Suddenly You Read Free

boldness, imagination, and beauty.”
    Amanda did not drink. She frowned at him as he sipped from his glass. Really, it was shameful of him to force his way into her house, refuse to leave when he was asked, and then make jest of her.
    She was an intelligent and honest woman who knew what she was…and she was no beauty. Her attractions were moderate at best, and that was only if one completely discounted the current feminine ideal. She was short, and while on some days she could be described as voluptuous, on others she was most definitely plump. Her hair was a reddish-brown, wildly chaotic mass of curls—hateful curls that successfully defied any substance or implement used to straighten them. Oh, she had nice skin with no pockmarks or blemishes, and her eyes had once been described as “fine” by some well-meaning friend of the family. But they were plain gray eyes, with no shade of green or blue to enliven them.
    Without physical beauty, Amanda had chosen instead to cultivate her mind and imagination, which, as her mother had gloomily predicted, had been the final stroke of doom.
    Gentlemen did not want wives with well-cultivated minds. They wanted attractive wives who never second-guessed or disagreed with them. And they certainly didn’t seek women with vibrant imaginations who daydreamed about fictional characters in books. Therefore, Amanda’s two prettier elder sisters had both caught husbands, and Amanda had resorted to novel-writing.
    Her unwelcome guest continued to stare at her with those keen blue eyes. “Tell me why a woman with your looks should have to hire a man for her bed.”
    His bluntness offended her. And yet…there was something unexpectedly entertaining about the prospect of talking with a man without any of the usual social restraints.
    â€œFirst of all,” Amanda said tartly, “there’s no need to patronize me by implying that I’m Helen of Troy when it’s clear that I’m no beauty.”
    That earned her another arrested stare. “But you are,” he said softly.
    Amanda gave a decisive shake of her head. “Evidently you think I’m a fool who will easily succumb to flattery, or else your standards are quite low. Either way, sir, you are wrong.”
    A smile tugged at one side of his mouth. “You don’t leave much open for discussion, do you? Are you this decided in all your opinions?”
    She answered his smile with a wry one of her own. “Unfortunately, yes.”
    â€œWhy is it unfortunate to be opinionated?”
    â€œIn a man, it’s an admirable quality. In a woman, it is considered a defect.”
    â€œNot by me.” He took a sip of wine and relaxed in his chair, studying her as he stretched out his long legs. Amanda didn’t like the way he seemed to be settling in for a lengthy conversation. “I won’t allow you to avoid my question, Amanda. Explain why you hired a man for the evening.” His lively gaze dared her to be forthcoming.
    Finding that she was gripping the stem of her wineglass too tightly, Amanda forced her fingers to unclench. “It’s my birthday.”
    â€œTonight?” Jack laughed softly. “Happy birthday.”
    â€œI thank you. Will you leave now, please?”
    â€œOh, no. Not if I’m your birthday present. I’m going to keep you company. You’re not going to stay alone on such an important evening. Let me guess—today began your thirtieth year of life.”
    â€œHow did you know my age?”
    â€œBecause women always react strangely to the thirtieth. I once knew a woman who draped all the mirrors in black cloth on that birthday, for all the world as if a death had occurred.”
    â€œShe was mourning her lost youth,” Amanda said shortly, and downed a large swallow of wine until it sent a flush of heat through her chest. “She was reacting to the fact that she had become