Kissing Cousins Read Free

were marred by an expression not far removed from disdain.
    Lord Salverton, always the perfect gentleman, rose and bowed. “ Nice to see you again, Cousin. I can spare you a moment, ” he said in polite if not warm accents. “ Miss Oakleigh, is it not? ”
    Samantha forgot to curtsy, which was a grave omission in Salverton ’ s view. She was distracted by the elegance of her cousin ’ s toilette. At five o ’ clock he was already dressed for the evening. How Darren would love a burgundy jacket like that! It clung to Salverton ’ s broad shoulders. At his throat, a discreet ruby gleamed from a fall of lace. The gem picked up the hues of the jacket.
    “ Yes, it ’ s Samantha, ” she said, compounding the felony by thrusting her first name on him. “ I have come for your help. ” Salverton ’ s nostrils pinched in disapproval. “ That is — your advice, ” she added uncertainly.
    “ Pray be seated, Cousin, ” he asked, wafting a shapely hand in the direction of an oak chair in front of the desk. He waited until she was seated before sitting down himself in an armchair whose carved excesses suggested a throne. The desk was as wide as a dinner table, but not so cluttered. It held only a chased silver ink pot, pens, a leather address book, and a blotting paper on which rested a report bearing a government seal. The oak-lined room was handsomely furnished and tidy almost to excess.
    While Samantha glanced nervously around, Salverton ’ s experienced eye studied the coquelicot ribbons on her bonnet and mentally disparaged them. But then, it was no new thing for a country cousin to go overboard on her first foray into the shops of London. A pity, for the face was quite tolerable. The eyes especially. That particular shade of blue, deeper than forget-me-nots, lighter than sapphires, always appealed to him. And those long lashes were extraordinary.
    Samantha leaned forward and said in a conspiratorial voice, “ The thing is, Cousin, my brother Darren — you remember Darren? ”
    “ The heir to Drumquin. I remember him very well. He struck me as a sensible lad, though I haven ’ t seen him for a few years. ”
    “ Five years. Cousin Celine ’ s wedding, at Bath. ”
    “ Just so. Celine married a solicitor. I think she might have done better, with a dot of seven thousand. And Darren is in London with you? ”
    “ Well, yes. That is, we came to London together for a holiday. ”
    “ You should have come sooner. The Season is just ending. There were some very interesting partis this year, too. ”
    “ Actually we came a month ago. ”
    Salverton pokered up at this. He would not have objected to steering his young cousin toward an advantageous match. He took a keen interest in the welfare of all his large and extended family.
    “ Then you are not seeking my advice regarding a place to stay, or an introduction to the ton. ”
    “ No. We had planned to leave today actually. ”
    “ Ah, you have come to say good-bye, ” he said. This was marginally better than not saying goodbye. At least they were paying some token homage to the head of the extended family. “ It would have been more useful had you come to me when you arrived. Another time ... ”
    “ I doubt there will be another time. It is this time that I need your advice, Cousin, ” Samantha said, and opened her budget to Lord Salverton. It did not occur to her to attempt any tampering with the truth. She told her tale frankly, in words with no bark on them.
    He listened as one in a trance as she spoke of lightskirts and gudgeons and Johnnie Raws and take-ins. It sounded like bad fiction to this upright lord, that a pair of adults could behave so foolishly as the Oakleighs had.
    Yet he could not condemn them entirely. Her story called up painful memories of another misspent youth. She spoke of visits to Vauxhall and Astley ’ s Circus, of shopping and tours of Exeter Exchange, all, apparently, in the company of some female called Wanda Claridge. That