Pleasure For Pleasure Read Free

anyone’s feelings, nor taken advantage of a woman in a vulnerable position. And you, Imogen, were in a vulnerable state of mind.”
    â€œThere’s always the possibility that he is simply burnt to the socket,” Josie said. “That’s what makes me think that Hellgate is Mayne. Yes, perhaps he has a vivid reputation, but it’s all due to the past. Your brother hasn’t had an affaire in years, Griselda.”
    â€œTwo years,” she said with dignity.
    â€œYou see? Apparently Hellgate talks of repentance, andI expect Mayne is indulging in the same sort of thinking. I wish you’d let me read the book, Griselda. I am certainly old enough.”
    â€œI beg to differ,” Griselda stated, adding: “Mayne is in love, and we should allow his peccadillos to rest in the past.” She opened her book and began reading it again.
    Annabel was frowning to herself and rocking Samuel. “Griselda’s right. While it’s vexing that Mayne somehow managed to slip by all four of us and marry a stranger—and I do wish to hear all about his exquisite Frenchwoman—the important person is you, Josie.”
    Josie almost jested about refusing to marry if she couldn’t have Mayne, but she choked it off. Spinsterhood was too real a possibility to be spoken out loud.
    â€œIt’s all a matter of dressing,” Annabel announced. “You must go to that wonderful woman of Griselda’s.”
    â€œI already have an entire new wardrobe, thanks to Rafe.”
    â€œI took her to my modiste, Madame Badeau,” Imogen said a bit doubtfully, “but—”
    â€œShe gave me a marvelous corset,” Josie said. “At least when I’m wearing it I don’t feel as if I’m swelling in all directions like an unmoored balloon.”
    â€œI don’t like that corset,” Tess said flatly.
    â€œUnfortunately, neither do I,” Imogen said.
    â€œWell, I’m not giving it up,” Josie said. “I can almost wear Imogen’s gowns when I’m in it; can you imagine, Annabel? If the ton laughs at me now, imagine what they would say if I wasn’t wearing the corset.” That’s how she thought of it: The Corset.
    â€œWhat’s so miraculous about this particular corset?” Annabel asked. Samuel had woken up and was having a late night snack.
    Josie looked away. It was bad enough that she, Josie, was saddled with breasts that she privately thought were far too large: like melons when oranges were the appropriate size.But Annabel had no compunction at all about feeding Samuel in front of them all, and her breasts were even larger.
    â€œIt’s a contraption made of whalebone and lord knows what else,” Tess told Annabel. “It goes from Josie’s collarbone all the way past her bottom.”
    â€œHow on earth do you sit down?” Annabel asked.
    â€œIt’s miraculously designed,” Josie told her. “There are let-in seams around the hips.”
    â€œIs it comfortable?”
    â€œWell, not particularly,” Josie said. “But ton parties are not precisely comfortable at the best of times, are they? I find them invariably tedious. I can’t dance well at all, and that seems to be the only pleasure one might take in them.”
    â€œYou danced more gracefully before you began wearing that object,” Tess pointed out.
    Josie ignored her. “Madame Badeau designed a number of gowns that fit perfectly over the corset.”
    â€œThat’s just it,” Tess said, “they fit the corset, not you.”
    â€œI like it,” Josie snapped. “And since I wouldn’t be caught at a ball without it on, you might as well stop insulting me.”
    â€œWe’re not insulting you,” Imogen said. “We just think you might be more comfortable with another sort of undergarment.”
    â€œNever,” Josie said.
    Griselda shut the book again. “I simply cannot