My Seductive Innocent Read Free Page A

scanned the room. Her gaze fastened on Ellison, who blushed deeply, as he always did when a beautiful woman looked at him. Nathan wished there was some way he could give his cousin more confidence, but he was at a loss as to how to do it. His efforts always seemed to make matters worse, not better.
    Amelia gestured to Ellison. “I wager your mother would agree that Scarsdale needs a wife.”
    Ellison shook his head. “That would not be a good wager.” His words slurred slightly, betraying his state. Amelia gave him a pitying look that Nathan was sure would set Ellison off again, but his cousin didn’t seem to notice and continued speaking. “She doesn’t take the usual view that Scarsdale has to marry. She only nags me about that.” He poked himself in the chest.
    “She doesn’t wish Scarsdale to find a wife?” Amelia’s voice rang with surprise.
    Nathan shook his head. “My aunt encourages me to take my time and remain a bachelor as long as I deem necessary,” he offered, not allowing his tone to reveal what he knew to be true. His aunt didn’t push him to marry because she was worried she would have to move out of the dowager house if he took a wife. The only reason he allowed his awful aunt to remain there at all was because Ellison wished her with him. And he would grant his cousin whatever he could to make up for convincing him to climb into that carriage that fateful night so many years ago.
    “I wish my own mother would be less concerned,” Harthorne said.
    “Take her concern where you can get it,” Nathan automatically responded.
    When Harthorne gave him a strange look, Nathan froze. Damn if he hadn’t spoken without thought again. He was not himself tonight.
    “Speaking of Mother,” Ellison said, saving Nathan from having to explain the unexplainable outburst, “I almost forgot that she wants to ask you a favor before we leave for the night.” He finished his sentence with a loud hiccup.
    Nathan frowned at both Ellison’s behavior and the idea of mingling with all the vain and insipid people in his ballroom. “I’m not venturing out there again. Too many unmarried debutantes.” He eyed Amelia. “I did not have a hand in creating the guest list.”
    Amelia narrowed her eyes at his statement, making his lips twitch upward.
    When she scowled at him, he chuckled and addressed his cousin. “So, Ellison, what does Aunt Harriet need?”
    “She was told of a horse breeder in Newmarket that trains horses for people with...” His words trailed off as he patted his leg. “She’s convinced that if the man is legitimate, I will be able to learn to ride again.”
    Nathan wanted to curse his aunt for continuing to push Ellison when his cousin was so obviously scared to remount a horse. And Nathan wanted to curse himself for crippling his cousin in the first place.
    “Excuse us,” Nathan said and led his cousin near the window and away from everyone so he wouldn’t feel more embarrassment than he probably already did. “Do you want this, Ellison? If you do, I’ll be happy to go, but if not, I’ll refuse Aunt Harriet’s request.”
    Ellison shrugged. “If it will make Mother happy, even for a brief moment, then I want it.”
    Nathan cringed. Ellison’s words struck a nerve. His aunt shared more than the blood of a sister with his deceased mother. The women had been the same in personality, too: impossible to make happy and devoid of love.
    He stared at Ellison. “But how long will she be happy? An hour if it’s a good day, a few minutes if it’s bad.”
    “Scarsdale,” Ellison growled.
    Nathan shook his head. “No, let me finish. I don’t want to see you continue to waste your life trying to make your mother, or any woman, happy. It’s an impossible task. You know I understand what that’s like.” He’d been foolish enough once to think he could make his mother love him.
    “She’s not like your mother was,” Ellison said under his breath.
    Nathan leaned closer to his cousin.