Read Online The Wicked Game (A Wicked Game Novel) by Olivia Fuller - Free Book Online
Authors: Olivia Fuller
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his cousin. Mother squealed with excitement.
“Well that sounds absolutely wonderful! Does it not, Angela dear?” asserted Lady Cheston.
Angela smiled modestly as she thought.
Yes. Wonderful. Perhaps he would be captured by pirates.
“What was that, dear?” Lady Cheston asked sounding slightly shocked. “Did you just say something about pirates ?”
Apparently Angela was thinking out loud.
“Oh,” she acknowledged. “Yes. I was just contemplating the dangers of the open seas these days what with pirates and such. I would be quite,” she chose her words carefully, “ affected if something were to happen to the Duke.”
Angela was very pleased with herself. Of course she would be affected if the Duke were to never return. She just left out the fact that the affect would be pleasing.
And then as quickly as she had entered, Angela left the conversation again and by the time she had reentered it, they had moved onto the subject of the Duke’s childhood. How long ago must that have been? It hurt her head to think of it.
Chapter Six
After deciding that she had sufficiently paid her dues for the night, Angela excused herself from the room and fled down the hallway as fast as she could. She needed to get away from that horrible man. He was old enough to be her grandfather for God’s sake! Well, maybe he wasn’t old enough to be her grandfather but he was most definitely old enough to be her father and that was just too much for her. And if he had cupped her bottom one more time she might have thrashed him. No, there was no might. She would have thrashed him right there on her mother’s table and then destroyed a very important part of his anatomy.
She needed to get outside and take in some fresh air before she got sick again. Her stomach had not yet healed from the night before, and being forced to spend the last several hours acting smitten with the Duke had not made anything better. In fact it may have made things worse.
He had stood so close to her that she could smell every breath he took. She could smell all of him and it wasn’t pleasant. Had she been that drunk last night? That was the only conclusion she could come to as to how she hadn’t noticed that smell. And his teeth were rotten, literally. He had been close enough for her to see that too. Thank God he had refused her that kiss! There was no way she would marry him. They could not make her!
But she knew very well that they could. Her future was not up to her. It never had been and though she had always known this, somewhere in the back of her mind, it never really sunk in until now. How powerless she was and how out of control. Before the night was over she would be engaged to that man and then they would be married. Well, they might be able to make her marry him but they couldn’t force her to kiss him. A marriage wouldn’t be official without a kiss to seal the deal would it?
Of course it would be.
She was out of options now. The only thing keeping her sane at this moment was knowing that a contract had not been drawn up and a dowry had not yet been exchanged. Yes, there might still be a chance. As small of a flicker of hope that it was she grasped onto it and held with all her might. But so enticed in her own little world, she didn’t see the man step out from the darkness into her path. She shrieked.
It was the Duke.
She shrieked again.
“Your grace! You startled me so!”
He reached for her hand and planted a kiss on her gloved fingers. She momentarily wondered whether it would stain the fabric but his shrill voice brought her back.
“Forgive me my lady. It was not my intention to scare you. I saw you step out of the room and I thought I would join you. I could use some air myself.”
The Duke reached for her arm but she quickly pulled away. “Your Grace? That would be quite inappropriate. We would not be chaperoned!”
The Duke grabbed her arm again but this time she was unable to pull free.
“I beg your pardon your
“Well that sounds absolutely wonderful! Does it not, Angela dear?” asserted Lady Cheston.
Angela smiled modestly as she thought.
Yes. Wonderful. Perhaps he would be captured by pirates.
“What was that, dear?” Lady Cheston asked sounding slightly shocked. “Did you just say something about pirates ?”
Apparently Angela was thinking out loud.
“Oh,” she acknowledged. “Yes. I was just contemplating the dangers of the open seas these days what with pirates and such. I would be quite,” she chose her words carefully, “ affected if something were to happen to the Duke.”
Angela was very pleased with herself. Of course she would be affected if the Duke were to never return. She just left out the fact that the affect would be pleasing.
And then as quickly as she had entered, Angela left the conversation again and by the time she had reentered it, they had moved onto the subject of the Duke’s childhood. How long ago must that have been? It hurt her head to think of it.
Chapter Six
After deciding that she had sufficiently paid her dues for the night, Angela excused herself from the room and fled down the hallway as fast as she could. She needed to get away from that horrible man. He was old enough to be her grandfather for God’s sake! Well, maybe he wasn’t old enough to be her grandfather but he was most definitely old enough to be her father and that was just too much for her. And if he had cupped her bottom one more time she might have thrashed him. No, there was no might. She would have thrashed him right there on her mother’s table and then destroyed a very important part of his anatomy.
She needed to get outside and take in some fresh air before she got sick again. Her stomach had not yet healed from the night before, and being forced to spend the last several hours acting smitten with the Duke had not made anything better. In fact it may have made things worse.
He had stood so close to her that she could smell every breath he took. She could smell all of him and it wasn’t pleasant. Had she been that drunk last night? That was the only conclusion she could come to as to how she hadn’t noticed that smell. And his teeth were rotten, literally. He had been close enough for her to see that too. Thank God he had refused her that kiss! There was no way she would marry him. They could not make her!
But she knew very well that they could. Her future was not up to her. It never had been and though she had always known this, somewhere in the back of her mind, it never really sunk in until now. How powerless she was and how out of control. Before the night was over she would be engaged to that man and then they would be married. Well, they might be able to make her marry him but they couldn’t force her to kiss him. A marriage wouldn’t be official without a kiss to seal the deal would it?
Of course it would be.
She was out of options now. The only thing keeping her sane at this moment was knowing that a contract had not been drawn up and a dowry had not yet been exchanged. Yes, there might still be a chance. As small of a flicker of hope that it was she grasped onto it and held with all her might. But so enticed in her own little world, she didn’t see the man step out from the darkness into her path. She shrieked.
It was the Duke.
She shrieked again.
“Your grace! You startled me so!”
He reached for her hand and planted a kiss on her gloved fingers. She momentarily wondered whether it would stain the fabric but his shrill voice brought her back.
“Forgive me my lady. It was not my intention to scare you. I saw you step out of the room and I thought I would join you. I could use some air myself.”
The Duke reached for her arm but she quickly pulled away. “Your Grace? That would be quite inappropriate. We would not be chaperoned!”
The Duke grabbed her arm again but this time she was unable to pull free.
“I beg your pardon your
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