Lucy Muir Read Free Page A

her brother.
    “One time,” she said reminiscently, “I came upon Charlie and two of his friends betting which of two garden toads would catch a bug first, I insisted that I be allowed to make a wager too, and lost a guinea to them. Only I didn’t have a guinea.
    “Charlie was quite horrified that I had made a wager for which I did not have the stakes. After his friends left he told me that I had quite shamed him, and that I must come up with the money to settle my debt. The only thing I could think of was to give him my garnet necklace to pawn, which he did.
    “About a week later, our housekeeper was helping me dress for a dinner at Colonel Morehead’s and asked me where the necklace was. She was quite shocked when I confessed what I had done with it and went to inform Papa. He sent for me and told me to repeat the story. He looked very stern, and I was afraid both Charlie and I were going to be severely punished, but after he heard me out he told the housekeeper that Charlie had done the right thing to teach me that even a woman always paid her debts of honour.”
    Anne fell silent again, and her expression sobered. “Charlie was always so full of life.” She shook her head slowly. “I could not believe it when I was informed both he and my father had been killed in the action in Egypt.”
    To her horror, Anne felt tears forming in her eyes and blinked furiously to prevent them from falling. It was not the thing to burden another with one’s personal sorrows.
    Lord Stanton said nothing but looked at her sympathetically and allowed her time to regain control of her emotions.
    “But that was seven years ago,” she said, regaining her composure. “I sold our house and moved to Medford. I lived there quite contentedly until I found myself Melissa’s guardian.”
    Her moment of melancholy over, she went on to tell Lord Stanton of her ward’s circumstances and how her beauty and sweetness had moved Anne to change her plans to present Melissa in Bath and try instead to launch her into London Society.
    Lord Stanton listened with attention to Anne’s tale, careful to let his dark eyes betray nothing of his thoughts. He had been suffering from ennui, and here was a heaven-sent opportunity to relieve it. He took careful note of Anne’s words, storing the information away. Daughter of an army officer, well past the age of consent, with an unorthodox upbringing. Good—her background and age made this lovely woman before him fair game. His considerable experience told him the attraction was mutual, and he contemplated an enjoyable pursuit. She was certainly naive about Society, however, to imagine that she could marry an impoverished ward into the nobility, no matter how beautiful the girl might be.
    “My dear girl,” he said as Anne finished her recital and lapsed into silence, “you have set yourself an impossible task.”
    “Why? I realise it will be difficult. That is why we are on our way to London now. I shall have time to reconnoiter and plan my campaign before the Season begins in April.”
    “Spoken like the true daughter of Major Southwell.” Lord Stanton smiled and took another sip of brandy. “But it is obvious you have no acquaintance with London Society. Neither you nor your cousin has a fortune or a title. No matter how beautiful your cousin is, you would at least need to have a well-placed relative or friend to sponsor you into the ton, and if I understand you correctly, you have neither. You are not even travelling with a proper companion. You may be past one-and-twenty, but you are unmarried and therefore not an acceptable chaperone. Take my advice and introduce your cousin into Bath society as you originally intended. There you would have some chance of succeeding.”
    During his speech Anne found her previous good opinion of Lord Stanton dissipating. He was being like Charlie in his less endearing moments—condescending to her and finding fault with her plans. She put her brandy glass down on