Letter From a Rake: Destiny Romance Read Online Free

with a reassuring smile on her face, shook her head.
    ‘I’m not going anywhere without you, sweet Millie, so there is no need for you to be alarmed. I am simply looking for my brothers. They’re supposed to be attending this evening’s festivities and as usual they are late. I am eager to introduce you to them. David is wickedly amusing, and Alex is just . . .’
    ‘Just what?’ Millie replied.
    Lucy screwed up her nose. ‘Well, let me put it this way: all the girls are in love with him, and all the boys wish they were him. If he weren’t my brother, I am certain my father would have him at the top of the list of suitable husbands for me.’ She screwed up her nose once more. Alex’s magical spell clearly had little effect on his sister.
    Millie wondered how long it would be before her own parents started talking to her about finding a husband. Charles had to marry soon; it was expected of the future Viscount, but she prayed she would be allowed a little time before the question of marriage was raised for her.
    She hoped that before then she would have found a way to return to India.
    She was still struggling daily to convince her mother that she was too old for a debutante season. That at least kept the subject of marriage at bay. With any luck she would be able to persuade her mother that the notion of a twenty-year-old debutante was ridiculous and she would be spared that particular form of public humiliation. The idea of being presented to London society alongside a group of rake-thin, young debutantes made her feel ill. With her curvaceous figure, she could not possibly compete with any of them for the eye of an eligible bachelor.
    No matter what her mother said, Millie held grave doubts about her chances of making a love match. How many times this week had she heard that English gentlemen only liked slim-figured girls, no curves, no breasts? Of course, once the
ton
discovered that thanks to her father’s efforts abroad, she now came with a sizeable dowry, her stakes in the marriage market would lift significantly.
    Every fortune-hunter in the country would find her a delight. They would overlook her many faults until she finally relented and selected one of them as her husband. She would then be free to spend the rest of her life regretting her decision while her spouse frittered away her fortune and shared his nights with someone else.
    She knew the same fate might well await her back in India, but at least she would be home – and far away from England.
    Leaving her brother behind would be the hardest part, but she had come to realise that she did not belong in England and never would. It would be best if she went home and did not remain to embarrass him.
    A recent visit to the tailor on Bond Street had resulted in a daily display of Charles’ new, well-cut wardrobe. While the new clothes made him look more handsome than ever, she worried that the change would go deeper than just his attire.
    It would be a terrible pity if the influence of his new friends and expected future title took away the very things that made him uniquely Charles Ashton.
    ‘Stay true to yourself,’ she murmured.
    ‘Pardon?’ Lucy replied. But before Millie could respond, something caught Lucy’s attention and she shot up her arm and began waving madly toward the staircase at the end of the ballroom.
    ‘Hello! We are over here,’ she called out.
    Millie smiled; Lucy really was a breath of fresh air. She looked to the stairs and saw two young men standing on the landing. They were peering out over the crowd in the direction of Lucy, who continued to wave at them. Upon seeing the girls, the man nearest to them raised his hand and gave a friendly wave.
    ‘The one with the black hair is my oldest brother, David. The fair-haired one next to him is Alex, known to all and sundry as Alexander the Great,’ Lucy explained.
    As the two men made their way down the stairs and into the ballroom, Millie saw the immediate impact that