The Rake's Midnight Lady Read Online Free Page B

She is eighteen.’
    ‘Perhaps I mean stupid, then. Have you stood up with her? She has no conversation.’
    ‘With those looks and ten thousand a year she don’t need ‘em.’ Freddie protested, ‘Don’t want beauty and brains Tris. You want a conversation go to your club or talk to your mistress.’
    ‘You are such a romantic, Freddy.’
    ‘Well what about the Margate filly then?’ Freddy demanded, catching sight of Cecile Margate as she stepped into the room. He frowned, remembering. ‘Oh wait, isn’t that the one young Edward is entangled with? Don’t see why you object. There’s no money in the family but the girl’s of good stock and is as pretty as a picture.’
    ‘Edward stands to inherit fifty thousand a year and he has yet to reach his majority. Everybody knows that Margate is in deep water financially. He would love to see Edward offer for his daughter. Perhaps my ward does care for the girl but he has seen nothing of the world. It’s ridiculous to tie himself to the first chit who casts a warm glance in his direction.’ Hanwood said shortly, glancing towards the young lady in question. He stiffened, staring incredulously at the girl that accompanied her.
    His midnight beauty!
    Freddy continued to talk, oblivious of Hanwood’s sudden distraction. ‘My dear fellow, a man’s got to marry sometime. Why not when he’s young enough to enjoy it? Too cynical, that’s your problem old man.’ At his Lordship’s silence, Freddie turned and raised an eyebrow.
    ‘That girl,’ Hanwood said abruptly, ‘The one beside Cecile Margate. Who is she?’
    Freddy turned to survey the young woman. ‘A cousin, I believe. Come up to town to do the Season. She’s pretty enough, to be sure, but I think you can do better. You are Hanwood, after all.’
    His Lordship didn’t appear to hear a word. ‘Do you know her name?’
    Freddy frowned. ‘Don’t think we’ve ever been introduced. I daresay it can be arranged if you are so eager to do so. I imagine she would be delighted to make your acquaintance.’
    ‘Now that is where I think you are wrong, Freddy,’ Hanwood said. There was a note in his voice that made the Viscount cast him a searching glance. ‘But never mind. You can leave any introduction to Miss Margate’s country cousin to me.’
    ‘Are you all right, Hanwood?’
    Across the room, Cecile’s cousin looked up and met his eyes and he watched the color drain from her face. ‘Yes, indeed.’ His Lordship said softly, smiling. ‘I can assure you Freddy, I suddenly find that the evening has become a great deal more interesting!’

    Two hours later ‘interesting’ had changed to exasperating as Lord Hanwood, Earl of Huntingdon - the most eligible catch in the country - found his efforts to talk to Abigail Margate foiled at every turn. The best he could boast was an introduction and even this had taken a considerable length of time because the lady seemed to be extraordinarily popular, constantly immersed in some group or another. He had done his best to insinuate himself in the conversation but somehow, after only a few words, she had slipped away, leaving him buried in social chit-chat he was loath to continue.
    He had maneuvered Lady Embery herself into orchestrating an introduction. Talk would be rife tomorrow that he was interested in the girl for he could not so much as look at a female without gossip suggesting that he was interested. But there was no way that Abigail Margate could avoid such an introduction, although the look of frozen civility on her face was almost worth the trouble he’d gone to.
    ‘Miss Margate?’ Lady Embery had trilled, ‘May I introduce you to Lord Hanwood, Earl of Huntingdon? My Lord, Miss Abigail Margate of Derbyshire.’ The name of her home county had brought a gleam to his eye.
    ‘Derbyshire?’ he had murmured, taking her gloved hand in his, ‘Do you happen to know a Selena Bascombe, Miss Margate?’
    ‘My aunt, sir.’ She’d replied frostily, quickly