The Heiress Bride Read Online Free Page A

Sinjun for Saint John, and so . . . there it is.”
    â€œI like Joan. I prefer it. It is feminine.” Colin ran his fingers through his hair, realizing that what he’d said was ridiculous and not at all to the point, whatever that was. “This has taken me aback, truly. I don’t know who you are, and you don’t know who I am. I really don’t understand why you’ve done this.”
    Those light blue eyes shone up at him as guileless as a summer day as she said clearly, “I saw you at the Portmaine ball and then at the Ranleagh musicale. I’m an heiress. You need to marry an heiress. If you are not a troll—your character, of course—why then, perhaps you could see your way clear to marrying me.”
    Colin Kinross, Ashburnham or simply Ash to his friends, could only stare at the girl who couldn’t seem to look away from his face. “This is quite the oddest thing that has ever happened to me,” he said, a baffling understatement. “Except for that time at Oxford when the don’s wife wanted me to make love to her with her husband teaching Latin in the other room to one of my friends. She even wanted the door cracked open so she could see her husband whilst she was making love to me.”
    â€œDid you?”
    â€œDid I what? Oh, make love to her?” He coughed, recalling himself. “I don’t remember,” he said, suddenly frowning, his voice austere. “Besides, it is an incident better forgotten.”
    Sinjun sighed. “My brothers would have confided in me, but you don’t know me, so I can’t expect you to be more forthcoming yet. I know I’m not beautiful, but I am passable. I’m in my second Season without even a betrothed, or even a remotely attached gentleman to my name, but I am rich, and I’m a kind person.”
    â€œI can’t accept all of your assessment.”
    â€œPerhaps you have already found a lady to meet your groat requirements.”
    He grinned at that. “Plain speaking, huh? No, I haven’t, as I suspect you already know, having overheard my whining plaints to Brass. Actually, you are quite the loveliest young lady I have met. You’re tall. I don’t have to get a painful crick in my neck speaking to you.”
    â€œYes, and I can’t help it. As to my loveliness, certainly my brothers think so, but you, my lord? This is my second Season, as I said, and I didn’t wish to have it, for there is so much sheer boredom about, but then I saw you.”
    She stopped talking but didn’t stop staring at him. He was startled at the hunger in those quite lovely light blue eyes of hers. This was really beyond anything in his experience. He felt bowled over, off kilter, and really quite stupid. The vaunted control he was known for was gone. It was disconcerting.
    â€œCome over here, out of the crush. Yes, that’s better. Listen, this is difficult. It is also a highly unusual situation. Perhaps I could call on you tomorrow? I see a young lady walking toward us, and she looks quite purposeful.”
    She gave him a dazzling smile. “Oh yes, I should quite like that.” She gave him the Sherbrooke town house address on Putnam Place. “That is Alex, my sister-in-law.”
    â€œWhat is your complete name?”
    â€œEveryone calls me Sinjun.”
    â€œYes, but I don’t like it. I prefer Joan.”
    â€œAll right. It’s Lady Joan, actually, for my father was an earl. Lady Joan Elaine Winthrop Sherbrooke.”
    â€œI will call on you in the morning. Would you like to ride with me?”
    She nodded, looking at his white teeth and his beautiful mouth. Unconsciously, she leaned toward him. Colin sucked in his breath and quickly backed away. Good Lord, the chit was as brazen as a Turkish gong. So she’d fallen for him the first time she’d seen him. Ha! He would take her riding tomorrow, discover why she was playing this insane jest,