Three. Noelle MackЧитать онлайн книгу.
Stamp, stamp, stamp.
The upper landing was blessedly free of bustling servants, and she dashed to her bedchamber before any appeared. From the next room, Fiona heard the swish of feather dusters and the heavy groan of furniture that was rarely moved. It would be draped in white canvas while the cleaning was done, giving the room a ghostly look.
The entire house seemed to be inhabited by diligent ghosts, as the servants swathed themselves in enormous aprons and moved through it. The yearly cleaning was nothing new but it made Fiona feel altogether unsettled and her unfulfilled longings for Edward Finch, Lord Delamar, only made matters worse.
Fiona was not the only one at sixes and sevens. Sukey had been in a foul mood after giving up on Summers, the footman who’d ripped her dress. Fiona got the whole story from the housekeeper, Mrs. Geffrye, a handsome and capable West Country woman who did not mince words. She’d said Summers had plenty of willing wenches eager to drop their drawers for a hard pounding and a teasing little bitch like Sukey must have seemed like too much trouble.
And so the maid had recently turned to another man, though he was not on the Gilberte staff and no one knew who he was. Certainly Sukey spent far too much time primping and preening of late—Fiona had caught her at it more than once but had not scolded her. She assumed that her maid’s new lover was someone’s valet—servants seldom dallied with anyone below their own station in a household.
At least Sukey had someone. Lady Fiona dipped her pen once more and added a final thought. But I shall have my way—milord shall dine with me on Friday next.
She opened the drawer that contained her stationery and sealing wax and took out several sheets of paper. It would be no easy task to compose an invitation that hit precisely the right lighthearted note and held a hint of seduction as well. A faint smile curved her lips. Certainly Lord Delamar was the sort of man who could read between the lines…if he wanted to.
Fiona had found out much more since their chance meeting in Hyde Park: he was a notorious rake, never wed, breathtakingly rich, and capable of pleasuring a woman all night long. None had ever succeeded in capturing his heart. All of which only intensified her desire for him.
Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.
Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».
Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.
Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.