Intimate 02 - Intimate Surrender Read Online Free Page B

the creamy skin should one be inclined to look—which, of course, he was. How could he not?
    She wore little jewelry, only a single strand of pearls around her neck. Her wheat-colored hair was loosely pulled from her heart-shaped face, and thick ringlets cascaded down her back. A narrow ribbon that matched the green of her gown twined its way through her hair, making every golden glimmer glow with more radiance.
    Their gazes met—and held. A smile lifted the corners of her lush lips. His heart shifted in his chest. Such a reaction was very unlike him. That in itself made her effect on him more startling.
    Rafe turned a smiling grin on his brother. “Remind me to thank your wife for inviting Miss Bartlett. Her presence promises to make this summer party most enjoyable.”
    His brother’s expression darkened again, but any concern Rafe had concerning his brother’s reaction didn’t last long. His concentration shifted to the women following Lady Wedgewood into the room.
    “Rafe,” Caroline said, walking toward him. She wore a smile that reinforced his opinion that his brother was oneof the luckiest men on the face of the earth. “I’m so glad you decided to join us tonight. I was afraid you wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow.”
    “Thank you for the invitation,” he said, leaning toward her to kiss her cheek. “I was actually excited to have an opportunity to attend.”
    “Marvelous!” she said. “I’ve invited several local young ladies to join us for the next two weeks. I hope you’re agreeable to that.”
    He shifted his gaze to where Miss Bartlett stood next to the Duchess of Raeborn. “That wouldn’t have been necessary, my lady. I see there’s a female guest without a partner here already. It will be my pleasure to fill in where I’m needed.”
    His sister-in-law’s gaze moved to Miss Bartlett’s, then darted to her husband’s. The arch of Wedgewood’s eyebrows reinforced a warning, but Rafe refused to consider it. His meeting with the woman earlier had been far too enjoyable to heed any admonitions.
    “If you’ll excuse me,” he said, raising his sister-in-law’s hand to his lips in farewell, “I think I’ll make certain Miss Bartlett feels welcome.”
    “Have you met Miss Bartlett before?” Lady Wedgewood asked with a questioning frown.
    “Yes, earlier this afternoon, on my way over. We had a lovely conversation.”
    He didn’t wait to see the reaction to that statement, but nodded his farewell and walked across the room. The smile on Miss Bartlett’s face was encouragement enough when he neared her.
    “Your Grace,” he said, greeting the Duchess of Raeborn. “Miss Bartlett.”
    “My lord,” the duchess said. “It’s nice to see you again. It’s been far too long since you attended one of our gatherings.”
    “Yes. I believe the last time was Christmas.”
    The duchess laughed. “Oh, yes. What a time that was.” She turned to Miss Bartlett. “You’ll be glad you didn’t accompany us then, Hannah. We were all here, like now, and were prepared to leave. We’d been here for two weeks already, and I’m sure Caroline and Thomas were more than eager for us to depart. The night before our scheduled departure, Adledge made some ridiculous wager with Baldwin about…” She looked to him for help in remembering what that wager had been about.
    “I believe Lord Adledge wagered that he was a better shot than the Earl of Baldwin,” he added.
    “Oh, yes. That was it. So, it was decided that we would stay one more day until the wager was settled. But, when we awoke, there was a mountain of snow already on the ground, and the storm that raged outside showed no sign of letting up anytime soon. We ended up imposing on Caroline for another two weeks. And we were housebound for most of the time!”
    Miss Bartlett laughed. “Oh, dear. I can’t imagine your brothers-in-law being confined for one week let alone two.”
    “It was difficult indeed. All that saved us was Lord Rafe,” the