Read Online Wickeds Scandal (The Wickeds) by Kathleen Ayers - Free Book Online

me.
And you are?”  Her tone spoke volumes.  Lady Reynolds couldn’t care
less who Alexandra was.
    Alexandra
rose and curtsied. “Alexandra Dunforth, my lady.”
    The golden
head didn’t nod in acknowledgement.  The pale blue shards of ice flickered
with what Alexandra thought was recognition.  The Marchioness turned her
back on Alexandra, and faced the Dowager.
    “Well, I
will leave you to your scintillating conversation.  Please make
sure that Miranda drinks only tea.  Sutton is so tight with every
farthing, I can ill afford to let out her gowns if she eats too
much.”   The Marchioness flounced out of the room in a flurry of blue
silk.
    Alexandra
exhaled slowly.  She had been holding her breath.  What a horrid
woman!  And she was a Marchioness! 
    The Dowager
looked very old and tired, as if her previous liveliness were taken by the dark
fairy who had just sailed from the room. 
    “That’s my
mother.  Lovely, isn’t she?  She thinks Cam is the reason no one has
offered for me.  Ha!”  Miranda gave a toss of her head.
    A soft knock
came at the door.  Alexandra prayed it wasn’t Lady Reynolds returning.
    “Come,” the
Dowager uttered in her commanding tone.
    The butler
opened the door and bowed low.  “Lord Reynolds is here, madam.” 
    Alexandra’s
teacup shook.  She struggled to set it down without spilling her
tea. 
    The Dowager
cast her an odd look.
    The scent of
cinnamon wafted into the room, followed by Lord Reynolds.  “Hello, Rainha ,
hello, Miranda.  I’ve come to chase away your demon.  I believe she
bolted to her carriage when she saw me coming.”  He smirked like a child
caught in mischief as he walked through the door, but stopped in surprise when
he spied Alexandra.  The green gaze ran over her figure on the couch,
lingering on her bosom before lifting to her lips. 
    Damnation! 
He does remember me!  She
felt ridiculously happy that he did, then, chided herself for doing so. 
    His features
immediately composed into cold curiosity. “Forgive me, Grandmother, I didn’t
realize you had a guest,” he drawled with what sounded to Alexandra like
insolence.
     
Alexandra stiffened her spine.    Does he think I am here to
scream ruination?  Well, I don’t give a bloody damn what he thinks. 
I wasn’t snooping and I certainly don’t wish to acknowledge our previous
meeting.
     “Cam,
this is Miss Alexandra Dunforth.  Grandmother met her at Lady Dobson’s
ball the other night.  Miss Dunforth, my brother, Lord Reynolds, the
Marquess of Cambourne.”  Miranda, no doubt still smarting from her
mother’s remarks, defiantly bit into a slice of raisin cake.
    “Must you
refer to me in a foreign tongue?  Portuguese is only slightly better than
Chinese.  At least the Portuguese aren’t heathens.”  The Dowager
sniffed.
    “But   Rainha means queen.  I thought you would appreciate the sentiment.”
    Alexandra
rose and made a dutiful curtsy, all the while wishing she could run from the
room.  Lord Reynolds was more beautiful than she remembered, in spite of
the slight frown he directed at her. The dark, silky locks of his hair were
pulled back and tied neatly with a leather thong. The earring, dangling
jauntily from one ear, appeared to be a jade figure.    The
smell of cinnamon grew stronger as he moved into the room.  He bent down
to bestow a kiss on his grandmother’s forehead before moving his tall form to
the window, where he leaned against the sill.  The green eyes, so like his
sister and grandmother, watched her appraisingly.
    An awkward
silence engulfed the room.  Alexandra clasped and unclasped her
hands.  Lord Reynolds presence caused her no end of nervousness.  Did
he think she hear to denounce his behavior at Lady Dobson’s?   She
certainly wasn’t here to curry favor with his family or force him into
marriage. Marriage was the farthest thing from Alexandra’s mind, and in fact,
she was actively avoiding it.  
    The dark
head nodded