As an Earl Desires Read Online Free Page B

As an Earl Desires
Book: As an Earl Desires Read Online Free
Author: Lorraine Heath
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that Camilla’s lips were swollen,
tingled, and carried the intoxicating taste of Lord Sachse upon
them.
    â€œI’m fine, Lillian, thank you for
inquiring.”
    â€œYou seem unsettled, and I saw Mr. Spellman
lurking about. His presence usually doesn’t bode
well.”
    Camilla smiled softly. “Hardly lurking. He
wanted to speak with the earl about my expenditures.”
    â€œI feared they would get you into trouble
again.”
    â€œNo, not with this earl. He told Spellman
they were none of Spellman’s concern, and even after Spellman
left, he failed to ask me why I would purchase so many
clothes.”
    Archie had surprised her by standing up to Mr.
Spellman, defending her right to spend as she chose. Yes,
she’d earned that right, but she’d not expected a man
to understand what it was for a woman to be berated constantly,
never to measure up to her husband’s expectations.
    She’d been only sixteen when the old earl had
taken her as his wife, believing that his aged seed could more
easily find root in a younger girl. He was desperate to replace the
son lost to him when his first wife had taken the boy to America
for a holiday. The child had fallen ill and died there, and the old
Sachse had never forgiven his wife for taking so little care with
his heir. Camilla wouldn’t have been surprised to discover
he’d poisoned the dear woman.
    He’d been a horrible, horrible man. Camilla
had come to loathe him with every fiber of her being. But she had
been powerless to control her destiny.
    That was no longer the case. Now she was in
complete control. She had paid dearly to acquire power and
influence—and she would do anything to hold on to all
she’d gained and if possible to climb higher.
    She was not by nature greedy, but she’d
learned through harsh experience that wealth was preferable to
poverty, beauty favored over ugliness, confidence better than
doubt, holding a title moreadvantageous than
being a commoner. She’d attained all and looked back on her
life with no regrets, except on the most lonely of nights when she
would undoubtedly find herself staring at too many regrets to
count.
    But then ciphering had never been one of her strong
suits, so it was quite possible that her regrets were not as
numerous as she feared. But neither were they as dangerous as the
truth, for if revealed it would cause her to lose her influence
more quickly than anything, so she kept it well hidden. Even
Lillian, who spent the most time in her company, didn’t
suspect.
    Manipulation of facts and appearances was a part of
whom Camilla had become, and although it reeked with dishonesty, it
was the only way she knew to protect herself. As Charles Darwin had
theorized twenty years earlier with The Origin
of Species , survival was dependent upon adaptation to
one’s environment. And if she was nothing else, she’d
determined she was a survivor.
    â€œPerhaps you should explain to the new earl
what you do with all these purchases.”
    â€œNo, as generous as he appears to be, I have
no way of knowing if his generosity will extend beyond me.
I’ll not risk having my good works stopped.”
    â€œSo the possibility exists that he could
withdraw his generosity at any time,”
Lillian mused. “What will you do under those
circumstances?”
    â€œFor security, I must find myself another
husband. I’ve not given up on snagging a duke simply because
one got away from me this Season.” For a time, she’d
been betrothed to the Duke of Harrington, but Rhys had fallen in
love with a Texas heiress, which had caused scandal and near ruin
for all involved. Still, she’d managed to survive the fiasco.
    She would find herself another duke with the
ability to elevate her status to that of duchess. After all, she
had turned thirty only recently and was extremely skilled at
managing her assets: her face, her figure, her ability to appear
confident

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