Season for Surrender Read Online Free Page A

or her aunt could respond to this puzzling statement, the man himself stood before them. “Jane, you rapscallion. I should have you locked in the dungeon.”
    Louisa blinked, surprised, but the subject of his threat only raised a contemptuous eyebrow. “You don’t have a dungeon. Empty threats will avail you nothing, Xavier.”
    He cocked his head at Louisa. “Miss Oliver. I’m glad you have met Miss Tindall. I’d like to ask you to serve as a steadying influence on my cousin, though that would be unfairly burdensome to one of my guests.”
    â€œSecond cousin once removed,” added Miss Tindall. “You shouldn’t assume I wish to own you as a closer relative. Especially not of my own generation, because you are much older than I.”
    Xavier grimaced. “There is only eight years’ difference in our ages,” he explained. “However, it is enough that I did help teach Jane to walk. She was remarkably backward. I believe she was three years old before she could cross a room without falling down.”
    â€œThat’s a shameful lie,” Jane said calmly to Louisa. “He loves to tell people that I took forever to learn to walk. What he doesn’t tell them is that it was because he broke my leg.”
    â€œPure accident,” Xavier sallied, and Louisa had the feeling they had had this conversation many times before. “How was I to know you would try to follow me up the apple tree after you had been forbidden?”
    Jane rolled her eyes. “It has been nearly two decades, yet the lies continue. He is my only cousin, which is why I tolerate this nonsense.” She flicked a hand airily. “I am a positive slave to my own better nature.”
    Louisa grinned at her new acquaintance. “Don’t worry yourself, Miss Tindall. Ancient history matters little to the ton ; it’s fresh blood they love.”
    Miss Tindall smiled back. “How marvelous. You simply must call me Jane.”
    Lady Irving smothered a hiccup. “And you must call me in time for dinner, Xavier. Very good tea , young fellow. But now I find myself in need of a rest.”
    â€œOf course, my lady.” Xavier assisted the countess to her feet. “You’d best muster your strength so you can lose to me at cards tonight.”
    â€œI never lose,” she sniffed.
    â€œI’m not in the habit of it, either.” He turned to Louisa, his expression expectant. “And you, Miss Oliver? Do you require a rest before dinner, so that you can astound us all at the card table?”
    She shook her head, a rueful smile tugging at her lips. “I fear no amount of repose will affect my game, my lord. I’ve never had much luck with cards.”
    â€œYou never know.” His mouth curved, sudden and wicked as a saber cut. “Perhaps this is the day your luck will change.”

Chapter 3
    Containing Speculation and Secrets
    Xavier’s unusually polite house party was off to an unusually quiet start.
    He’d been pleased when he hit on this scheme. He had flirted with respectability instead of the demimonde, mixing a few of his favorite impolite guests with permissive members of polite society.
    It wasn’t the party he’d have convened if he could have consulted his own preference, which ran more hedonistic. But he couldn’t expect to have everything as he liked it while in pursuit of his lofty goal: winning a wager by keeping a respectable maiden at Clifton Hall for two weeks under semi-false pretenses.
    Well, that was as lofty as his goals usually were.
    Still, the polite babble of conversation at dinner seemed flat. All the women remained fully clothed, no one danced on the table, and only once did Lord Weatherwax slide drunkenly from his seat. Miss Oliver sat far down the table from Xavier, glossed by candlelight, conversing with the pea-brained Freddie Pellington and seeming perfectly at ease.
    She damn well ought to be.