A Lord Rotheby's Holiday Bundle Read Free Page B

who do bother to pay you attention.”
    Rebecca barely concealed a
snicker from her position across the table. They would definitely
be having a conversation about that later.
    “ If Lady Rebecca is not
otherwise occupied,” said the Earl of Merrick, “perhaps she would
grant me the honor of escorting her to accompany you, Miss
Hyatt.”
    Oh, dear good Lord. As if
spending the afternoon with one of them weren’t bad enough, now
they would both be present. Merrick and Norcutt were virtually as
identical in temperament as they were opposite in appearance. Where
Lord Merrick was tall, lanky, and balding, Lord Norcutt was more
short, stocky, and bushy-haired. But both wore the colorful evening
coats so popular amongst the gentlemen of the ton and spoke in monotonous tones of
lackluster subjects.
    An entire afternoon spent in their
company following an entire evening spent in the same manner might
be enough to convince Aurora to leap from a cliff, should one
present itself to her for such a purpose. Thankfully, Rebecca must
suffer the same afternoon.
    That, at least, gave Aurora some small
comfort. And a touch of revenge for Rebecca’s snicker from a moment
before. She granted herself a small, victorious smile. Then a
larger one, after seeing Rebecca’s mounting despair.
    “ Oh, that would be lovely ,” Aurora said. “Do
say you will join us, Lady Rebecca.”
    Rebecca’s eyes flashed for only a
moment, not long enough that anyone else would have noticed. “Well,
I suppose if it is all right with Mother…” She actually looked to
the duchess as though perhaps she would be saved from such a
terrible fate, even though all and sundry knew how very much Her
Grace wanted a match between her daughter and Lord Merrick. Silly,
silly Rebecca.
    “ My dear daughter,” the
Duchess of Aylesbury said, “your father and I are delighted for you
to have an excursion with Lord Merrick, as always.” She sent
Merrick a knowing glance across the table before turning the same
look on her husband. His Grace merely grunted.
    “ Well, it seems that is
settled,” Lord Norcutt said. He turned the conversation to the new
play being performed at Drury Lane.
    Needless to say, Aurora soon lost
interest in their drivel and thought instead of the upcoming
section of her romantic adventure with Lord Quinton. When she had
left off in her journal that afternoon, her hero was just preparing
to draw her in for a kiss—a most devilish thought, but one she
could hardly wait to finish writing. Her skin turned to gooseflesh
just from the thought of his lips on hers, his arms around her, her
hands fisted in his long golden locks.
    Somehow, in the two days since she’d
learned so much about him, the shade of his hair now seemed
irresistibly handsome, and his penchant for wearing only black grew
continually more intriguing.
    After he kissed her, Aurora was
certain Lord Quinton would take a moment to hold her close. She
imagined his scent—male and clean and expensive—and shuddered in
exquisite, illusory bliss.
    “ Miss Hyatt? What are your
thoughts?” Norcutt looked upon her with great
expectation.
    Oh, drat.
    She hadn’t heard a spoken word in
close to ten minutes whilst she thought about her imagined secret
lover. Nothing came to mind as a response, particularly since she
knew nothing of the current topic under discussion.
    She thought, perhaps,
Rebecca would give her some hint. But a look across the table at
her dearest and most especial friend revealed nothing.
    Rebecca looked expectantly at her.
“Oh, yes, Miss Hyatt,” she said. “Do enlighten us.” Clearly her
friend knew where Aurora’s mind had been and was enjoying her
current suffering. Wicked, devilish girl.
    If only she could take this
opportunity and excuse herself to her chamber. Alas, Father would
be furious if she attempted any such escape. He still held out hope
that she would eventually accept a gentleman such as Lord Norcutt
or Lord Merrick, ridiculous though the notion may