The Seduction of an Earl Read Online Free Page A

his mind; he already held the title to Ellsworth Park free and clear, despite not having convinced Lady Charlotte to marry him.
    The time he’d spent on the ride from Kirdford to London gave him time to reflect on the situation, though. Lady Charlotte and Joshua Wainwright, the new Duke of Chichester, were a perfect match for one another. He could only wish them well in life. Joshua had been most accommodating despite Henry’s poor treatment of the disfigured man when he’d first arrived at the recently rebuilt estate home. Any evidence of the fire that had left the new duke with burn scars had long been washed from the exterior stones of the west wing. From the whiffs of new cut lumber that made their way to the east wing of the house, it was evident the west wing interior was well on its way to being restored to its former glory.
    The butler waved Henry into the drawing room and asked if he wished for refreshment. Henry considered for only a moment; with any luck, William Slater would offer an alcoholic beverage. He politely declined and made his way around the room, studying the paintings, listening to the faint strains of music coming from another part of the house, admiring the tasteful decor and the fashionably current furniture, including even a Grecian couch set in front of a window overlooking the side yard where he’d witnessed Lady Hannah and Harold MacDuff playing the night before.
    The vision of Hannah’s head, thrown back in delight as the dog licked her neck, came unbidden to his mind. He found himself wondering if she would look like that when she was in ecstasy, her long, dark lashes resting on the tops of those beautiful cheekbones, her rosebud shaped lips parted slightly, her nipples ruched and ready for his mouth to plunder. His loins stirred at the thought.
    Stunned at his body’s reaction to the thought of Lady Hannah in ecstasy, Henry had to resist the urge to look down at his breeches. Sarah was his first and only love. He couldn’t remember having such a reaction to any other woman, at least not since his days as a randy student at Oxford. Nor could he remember having daydreams about what a woman might look like in ecstasy!
    He shook himself from his reverie. In order to get himself under control, Henry had to force himself to concentrate on the painting of some stern looking naval officer staring down at him from above a velvet settee.
    “My father probably never looked quite that serious.” The comment was made in a deep Scottish burr that spoke volumes of its owner. “Ya can’t when you have eyes that give away your penchant for mischief.”
    Henry turned to find a distinguished looking man regarding him from the doorway. When he was younger, the marquess had no doubt been quite popular among the ladies of the ton ; even now, he carried himself as one who was aware of the effect his very presence had on a room. His salt-and-pepper hair was long but pulled back into a queue and secured with a black ribbon. His dark blue suit coat and dark breeches set off the snowy white linen of his cravat and the red waistcoat he wore beneath. Crinkles at the sides of his eyes suggested he was in his late forties or early fifties, but his darkened skin was a surprise for one from the northern counties. The man obviously enjoyed riding or other outdoor pursuits.
    “But I am sure his officers were quick to obey him,” Henry countered, hurrying to stand before the marquess. He bowed formally before the marquess, hoping the man would offer his hand. He was not disappointed.
    “Probably,” the man replied. “William Slater, Marquess of Devonville,” he stated with a nod. “I have to admit a bit of surprise in seeing you here in London, Gisborn. I was under the impression you were quite busy installing upgrades on your estate in Oxfordshire. Not one for owning sheep, I take it?”
    Henry could barely hide his surprise that the marquess would even know who he was, let alone be familiar with what he was