Sweet Temptation Read Free Page B

his father’s anger, but he’d never seen him reveal this deeply buried rage; yet he’d done so twice in less than thirty minutes.
    “But if this Raymond wants his money, my marrying won’t make him change his mind.”
    “Raymond died ten years ago.”
    “So?”
    “He left everything to his daughter, and he left his daughter in my care.”
    “I still don’t see the problem.”
    “Sara Raymond will turn twenty-one in less than a month. When she does, the money may pass beyond my control.”
    “But your Scottish estate—”
    “Don’t you ever take your nose out of that female’s bosom?” the Earl demanded with tightly controlled anger. “This upstart Stuart prince has conquered Edinburgh, invaded England, and is marching toward London at this very moment. Do you think he’s going to allow me, a loyal follower of George II, or you, a boon companion to his sons, to hold estates virtually at his back gate?”
    But Gavin wasn’t listening. “Isn’t she the female who used to spend Christmas with us?” he asked, casting his mind back in an effort to remember.
    “I should have known that a female— any female—would always command your attention, even in the face of the impending fall of London.”
    Gavin flushed with hot anger, but he refused to be baited.
    “ If you are referring to Miss Raymond, I did invite her to spend a few holidays with us, before your mother’s health became too fragile.”
    “That chit’s as skinny as a starved chicken, and ugly into the bargain.”
    “She has grown into a lovely woman, very much like her mother.”
    “I’m still not going to marry her or any other female of your choosing.” Gavin picked up his ale and stalked over to the fire; he stared into its depths for some moments.
    “Mother seems to be better,” he said at last. “I believe she’s sorry she came to London.”
    “Georgiana has never once left Estameer without making me feel that I was tearing her away from her only child,” stated the Earl, a hardness slipping into his voice. “She doesn’t love anything so much as she loves those barren hills.”
    “She draws her strength from those hills,” explained Gavin. “We both do.”
    “Then I trust you are both sufficiently fortified. I fear you shall need all your resources in the coming months.”
    “What are you talking about now?” demanded Gavin, weary of the duel of wills.
    “Just of what may happen if you continue to disregard my warning.”
    “I might listen if you’d stop trying to make me believe you’re worried about mother or your fortune slipping away. If England suffered rebellion, invasion, and a plague, you’d still come out with a profit.”
    “Then listen to this,” the Earl said, in the deadly quiet voice his competitors had long since learned to fear. “Under no circumstances will I allow Lochknole to pass out of this family.”
    “So you said, but I won’t marry your Miss Raymond.”
    “There is still one course of action open to me.”
    “What can you do? You can’t disinherit me.”
    “No.”
    “Well?” Gavin inquired in frustration after a pause. “What in Hades are you going to do?” The Earl gave him a measuring look.
    “You’re supposed to be an intelligent man. Can’t you figure it out?”
    “No.”
    “You will, and when you do, remember I did everything in my power to keep from going to such an extreme.”
    Gavin turned away in annoyance, but long association with his father’s determination to let nothing and no one stand in the way of his reaching his goal caused him to turn back and carefully study that parchmentlike face. It took only a few minutes before the awful idea sprang into Gavin’s head.
    “You wouldn’t?” he ejaculated, slamming down his ale. “Not even you could be such a contemptible swine!”
    “I wouldn’t and couldn’t what?” demanded the Earl. An intense light gleamed in his eyes, but his voice was as calm as ever.
    “Divorce mother,” Gavin said, his face a