Storm On The Horizon, a paranormal Regency romance novella (Vallen) Read Online Free

accepting a glass of lemonade from one of her many admirers, while the next one hovered about waiting his turn to dance with her. Well, there was no doubt the night could be called a success.
    She had two weeks, Tatiana reminded herself. Two weeks to spend with the charming Mr. Vallentyn.
    She did her best to make her sigh as silent as possible.
     
    “Christopher, remember what we were speaking of earlier this evening,” Lord Durrington said in a warning tone as Kit approached him.
    He took his father’s arm and led him out of the ballroom. “I remember. I remember what you said earlier this evening, and yesterday evening, and the week before.”
    “Don’t be rude,” his father snapped. “It doesn’t become you.”
    Kit found it surprisingly easy to ignore his father’s anger. “What do you say to spending the rest of the evening at Brooke’s? I’m feeling lucky tonight, and I believe Browlington just got paid his quarterly allowance.”
    “That boy has entirely too much money,” his father agreed reluctantly, as they headed out the door.

    K it popped his head into his father’s study. “I’m off, sir.” He backed right out again, hoping to be able to escape quickly.
    “Christopher!” his father’s voice slipped through the closing door. Damn!
    Kit put his head back into the room. If he walked in fully, he knew he would be caught.
    “Where are you going?” his father asked, pointedly looking at the clock on the mantle. Twelve-thirty. Luckily, Kit had left plenty of time to get to his one o’clock appointment with Miss Tatiana—just in case his father had caught him.
    “To the park. I should return within the hour.” He pulled out of the room again.
    “Stop acting like a damned jack-in-the-box and come in here,” his father called out from his favorite chair by the fire.
    Kit took a deep breath. No, there was no way out.
    “Sir?” Kit asked, stepping into the room.
    “If you are meeting that young lady you encountered the other night, you can stop wasting your time right now. I didn’t have a chance to tell you, but I’ve learned a few things about her —as well as the other one to whom I told you to introduce yourself.”
    Kit came further into the room, curious despite himself. He did not like this room. The busts of the most influential politicians of the past fifty years lining the walls made him nervous. He felt as if he were being watched—and judged, and found seriously wanting. It was just a silly fear from his childhood, he knew; the busts were marble, they couldn’t do or think anything. But that didn’t stop his imagination from running rampant.
    “You should have listened to me and introduced yourself to the popular girl. There were so many men around her for a reason.” His father paused, waiting for Kit to ask the requisite question.
    Deliberately, Kit stayed silent.
    Lord Durrington frowned, but went on. “That young lady is the daughter of Baron Ashurst, and he has bestowed in extremely generous marriage portion on her. The other one, with whom you wasted your time, is her younger sister—who will have nothing. Nothing! He’s not giving her a penny,” his father said with an odd air of satisfaction.
    “But why would a man do that?” Kit asked. “They’re twins. Why wouldn’t he split the money equally between the two of them?”
    His father shook his head. “It seems as if the younger has not actually been presented. She’s not making her come-out. Only the elder is doing so. There are whispers that the younger is either already engaged and only here to see her sister well-launched, or that her parents are in the expectation of an offer for her but refused hear it until the elder is settled.
    “The point is, this young woman you’re so interested in is not only ineligible, she’s not even on the market for a husband. So stop wasting your time with her.”
    Tatiana already had a beau? Kit thought back to the way she behaved the other night when her sister