The Rake's Midnight Lady Read Online Free Page A

over again through the passing days, especially her behavior leading up to it. And while her unfortunate behavior gave her more than one uneasy thought, it was the memory of his mouth on his and the feel of his body against her own that had kept her awake at night.
    The only comfort was that he had not known her identity but if she were to meet him… Abbey shuddered at the thought.
    ‘Hanwood hates that kind of thing. Edward says he tires of females casting themselves at him in the hope that they will capture his attention.’
    ‘What a curse it must be to be so eligible.’ Abbey responded viciously, making her cousin’s lovely blue eyes widen.
    Inevitably, Cecile had learned of her cousin’s antics; not all of them, of course but she had had to know that her letters had been retrieved. She had been both aghast at Abbey’s actions and relieved that Hanwood could no longer use her billets to convince Edward’s two other trustees to tie up his fortune for another twelvemonth.
    Abbey, while delighted to help her cousin, could only hope her rashness had not left her compromised. While it was comforting to know that she had a comfortable dependence in the country to fall back upon when the heady delights of London palled, it was quite another thing to run back to Derbyshire with her reputation in ruins.
    A week fretting indoors had left her pale but she had done the best she could, wearing the new apricot satin that Cecile assured her looked very well on her. Cecile herself, angelically fair, had worn sky blue, which served to bring out the blue of her eyes, while her golden curls shone like a halo. Despite Abbey’s conviction that she would be overlooked at such a crowded affair, both girls received a deal of attention when they entered the main ballroom, their coloring a natural foil for the other, darker chestnut against pale gold.
    Abbey took a step forward then faltered to a stop when, looking across the room her glance clashed with the one person who she had wished above everything not to meet. For a dreadful moment the room seemed to shift and tilt around her as the sudden heat that infused her body, slowly drained away leaving her chilled to the bone.
    She watched Hanwood’s mouth curve into a slow, satisfied smile.

    Hanwood stood on the edge of the dance floor, surveying his surroundings without favor, wishing he hadn’t given in to the compulsion that had ridden him for nearly a week now. His grim introspection was interrupted by a voice at his elbow.
    ‘Hanwood! What the devil are you doing here?’ Viscount Mountford, resplendent in scarlet satin and sporting a fashionably high collar that made it hard for him to turn his head, raised a quizzing glass and surveyed Hanwood with astonishment. ‘I did not think to see you here tonight. Not your kind of thing at all.’
    ‘How delightful to see you too, Freddy,’ Hanwood replied with more acerbity than the comment warranted. He was annoyed, both with the crowd and his own idiocy. Freddy was quite right; the Embery ball was not something he would normally have attended but over the past week he had found himself doing all manner of things he didn’t usually do including look for a girl with a pair of bewitching eyes.
    ‘Come to think of it,’ Freddy continued on, oblivious to the acid in his friend’s voice, ‘You’ve been out and about at these affairs a damn sight more than usual of late. Finally decided to come up to snuff, eh? Who’s the lucky lady?’
    It took a moment to realize that Freddy was suggesting that Hanwood must have finally decided to choose a wife. ‘Why? Who do you fancy for the role?’
    Freddy blinked, then turned to survey the room. ‘Well the Cheadle chit is quite exceptional.’
    Hanwood turned to look at the Season’s Beauty, an extraordinarily lovely girl who had been enjoying enormous popularity since emerging from the schoolroom. ‘She’s a little young.’
    Freddy cast him a look of mild astonishment. ‘My dear boy!