No Decent Gentleman Read Online Free
Author: Patricia; Grasso
walked in silence until they reached the foyer. It was then that Edgar Briggs grasped her forearm and warned, "Do not place your faith in the duke. You never met the man until today, and I fear he does not have your best interests at heart."
"And you do?" Sabrina asked.
"Do you doubt it?" he asked.
"The proof lies in a man's actions not in his words," Sabrina answered. "Tonight you sided with the vicar."
The baron tightened his lips in anger, but said nothing. When he moved to plant a kiss on her cheek, Sabrina stepped back and said, "I buried my father just a few hours ago. Please leave now."
"Grief rules your actions and words," Edgar said, walking out the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Sabrina watched him leave and then turned to retrace her steps to the dining room. She stopped short when she spied the marquess standing in the shadow of the stairs, watching her.
"How long have you been there?" Sabrina asked. "Were you eavesdropping on me?" In the next instant she realized how rude she sounded and amended herself. "I'm sorry. Today has been terribly difficult, and Edgar has been no help."
"Are you and the baron betrothed?" Adam asked.
"Edgar and I have been friends forever," Sabrina told him.
"But there is something more than friendship between you," the marquess said.
"Edgar did offer for me," she said. "I am thankful my father refused his suit."
"Your father's disapproval did not disappoint you?" Adam asked.
Sabrina shook her head. "I would have felt as though I'd married a brother or a cousin, but I hadn't the heart to refuse Edgar's offer. My father saved me the trouble by refusing for me. I suppose that makes me a coward."
The marquess's blue eyes gleamed with amusement. "And what if your father had approved the match?"
"I knew there was no chance of that," Sabrina admitted. "In spite of the fact that my sister and I are adopted, my father planned to give us a season in London so that all of the realm's most important men could fall in love with us. That way we'd have our choice of whom we wished to many."
"Important men?" Adam echoed, giving her a boyish, thoroughly devastating grin. "You mean, a prince?"
Sabrina nodded. "Or a duke."
"How about a marquess?" Adam suggested, the intimate tone of his voice caressing her senses.
Precluding further conversation, the Duke of Kingston walked into the foyer with Aunt Tess and Courtney. "My nephew and I must also leave," he said, taking her hands in his, "but we will return with my sister tomorrow."
"There is a question I must ask you," Sabrina said, lowering her voice.
The duke gave her an expectant smile.
"My father adopted Courtney and me," she said. "Do you know where we came from?"
"Child, let us save this conversation for tomorrow," the duke replied.
Sabrina nodded. She'd waited eighteen years to learn the truth surrounding her birth. Waiting a few more hours certainly wouldn't kill her.
Aunt Tess and Courtney went directly upstairs after the duke and the marquess had taken their leave, but Sabrina knew sleep would elude her for some time that night. She stepped outside the front door and gazed up at the stars in the moonless sky. They appeared as lonely as she felt. She'd always longed to know who her natural parents were, but now there was something in her life more important than that knowledge.
"Papa, I will prove you innocent of suicide and see you buried in hallowed ground," Sabrina whispered. "Even if I must dance with the devil to do it."
Chapter 2
"Your frown could frighten the sin out of Satan."
Adam shifted his gaze from the passing scenery outside the coach's window to his aunt. "I beg your pardon?" he said, realizing he'd been caught daydreaming.
Lady Belladonna DeFaye smiled at him. A shade above forty, his aunt had broken many hearts in her day and was still a charming temptress to most older gentlemen who crossed her path. Auburn-haired, brown-eyed, and dimpled, Belladonna DeFaye retained the essence of youth.
Adam wondered
"And you do?" Sabrina asked.
"Do you doubt it?" he asked.
"The proof lies in a man's actions not in his words," Sabrina answered. "Tonight you sided with the vicar."
The baron tightened his lips in anger, but said nothing. When he moved to plant a kiss on her cheek, Sabrina stepped back and said, "I buried my father just a few hours ago. Please leave now."
"Grief rules your actions and words," Edgar said, walking out the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."
Sabrina watched him leave and then turned to retrace her steps to the dining room. She stopped short when she spied the marquess standing in the shadow of the stairs, watching her.
"How long have you been there?" Sabrina asked. "Were you eavesdropping on me?" In the next instant she realized how rude she sounded and amended herself. "I'm sorry. Today has been terribly difficult, and Edgar has been no help."
"Are you and the baron betrothed?" Adam asked.
"Edgar and I have been friends forever," Sabrina told him.
"But there is something more than friendship between you," the marquess said.
"Edgar did offer for me," she said. "I am thankful my father refused his suit."
"Your father's disapproval did not disappoint you?" Adam asked.
Sabrina shook her head. "I would have felt as though I'd married a brother or a cousin, but I hadn't the heart to refuse Edgar's offer. My father saved me the trouble by refusing for me. I suppose that makes me a coward."
The marquess's blue eyes gleamed with amusement. "And what if your father had approved the match?"
"I knew there was no chance of that," Sabrina admitted. "In spite of the fact that my sister and I are adopted, my father planned to give us a season in London so that all of the realm's most important men could fall in love with us. That way we'd have our choice of whom we wished to many."
"Important men?" Adam echoed, giving her a boyish, thoroughly devastating grin. "You mean, a prince?"
Sabrina nodded. "Or a duke."
"How about a marquess?" Adam suggested, the intimate tone of his voice caressing her senses.
Precluding further conversation, the Duke of Kingston walked into the foyer with Aunt Tess and Courtney. "My nephew and I must also leave," he said, taking her hands in his, "but we will return with my sister tomorrow."
"There is a question I must ask you," Sabrina said, lowering her voice.
The duke gave her an expectant smile.
"My father adopted Courtney and me," she said. "Do you know where we came from?"
"Child, let us save this conversation for tomorrow," the duke replied.
Sabrina nodded. She'd waited eighteen years to learn the truth surrounding her birth. Waiting a few more hours certainly wouldn't kill her.
Aunt Tess and Courtney went directly upstairs after the duke and the marquess had taken their leave, but Sabrina knew sleep would elude her for some time that night. She stepped outside the front door and gazed up at the stars in the moonless sky. They appeared as lonely as she felt. She'd always longed to know who her natural parents were, but now there was something in her life more important than that knowledge.
"Papa, I will prove you innocent of suicide and see you buried in hallowed ground," Sabrina whispered. "Even if I must dance with the devil to do it."
Chapter 2
"Your frown could frighten the sin out of Satan."
Adam shifted his gaze from the passing scenery outside the coach's window to his aunt. "I beg your pardon?" he said, realizing he'd been caught daydreaming.
Lady Belladonna DeFaye smiled at him. A shade above forty, his aunt had broken many hearts in her day and was still a charming temptress to most older gentlemen who crossed her path. Auburn-haired, brown-eyed, and dimpled, Belladonna DeFaye retained the essence of youth.
Adam wondered
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