The Seduction of Sara Read Free Page A

might have been able to helpher niece during what must have been an increasingly confusing and painful time. But Delphi, like everyone else, had missed the desperation of Sara’s subsequent actions. Directed by Julius’s critical mother and condescending sisters, she traded her sparkle for a distressingly cool elegance. To Delphi, it seemed that Sara’s natural exuberance died a slow and agonizing death while all hint of happiness faded from her eyes.
    And the more Sara changed, the unhappier Julius became as the very things that had captivated him about his young wife disappeared. By the time Julius died he and Sara were little more than strangers, while the manner of his tragic death had finally awakened her family to the true state of affairs.
    Delphi slanted a glance at her niece and noted the unhappiness that darkened Sara’s blue eyes. It was too late to do anything about Julius’s behavior, but there was still a chance she could help her niece. And thanks to Marcus, that was exactly what Delphi intended to do. “Sara, promise me you will listen to your brother. He only wants what’s best for you.”
    â€œHe wants what is easiest for him,” Sara said. “There is a wide gap between the two.”
    The carriage turned a corner and came to a halt. Her heart heavy, Delphi lifted the curtain and peered outside. Treymount House was the largest residence in Mayfair, boasting a magnificent ballroom and two grand salons. The carriage pulled into the long line in front of the brightly lit house. Horsesneighed and link boys darted between the carriages, while a welter of footmen jostled for position.
    Even though it was still months away from the season, everyone flocked to London for the annual Treymount ball, a tradition set by the late marquis in what Delphi thought was a vulgar display of wealth. But it worked. It didn’t matter how poor the roads were, how frigid the wind, or how inconvenient it was to return to London in the middle of winter; the Treymount ball was a huge success each and every year.
    Sara looked out at the crowded street. “It looks like someone kicked over an anthill.”
    It certainly did. People clamored for an invitation to Treymount, and frankly, Delphi didn’t blame them. It wasn’t just the residence, imposing as it was, or the sumptuous entertainment, but more the way the entire St. John family exuded power and arrogance, unconsciously reminding one that here was the embodiment of true nobility.
    The carriage finally arrived at the front door, and soon she and Sara were walking toward the entryway, breathing in the spicy scent of the flowers strewn down each side of the red carpet to mask the unpleasant scents of the winter-grim city. Muted laughter and music swelled to meet them as they entered the great hall.
    Marcus was not at the head of the receiving line, but was waiting in the library for Sara’s arrival. Which was a good thing, Delphi decided as she handed her cloak to a waiting servant, shivering slightly in the chill. It was about time Marcustook a more direct hand in managing his sister’s affair. She turned just as Sara undid the clasp of her own blue-velvet cloak and swept it from her shoulders.
    Oh dear, no. Sara’s sapphire blue gown was low cut and diaphanous enough to cause even the most risqué of the ton to raise their brows. And draped over Sara’s lush figure, it was beyond scandalous. It was a complete disgrace.
    From beneath the edge of the silk peeked sparkling slippers, while a cacophony of sapphires covered her throat, head, and arms. It seemed a bad omen that Sara had worn every piece of the Lawrence sapphires, from the wide gold necklet to the sparkling tiara that held her shining black curls from her face. To Delphi, the deep blue gems echoed the desperate brilliance of Sara’s eyes.
    Sara smoothed her skirts, the unconscious gesture pushing her breasts into a precarious position at the edge