Scandal of Love Read Online Free Page A

wouldn’t be nearly as bad as he had feared.
    The moment his fiancée moved out of the way, her friend, Lady Aubrey, walked in after, glowing in a shimmery ivory dress. His breath stolen, all he could do was stare at her. This was Lady Aubrey?
    She had to be the most beautiful woman he had ever set eyes on. Her hair couldn’t have been described as blond; it was more a silvery gold that captured the candlelight. She was slim, with curves in all the right places, forcing any man to see her as the woman she was. He could probably wrap his hands around her entire waist.
    This woman would be visiting his wife in his home once they were married. He would always be in close proximity, always tempted by her beauty, but never able to act upon it.
    He cursed. What had he done so completely wrong in his life that he would be tortured so acutely? There would never be anyway to have her. She was the best friend of his soon-to-be bride.
    Why couldn’t he have met her sooner? Why did he have to see her now when there was nothing he could do to have her?
    “Beautiful isn’t she?” Lord Harold said, coming up beside him.
    “Breathtaking,” he replied, looking at his fiancée’s friend. “Are you ready to play your part in this farce?”
    Harold nodded, watching the two women. “Don’t worry, Quinton. I’ll make sure she knows who you are. No one will realize I’m introducing you.” His blue eyes twinkled with mischief.
    Quinton rolled his eyes. Only Harold would make light of such a situation. Of course, he wasn’t the one marrying a stranger.
    He tried watching his fiancée, but his eyes kept trailing back to the beauty in ivory. He had to get ahold of himself. It wasn’t going to do anyone any good if he kept up this infatuation with Lady Sera’s best friend.
    The noise level in the room had risen once again after Lord Winters broke off from the women. “It’s time,” Quinton said.
    Harold nodded, walking toward the two women. It only took a moment for the noise level to drop again. The room seemed to strain toward the small group, stretching to hear any tidbit of conversation.
    Harold bowed toward the women. “My ladies, we feared you would not be able to join us this evening. Lord Devericks has been pining to see you Lady Sera.”
    Quinton barely heard his friend as he watched the two women jerk in surprise. Both sets of eyes, his fiancée’s, a pretty speckled green, and her friend’s, a deep blue, the hue of the deepest lake, looked toward him in surprise before the emotion was quickly masked.
    “I am glad to find that you are both looking well this evening. I hope that I will be able to secure a dance with each of you,” Quinton said, charm flowing naturally from his voice.
    He could tell they were both pleased by his offer. It was expected that he would dance with his fiancée, especially to cement their relationship in the eyes of society, but it went far and beyond the call of duty to pay attention to her friend as well.
    He extended his arm to the lady in the rose gown and asked, “Will you do me the honor?”
    There was a gasp behind him and the two women looked a bit stunned as if they weren’t sure what they should do. Finally, the lady nodded, accepting his arm.
    Walking to the floor, they lined up for the dance.
    “What are you doing?” she hissed.
    Quinton was a bit confused. “I’m dancing with you. It seemed appropriate,” he whispered, making sure only she heard his words.
    She shook her head. “You are supposed to be dancing with Lady Sera, not me. Everyone was expecting you to ask her first.”
    Shock pumped through him. “You’re not Lady Sera?”
    “What?” Now she was the one who looked shock. “You thought I was Lady Sera?”
    “Yes, her name was announced before yours but you walked in first.”
    She bit her bottom lip. “Oh. Yes, I could see how that would cause confusion. I’m Lady Aubrey, Lady Sera’s friend.”
    She was Lady Aubrey. That meant—could it be true?
    He