Lady Catherine's Secret: A Secrets and Seduction book Read Online Free

returning the smile. He didn’t often relax this way, but when they took these excursions together, something occasionally broke loose within him. With Catherine by his side, his youthful exuberance was more likely to surface.
    He might be her brother, but she could see why so many of the girls tripped over their feet with excitement when the young viscount asked them to dance. He was good at it, too. As children, she and Charles had often practiced intricate quadrille steps in front of their mother in their grandparents’ ballroom at Kensington House, but as soon as she’d left them unsupervised, they’d pulled out Father’s fencing equipment. Dancing and fencing would always be inextricably linked in her mind.
    The metallic sound of horseshoes clattered against the paving stones and echoed off the town houses in the residential area surrounding Bernini’s Academy. “When will you return to Oxford?” she asked. It was a sensitive topic, but the evening’s exercise had lifted his spirits. Perhaps now he’d be more willing to give her an honest answer. She saw him stiffen momentarily and then relax back into the easy rhythm of his mount’s stride.
    His eyes shifted away, avoiding hers. “Soon, I hope.”
    “I know something is wrong, Charles. Maybe if we talked about it—”
    His eyes glittered in the dim light as he faced her. “I want to tell you. In fact, this may well be the perfect opportunity to explain everything.” He shook his head in frustration. “But Mother’s forbidden me to say anything to you. She’s afraid your maidenly sensibilities will be shattered.”
    “My sensibilities? Ha! Mother would be shocked if she knew the things I’ve overheard at Bernini’s. Men speak quite differently when they believe no women are present.” Her chin jerked up. “Wait. If Mother thinks I’ll be shocked, then it must be a problem with a girl.”
    He let out a deep sigh. “See? This is exactly why I’ve avoided this subject. You always seem to know exactly what I’m thinking.”
    “What happened? Did you dally with the wrong sort of girl?”
    “Watch your tongue, Cat. You know me better than that.”
    “Yes, but I still like to goad you.” And it usually worked.
    He relaxed slightly at her teasing. “Well, stop it, or I won’t divulge anything more. And whatever I do tell you needs to remain confidential.”
    She used an imaginary key to lock her lips. When he let out an involuntary snort at the ridiculous, wide-eyed face she made, more tension melted from his shoulders.
    “It’s my own fault, really,” he said. “I was too trusting. I met a young lady who pretended to be smitten with me, but she was really interested in an acquaintance of mine. They kept their relationship a secret from everyone.”
    “Did you fall in love with her? Did she break your heart?” Catherine scowled. How dare someone abuse her brother’s good nature?
    “No, no, it wasn’t like that. No hearts were broken, but her father did want to break open my head.” He chuckled as her eyes widened. “She used me to distract her father from the object of her true affections, a man with a less-than-stellar reputation. She spread the rumor that she and I shared ‘a secret love.’” He grimaced.
    Catherine raised her eyebrows but didn’t interrupt.
    “She thought that since I was, in her view,” he flipped to a false, girlish voice, “‘a hard-working young man in line for a prestigious title,’” then he returned to his own voice, “I’d be the perfect dupe. After she ran off to Gretna Green with the man, her father came haring after me . He threatened to have me horsewhipped if I didn’t produce his darling. Obviously, I had no idea where she was, and things started to turn ugly until it finally dawned on him that I must be telling the truth since I wasn’t at Gretna Green. For a while, he was furious. I’m fortunate not to have sustained any physical injuries. I think the ones to my reputation will