To Love A Wicked Scoundrel. Anabelle Bryant

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СКАЧАТЬ clutched a stick, the hoop having bumped into his legs and veered off into a nearby garden, one containing a vast bed of pert coquelicot poppies.

      Without pause he retrieved the young lady’s wooden toy and plucked a few poppies while he leaned into the flowerbed. ‘Here you are. It is my pleasure to be of service.’ He handed the child the hoop and one flower. She smiled sweetly at his favour.

      ‘Thank you, sir. I shall give this poppy to Isabelle.’ The child turned and looked over her shoulder to a nearby bench where a dowdy looking woman sat, her nose buried in a thick book.

      ‘I believe your governess will be very pleased.’ His mission accomplished, he offered her a quick nod.

      ‘That is not my governess. That is my sister. Stepsister actually, but we do not regard the first four letters. Isabelle is not fond of four-letter words. She says most are utterly distasteful.’

      Taken off-guard by the youngling’s forthright appeal, Con stalled, the little miss was quite a charmer. ‘Is that so?’ His eyes skimmed over the woman seated on the bench, taking in the long loose gown and pale green pelisse. Her hair remained hidden under a conservative straw bonnet and the shadow of its long brim obscured her face. She appeared unremarkable, and his attention returned to the child who continued to converse with him even though his mind wandered.

      Her expectant expression prompted him to reply. ‘I do understand about four letter words.’ That was a flat out lie. Some of his favourite words were comprised of four letters. Still, he managed a suitable answer. ‘Okra. I despise that one.’

      The child gazed at him with beseeching eyes, seemingly reluctant to release him from their conversation. For such a young female, she certainly knew how to flutter her eyelashes.

      ‘It has been my pleasure, milady, but I do need to leave. If you will excuse me?’ He extended his hand to bid farewell, but she did not take it. Instead she pointed to the ivory engraved button on his cuff before she ran her dainty fingertip over the raised horse head in reverence.

      ‘That is a very fine button, milord. I collect buttons and I do not have one in such sharp detail.’ She touched it again as if afraid she imagined its existence and Con couldn’t help but smile at her unrehearsed charm.

      ‘Then you shall have it.’ He spared not a moment to consider Brooks’ anger at finding his shirt in need of repair and snapped the button from its threads to hand to the child. He watched as she secured it in her apron pocket and picked up the ash wood hoop from where it had dropped when she had accepted the flower.

      ‘Thank you. Thank you very much.’ In a scuttle of muslin and eyelet, she turned and ran further into the park towards the woman on the bench.

      Constantine wasted no time making his way across the street, not wishing to engage the reserved looking sister and receive another scolding that afternoon.

       Chapter Three

      Isabelle filled the last of the drawing room shelves with her most treasured books and stepped back to view the progress within their new living space. Meredith had spoken the truth. While the rented townhouse appeared musty at first and in need of repairs, it was otherwise a very fine property. Once the initial cleaning had been completed and they’d directed the servants in furniture arrangement and drapery restringing, the house revealed great potential for splendour. There were solid mantelpieces in all the rooms, showy grates and attractive wall papers, and while one could argue that as a whole the interior begged for a thorough redecorating, they planned to reside there for a few scant months and voiced no complaints.

      ‘I knew we could transform these empty rooms in no time. It was good of my solicitor to secure the address I desired.’ Meredith breezed in with a quick glance at the interior. ‘It is coming along, wouldn’t you agree?’ Her eyes flitted to Isabelle and swept over her from head to toe before she continued to speak, her tone harbouring a thoughtful note. ‘The beauty is there. It just needs to be uncovered, polished, and refined a bit.’ She walked over and gently pushed a few strands of hair back from her stepdaughter’s forehead and rubbed a smudge of dirt from her cheek.

      Isabelle smiled having just considered the townhouse’s hidden appeal. She moved to the window and gazed out into the square. ‘I am so pleased we are close to the park. Such excellent planning on your part! It was lovely to sit in the gardens earlier while the carriages were being unloaded. I presumed London’s air to be thick and the traffic hectic, but the square provides Lily a refreshing place to play.’

      As if conjured at the mere mention of her name, the child bounded down the staircase, her small face abeam with satisfaction. ‘I have set out all my collections. Would anyone like to come and see? My new bedchamber has a huge cupboard and I gave each jar and bottle its very own space.’

      Isabelle moved towards the stairs. ‘Of course I want to see. Now your pebbles, feathers, shells, and buttons have as cozy a home as we do.’

      Meredith greeted her daughter with a kiss on the cheek and continued the conversation. ‘It is not just the park that caused me to request this address, although I agree it is wonderful to have such a lovely view. It is more that Lord Highborough resides on the opposing corner. His is a very grand house, as polished as he. I saw his infamous barouche with its golden crest and bright red wheels earlier this morning.’

      ‘Meredith, you can’t mean to imply you brought us to this address so you could live across the lane from Lord Highborough. You would not be so bold.’ Isabelle rushed to the window and peered out. Overcome with consternation, she turned to view her stepmother.

      ‘Do not look at me like that. While I do not doubt my feminine charms, one should never underestimate the power of proximity.’ Meredith patted Lily on the head before she paced across the room. ‘Lord Highborough will know we have arrived soon enough. Lady Newby, who also lives across the square, is securing our names on every invitation list of importance. I am grateful she recalled your father and their friendship. She is also in care of her four young nieces and they will make fine friends for Lily. It is an advantageous association as she will arrange for all the right introductions.’

      Isabelle was hardly reassured. ‘I have the sneaking suspicion there is only one introduction you seek and from the tales you shared during our carriage ride you have convinced me Lord Highborough’s reputation is very well earned. Therefore the man should be avoided, not enticed. Sometimes your behaviour does not make sense.’

      Meredith’s laugh dismissed her protestation. ‘Not everything makes sense. I trust you will discover that some day. Would you not find it enjoyable to spend a few evenings dancing the night away or conversing with polite society? You know – ’ she reached forward in a swift movement and removed the pins holding Isabelle’s flowing auburn tresses confined to a severe bun ‘ – we could style your hair differently and allow everyone to see how very unique it is.’ She continued to rearrange the lengths until Isabelle reached up with an assertive grasp and removed her stepmother’s hands.

      ‘You mean allow everyone to see it is such a hideous shade of red.’ Making quick work of the task, she pinned her bun back into place.

      ‘Your hair is every shade of auburn imaginable and that is worthy of any woman’s envy and every gentleman’s compliment. You have no idea what a trial it is to keep myself satisfied with ordinary brown hair and equally common eyes. Now your eyes are such a lovely shade of grey, they remind me of a stormy winter sky.’

      ‘How very depressing.’ Isabelle released a long-suffering sigh. ‘I do not know why СКАЧАТЬ