A Rake's Vow Read Online Free PDF Page A

gentleman.”
    Angela’s eyes, already round as saucers, widened even more. “Are they all as well set-up as this Mr. Cynster?”
    Mrs. Chadwick shot Angela a reproving glance. “They are all very elegant, of course, but I’ve heard it said Vane Cynster is the most elegant of them all.”
    Patience swallowed a disgusted humph. Just her luck—if she and Gerrard had to meet a Cynster, why did it have to be the most elegant one? Fate was playing games with her. She’d accepted Minnie’s invitation to join her household for the autumn and winter and then to go to London for the Season, sure that fate was smiling benevolently, intervening to smooth her path. There was no doubt she’d needed help.
    She was no fool. She’d seen months ago that, although she’d been nursemaid, surrogate mother, and guardian to Gerrard all his life, she could not provide the final direction he needed to cross the last threshold into adulthood.
    She couldn’t be his mentor.
    Nowhere in his life had there been a suitable gentleman on whose behaviour and standards Gerrard could base his own. The chances of discovering such a gentleman in deepest Derbyshire were slight. When Minnie’s invitation had arrived, informing her that there were gentlemen staying at Bellamy Hall, it had seemed like fate’s hand at work. She’d accepted the invitation with alacrity, organized for the Grange to run without her, and headed south with Gerrard.
    She’d spent the journey formulating a description of the man she would accept as Gerrard’s mentor—the one she would trust with her brother’s tender youth. By the time they reached Bellamy Hall, she had her criteria firmly fixed.
    By the end of their first evening, she’d concluded that none of the gentlemen present met her stringent requirements. While each possessed qualities of which she approved, none was free of traits of which she disapproved. Most especially, none commanded her respect, complete and absolute, which criterion she’d flagged as the most crucial.
    Philosophically, she’d shrugged and accepted fate’s decree, and set her sights on London. Potential aspirants to the position of Gerrard’s mentor would clearly be more numerous there. Comfortable and secure, she and Gerrard had settled into Minnie’s household.
    Now comfort and security were things of the past—and would remain so until Vane Cynster left.
    At that instant, the drawing-room door opened; together with Mrs. Chadwick and Angela, Patience turned to watch the gentlemen stroll in. They were led by Whitticombe Colby, looking insufferably superior as usual; he made for the chaise on which Minnie and Timms sat, with Alice in a chair beside them. Edgar and the General followed Whitticombe through the door; by mutual consent, they headed for the fireplace, beside which Edith Swithins, vaguely smiling, sat tatting industriously.
    Her gaze glued to the door, Patience waited—and saw Edmond and Henry amble in. Beneath her breath, she swore, then coughed to disguise the indiscretion. Damn Vane Cynster .
    On the thought, he strolled in, Gerrard by his side.
    Patience’s mental imprecations reached new heights. Mrs. Chadwick had not lied—Vane Cynster was the very epitome of an elegant gentleman. His hair, burnished chestnut several shades darker than her own, glowed softly in the candlelight, wave upon elegant wave sitting perfectly about his head. Even across the room, the strength of his features registered; clear-cut, hard-edged, forehead, nose, jaw, and cheeks appeared sculpted out of rock. Only his lips, long and thin with just a hint of humor to relieve their austerity, and the innate intelligence and, yes, wickedness, that lit his grey eyes, gave any hint of mere mortal personality—all else, including, Patience grudgingly acknowledged, his long, lean body, belonged to a god.
    She didn’t want to see how well his grey coat of Bath superfine hugged his broad shoulders, how its excellent cut emphasized his broad chest and