Angel's Devil Read Online Free PDF Page A

smashingly, and in her own household she wouldn't have to follow the
stifling, silly rules her mother and father seemed to have invented simply to
cause her to be almost constantly in trouble. Angelique frowned. There had to
be something that could be done.
    She wanted to mention her concern to Simon, but at tea the next day and
then at Almack's two days later she still hadn't been able to muster the nerve
to say anything. After all, whatever the ton might think, the Marquis of
Abbonley hadn't seemed all that scandalous to her. Instead, she found herself
wondering why there was no sign of James Faring over the next few days, and how
he must have felt upon learning that the woman he had killed for had married
someone else.
    The affair at the Sheffields the following Saturday was the first grand
ball since her return to London, and it seemed as though the entire haute
ton had turned out for it. "You look radiant," Simon greeted her
as she joined the group of young people on one side of the huge, waxed dance
floor. He took her hand and brushed her knuckles with his lips. "I have
been waiting for nearly a month to dance with you."
    She smiled.
"You are so sweet to say that."
    "Not at
all. Has your Miss Stanfred arrived in town yet?”
      Angel shook her head. "I'm expecting her
any day now. I already wrote and asked her to be my bridesmaid, and—"
    Simon laughed.
"Angel, we do have nine months yet to plan this."
    She shrugged.
"I know, but it makes the wedding seem closer if I can do something to
prepare for it."
    "I know
what you mean. In fact, I was thinking of asking James . . . " Simon
trailed off, looking past her shoulder. At the same moment Angel noted that the
room was buzzing with muted conversation.
    "Lady
Angelique."
    She turned
around. The Marquis of Abbonley stood before her. He was dressed all in black,
with only his white cravat and a beautiful emerald pin that exactly matched his
eyes to leaven the stark effect. She suddenly realized. why the nickname Devil
had stuck to him.
    "My
lord," she answered, curtseying and wondering why he looked as though he
was angry at her.
    "I had
hoped there would be a place left on your dance card for me," he murmured
coolly, indicating with a flick of his long fingers the paper she held in one
hand. "Under the circumstances, I thought perhaps we should become better
acquainted."
    She glanced
down at her card. There were two spaces still unclaimed, but despite his
completely legitimate reasoning, she debated whether or not to tell him. He
seemed definitely put out about something, though she couldn't imagine what.
Abbonley was watching her closely, no doubt expecting her to beg off.
    "I have a
waltz and a quadrille still unclaimed," she said, not one to back down
from a challenge. "You may have your pick."
    For a brief
moment the look in his eyes changed, the only indication he gave that he might
be surprised. "Then I choose the waltz," he replied, and with a
slight bow made his exit.
    With those
words the music for the first quadrille of the evening began, and Simon led her
out onto the floor. She glanced over toward the far wall to find the Marquis of
Abbonley leaning there and watching her, and she wondered again what she had
done. After a long moment she looked away to find Simon smiling at her from his
place a few steps away, and she mentally shook herself. Whatever James Faring
might think was certainly no concern of hers.

 
     
     
    3

     
    J ames
Faring was not amused. The rumors of his supposed attraction to his cousin's
lady had come to his ears the day after he had gone walking in Hyde Park.
Simon's intended or not, the gossiping chit could have waited until the rest of
the ton had a chance to decide for themselves if he had become civilized
before she started in on what was left of his reputation. Behaving was
difficult enough without that dragging him down.
    In the past he
would have spent the evening upstairs at the gaming tables, but he was avoiding
those as