A Taste of Temptation Read Online Free PDF Page A

shortly.” Olivia watched the crowd follow the earl into his front room before looking back at her aunt, who seemed wide-eyed and frozen by the mishap.
    “See, Auntie, a careless servant put the urn too close to the edge and it fell off,” she spoke softly and calmingly. “It was not a ghost.”
    Agatha stared into Olivia’s eyes. “No, it wasn’t an accident. It was Lord Pinkwater’s ghost. I’m sure of it. You heard someone say there was no one on the landing who could have pushed the urn off. He’s here, Livy. This is the house. I must go inside and find him.” Where a few minutes before Olivia was uncomfortably warm, now she felt suddenly chilled. “What exactly do you mean, find him?”
    “I told you I would know when I felt his presence. That urn was a sign to me that he’s here. I’m going to search every room in that house until he makes himself known to me.”
    Olivia stopped her aunt. “But what makes you so sure Lord Dugdale will allow you to look through his rooms?” Her aunt took a step back and looked at her as if she were mad. “I don’t plan to ask for permission.” Olivia was startled by Agatha’s statement and her unease grew. “What do you plan to do? There are close to one hundred people in there.”
    “Oh, I won’t let them bother me. Besides, I think most ghosts live in bedchambers or perhaps in the attic. I’ll search both.”
    A strong feeling of protectiveness overcame Olivia. She was afraid Agatha would do something imprudent and get herself thrown out of the party, out of the ton, and out of London.
    Olivia had to do something quickly.
    “You can’t search this man’s bedchambers and his attic.”
    “Of course I can. What I must not do is get caught doing it.”
    Suddenly Olivia could see her aunt’s irreproachable reputation changing to that of a mad old lady searching private homes for a ghost. Except for Olivia, all Agatha had was her spotless reputation. Olivia wouldn’t let that be tainted if she could help it. She wouldn’t let her aunt be rejected by a Society that had once and obviously still thought so highly of her.
    “I’ll do it for you, Auntie,” she said, fearing what she might be getting into but knowing she had no choice if she wanted to keep everyone from learning that Agatha was searching for a ghost.
    “What?”
    “I’ll search the house for you.”
    Her aunt’s eyes widened. “You can’t. I won’t hear of it.
    Your reputation would be ruined if you were caught snooping through the earl’s house.”
    “I won’t get caught. I move faster than you do. Besides, if I’m seen, I’ll merely say I was looking for the retiring room and lost my way.”

    Her aunt looked at her as if she had gone mad. “That still won’t work, Livy. Lord Pinkwater wants to talk to me, not you. He won’t show himself to you.”
    “He will know that I’m acting as your emissary. He will sense that in me,” Olivia said, making up her thoughts as she talked. “I don’t know how it all works, but ghosts can read our minds and they know about these kinds of things.”
    Maybe I am the one who is batty!
    Agatha’s brow lifted. “They do?”
    “Yes, I read about it in a book,” Olivia said, stretching the truth a little further than she probably needed to, considering the confused expression on her aunt’s face.
    “Which book? I don’t recall it?”
    “I don’t remember exactly, as there are so many books that have information about ghosts in them, and it’s not important right now anyway.” Olivia took a deep calming breath and then said, “It’s just better for me to do this than you. I’m the one who will go upstairs and search all the rooms. I will let you know if I feel his presence.” Her aunt smiled sweetly at her. “You would do that for me?”
    Olivia nodded and gave her an affectionate smile. “Of course. Now, you’ve been standing too long. Let’s go inside. I’ll get you something to drink and see you to a chair where you can