridge was only a short drive away.
Amanda shaded her eyes and looked into the horizon. “Is that the new Bedlam?”
Ash nodded. “St. Mary’s of Bethlehem. It’s quite a change from the one they demolished. It was a house of horrors. This is supposed to be a refuge for the insane.”
“I thought,” said Lady Valmede, “that the Manor was close to Vauxhall Gardens?”
“It is, on the other side of the house.”
Amanda suppressed a shudder. “I don’t think I’d like to live close to an asylum for the insane.”
“Nonsense,” said Lady Valmede. “It’s a mile away, and no one ever escapes from Bedlam.”
Ash’s gaze rested reflectively on the building in question, then he turned away as the door opened.
An elderly butler ushered them into a spacious marble hall that was flooded by sunlight from a fine Venetian window on the landing at the top of the stairs. A moment later, Lady Sayers herself appeared. Her gray-brown hair was arranged in loose curls that peeked from beneath a velvet turban.
“Augusta and Lady Amanda,” she said warmly. “Lord Denison. I was on the stairs when I heard your voices. The girls sent me to look for snuff, you see.” She shook her head. “Well, well, what does that matter? You could not have arrived at a better time. Eve is writing about a girl’s first Season, and I can hardly remember what it was like.”
“Eve?” said the dowager.
“Mrs. Barrymore.” Her ladyship laughed. “Eve Dearing when she’s not writing. I know she won’t object to my telling you her real name. We’re all friends here.”
“And she is writing about a girl’s first Season?”
“I know it doesn’t sound very Gothic, but Eve can turn the ordinary into something that is hideously exciting. I’ve told her as much as I can remember, but the more I try to remember, the more I seem to forget. They’re all waiting for me. Shall we join them?”
Her visitors exchanged glances and gave a collective shrug. No doubt all would become clear to them in good time.
Lady Sayers kept up an animated commentary as she led
She looked over his shoulder and scanned his notes. “You want me to make the villain into the hero of my book?” Her laugh was low and rich.
“He’s not a villain. He’s a rogue.”
“Like you?” she teased.
He looked up at her and his smile slowly died. “Eve?” he said. “You look different.”
She batted her eyelashes. “Do I?”
“You’re beautiful. Ravishing. That red dress suits you to perfection. You should always wear red.”
She did a little pirouette. “Thank you kindly, sir.”
He got up slowly and his hands cupped her shoulders. He looked like a blind man who could suddenly see. “You take my breath away,” he murmured. “There’s more to you than shows on the surface. Let me teach you about pleasure, Eve. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
He was going to kiss her and she was going to allow it, because this was a dream. She couldn’t be held responsible for what happened in her dreams.
She lifted her head and went on tiptoe. His lips hovered over hers. Anticipation had all her senses humming. Why wouldn’t he kiss her?
“You’re the rogue, Eve,” he said. “Oh, you’re quiet on the outside, but inside you’re a dasher.”
Her brow puckered. “I’ve heard those words before.
You’re dashing on the inside.
I’m dreaming, aren’t I? This is nothing but a dream.”
No sooner were those words out of her mouth than everything that seemed real and substantial was sucked into a swirling mist, and she was left alone.
Chapter Five
The following afternoon, a carriage pulled up outside the doors of Lady Sayers’s house, and Ash helped his grandmother and Amanda to alight. The Manor, as it was called, was set in one of the prettiest districts in London, though strictly speaking it wasn’t in the city. It was on the south side of the river, largely rural, with many market gardens and orchards nearby. Yet Westminster Bridge was only a short drive away.
Amanda shaded her eyes and looked into the horizon. “Is that the new Bedlam?”
Ash nodded. “St. Mary’s of Bethlehem. It’s quite a change from the one they demolished. It was a house of horrors. This is supposed to be a refuge for the insane.”
“I thought,” said Lady Valmede, “that the Manor was close to Vauxhall Gardens?”
“It is, on the other side of the house.”
Amanda suppressed a shudder. “I don’t think I’d like to live close to an asylum for the insane.”
“Nonsense,” said Lady Valmede. “It’s a mile away, and no one ever escapes from Bedlam.”
Ash’s gaze rested reflectively on the building in question, then he turned away as the door opened.
An elderly butler ushered them into a spacious marble hall that was flooded by sunlight from a fine Venetian window on the landing at the top of the stairs. A moment later, Lady Sayers herself appeared. Her gray-brown hair was arranged in loose curls that peeked from beneath a velvet turban.
“Augusta and Lady Amanda,” she said warmly. “Lord Denison. I was on the stairs when I heard your voices. The girls sent me to look for snuff, you see.” She shook her head. “Well, well, what does that matter? You could not have arrived at a better time. Eve is writing about a girl’s first Season, and I can hardly remember what it was like.”
“Eve?” said the dowager.
“Mrs. Barrymore.” Her ladyship laughed. “Eve Dearing when she’s not writing. I know she won’t object to my telling you her real name. We’re all friends here.”
“And she is writing about a girl’s first Season?”
“I know it doesn’t sound very Gothic, but Eve can turn the ordinary into something that is hideously exciting. I’ve told her as much as I can remember, but the more I try to remember, the more I seem to forget. They’re all waiting for me. Shall we join them?”
Her visitors exchanged glances and gave a collective shrug. No doubt all would become clear to them in good time.
Lady Sayers kept up an animated commentary as she led
Similar Books
