Antonia's Bargain Read Online Free Page B

encountered were perfectly willing to indulge his sexual appetites and
    expect nothing in return. In truth, until he’d encountered Anthony Smith, he’d assumed
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    that no woman would ever arouse him again. Her open curiosity and her naiveté in a
    jaded, corrupt society captivated him from the first.
    What was that quaint French expression? Ah yes, un coup de foudre , the lightning
    bolt of love or possibly pure lust. He grimaced. Now he sounded like a third-rate actor
    from a Drury Lane farce. Still, the thought of marrying another of his father’s choices
    had to be faced and preferably avoided. Since his wife’s death, he’d deliberately
    allowed the more male part of his sexuality free rein. Could it be that his horror of
    becoming embroiled in another damaging liaison had tempered his desire to have
    anything approaching a relationship with a woman at all?
    Gervase would call him a coward for being unwilling to take a risk and find out if
    his unnamed new companion was worth loving. Gideon sighed. What the hell was he
    doing, worrying about happy ever after when he didn’t even know her name? She
    might regret her experiences at Madame’s and he might never see her again. But
    perhaps her appearance was a sign that his father was right and it was time to move on.
    In the meantime, he contemplated his visit to Madame Desiree’s that night. Would
    Anthony decide to trust him? The prospect of sparring with his newfound companion
    made Gideon’s anticipation rise along with his cock. Surely there was no harm in
    enjoying the moment. He glanced at his pocket watch as the cab drew to a halt. In little
    over twelve hours he would have his answer. To his astonishment, he could hardly
    wait.
    Antonia’s fingers shook so badly that she fumbled the arrangement of her cravat for
    the fifth time. She gazed at the crumpled linen in despair. No one would ever believe
    she was a gentleman of the ton if her cravat looked like a dishrag. There was no time to
    retrieve another from her cousin’s room. He might get suspicious if she took more.
    Charles was the penny-pinching kind of man who noticed such things.
    With all her concentration, she managed to knot the linen and quickly stabbed a
    gold pin through the arrangement before it fell apart again. She ruffled her short hair
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    Antonia’s Bargain
    and put on her waistcoat and coat. That would have to do. On her last day at Jane’s,
    Lord Harcourt had sent her an unsigned note containing the date and time for their
    meeting which she was to present to the footman at the door of Madame Desiree’s. She
    hoped she wouldn’t be late.
    Holding her boots in her hand, Antonia crept down the servants’ stairs and headed
    for the kitchen door. It had been far easier to escape without raising the house when she
    stayed at Jane’s. Now she was back with her cousin Charles, his mother and three
    sisters. All of whom swore they were light sleepers.
    Orange light spilled from the wood oven and fireplace as she tiptoed past but no
    one seemed to be up. With a sigh of relief, she unlocked the back door and bent to put
    on her boots. She stifled a scream when a familiar pair of feet stuffed into worn purple
    slippers appeared alongside hers.
    “And where do you think you are going dressed like that, miss?”
    Antonia gulped in air. “Gwen, I need to do something.” She squeezed her maid’s
    plump arm. “Please don’t tell anyone you saw me, I promise I will be safe.”
    Gwen frowned. “It’s dangerous out there, bach. It is not like the countryside. You
    should go back to bed.”
    “I can’t.” Antonia gazed into her maid’s suspicious eyes. “I’ll be fine. If I don’t
    return in the morning, ask Lady Jane where I am.”
    She kissed Gwen’s cheek. “Have I ever lied to you? I promise I will be safe.”
    Gwen pushed her away. “Go then, and if I lose my job for this night’s work, I’ll be
    expecting you to provide for me for ever more.”
    Antonia