Kate: A Universal Truth (A Wish for Love Series Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

coat.
    “No.  Sir Bruton asked him to accompany his daughter to the ball in his car.  We'll meet him there.”
    Kate was flooded with an unfamiliar feeling, a combination of rejection and anger.  She had met Lillian Bruton several times in the past.  She was younger than Kate by a year and very pretty, but in Kate's eyes, far from attractive.  She could not understand what Matthew Camedon could possibly see in such a superficial woman whose sole ambition in life was to catch a rich husband. She suppressed a snicker as Jane Austen's opening sentence in Pride and Prejudice suddenly crossed her mind: 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife'.  She relaxed. Despite her lack of affection for Camedon she had to admit he was intelligent.  She didn't know how much wisdom he possessed but it was clear he was no fool.
    Kate locked the apartment and when they reached the street John gestured toward the gleaming jaguar. 
    “Sit in front,” she said to Emma as she slid into the back seat. The leather seats were comfortable and she sank back, feeling a serenity that cloaked her like a gentle cloud.  Classical music streamed out of the speakers.  John and Emma were engaged in a lively conversation but their voices were remote and muted and did not interfere with her pleasure in the soft notes surrounding her.  She didn't want this journey to end.  Kate didn’t consider herself materialistic but she could appreciate the comforts afforded by wealth.
    I am going to enjoy myself this evening, she thought contentedly.  If she could successfully avoid an encounter with that irritating Matthew Camedon everything would be perfect.  Lillian Bruton!  She was a perfect partner for that haughty man.  No.  She refused to think about him any more.  He was beginning to take up too much of her thoughts.
    Costly cars and limousines were lined up bumper to bumper on the asphalt driveway.  John opened the doors while helping Kate and Emma alight.  Entering the building they handed their coats to the attendant. John gallantly offered an arm to each woman and they traversied several galleries that led them to a lofty hall where the party had already begun. Kate was momentarily dazzled by the opulence and splendor of her surroundings.
    The room was enormous.  The Italian marble floor had a pinkish-gray hue and the walls, decorated with paintings depicting the lives of the classical Greek deities, were in shades of gold, pink, blue and silver, colors that added to the brilliance and glitter of the room. Chandeliers hung from the high ceiling and sparks of light from the shimmering crystals illuminated the room.  Kate looked about, transported into another century, as though the picture she had contemplated in the bookstore had sprung to life.  The women wore elegant evening gowns and dazzling jewelry and all the men were in black tie.  Speechless, Kate's eyes widened as she glanced at Emma, trying to convey what she felt.
    Emma smiled. “Would you like to live in a place like this?” she asked Kate as John went off to bring them drinks.
    Kate's regained her voice. “No, it's not for me.  But still, it's... wow! I've often visited palaces that were open to the public. But everything looks different at night; it all appears more alive, special."
    Matthew Camedon stood by the wall. Lillian Bruton was at his side, talking nonstop, occasionally touching him possessively and flicking invisible dust from his jacket.  He made a heroic effort to pay attention but felt he was falling asleep while on his feet.  This was far worse than he had anticipated. 
    The room was filled with beautiful women, a fact that had not escaped him.  He was also aware that, as usual and as at every function he attended, many of the women, and not only the unmarried ones, tried to attract his attention.  He stubbornly refused to meet their eyes, not to speak of returning a smile or