Carnal Deceptions Read Online Free PDF

retrieved the cup and the hot water sloshed onto her thumb. Perhaps Lady Stadwell’s china was not so safe after all. Tess scooped some tealeaves from the caddy and poured the hot water from the pot over the infuser. She poured herself a cup as well, hoping it would settle her stomach.
    Lady Stadwell patted the seat of the chair next to her. “Come sit, Hortensia. You seem distracted.”
    “Not at all.” Tess sat back down. “You were talking about how you were a mother to Lord Marcliffe. How old was he when his mother died?” As flustered as the subject made her, Tess found herself wanting to hear about him. Maybe something in his past would erase the dashing image she’d formed in her mind.
    “He was only a lad of eight. The boy sat up with my poor sister-in-law all night as she labored for her last breaths. My brother found Tallon in the morning, tucked in beside his mother. She had passed on during the night. Naturally, I took it upon myself to be the maternal figure in his life.” Lady Stadwell tugged at a lock of her gray hair. “I can tell you I owe most of these white hairs to my nephew. Rarely a summer would pass that we did not have an urgent need for the physician. A displaced shoulder, broken bones, bleeding wounds—it’s a wonder my nerves survived it all.”
    Tess laughed. “It’s a wonder Lord Marcliffe survived it all. Perhaps he would have benefited from some discipline.”
    “Nonsense,” Lady Stadwell said abruptly then softened her tone. “One does not tame a wild heart. An authoritarian upbringing makes a boy compliant and weak. The world has more than its share of cowardly men. Men like Lord Marcliffe are a rarity. It would be a spectacular woman indeed to capture his heart.”
    If only Lord Marcliffe had been one of those weak, cowardly men, Tess thought. Then surely she would not be acting like such a dolt at the mere mention of his return. “But I thought there was a woman in his life already. I’m sure you mentioned her the

    other evening at dinner.” Tess knew very well they’d discussed his mistress. She’d been brimming with curiosity ever since.
    “Miss Sparkes? I assure you there is far more attachment on her side than his. I know my nephew too well. She is a diversion. His bedmate, nothing more.” Lady Stadwell winked over her cup at Tess.
    Tess choked on her tea at Lady Stadwell’s bluntness.
    Lady Stadwell delivered a hard thump to her back. “You mustn’t gulp so.”
    The pounding of hooves jolted the two dogs from their sleep. “That’s him!” Lady Stadwell nearly shrieked the words. She hurried to the window. “I was right. He has returned.”
    Tess gripped the tasseled edge of the tablecloth. She could not move, but wanted more than anything to run and hide. Damn him for coming to this house. She’d begun to accept her quiet, reclusive existence. And while it was not the same as being with her father, she enjoyed Lady Stadwell’s company and had convinced herself she was content. Now every inch of her was alive with raw feelings. Most surprisingly, the arrival of Lady Stadwell’s nephew had reinforced her hatred for Sloan. For Sloan was the reason she was destined to be a spinster.
    “My word!” Lady Stadwell pressed her hand to her chest.
    Tess released her hold on the tablecloth and stood on wobbly legs. “What is it?” She peered at the drive over Lady Stadwell’s shoulder. The stallion stood straight up on its back legs. Lord Marcliffe, still in the saddle, waved the stable boy out of the way. Tess released the breath she was holding when the beast finally landed on all fours. Lord Marcliffe swung his leg over the saddle and dropped to the ground.
    Lady Stadwell turned to her. “You must put a plate of food together for him at once.
    He will be starved after such a long ride.”
    “I was on my way to the garden,” Tess sputtered. “But I will serve him before I go.” Lady Stadwell eyed her suspiciously. “Do you not care for Lord