Enchanted by Your Kisses Read Online Free PDF Page B

sat up abruptly, his head turning toward the door.
    "Yes, your grace," the servant responded.
    He was in time to see the servant bow out of the room. His uncle stood there, a man who looked so much like Nathan's deceased father that he swallowed back a surge of bitterness. Miles Trevain , duke of Davenport , had gray hair even when not capped by a wig. But whereas Nathan's father had been lean and trim, his uncle had a paunch nearing King George's proportions. Still, the shape of the face was the same. Gray eyes, square jaw, high cheekbones that looked prominent despite the layer of fat and the deepness of his wrinkles.
    "You're home early, I see."
    Nathan nodded.
    "No young ladies there to hold your interest?"
    Nathan held back a sigh. Since his reunion with his uncle, the man had plagued him incessantly about settling down and producing an heir. He seemed not to notice that most young ladies were either repelled or frightened by his face. Nathan had, but it worked to his advantage, for he had no intention of ever settling down or even staying in England . No, if he needed to dally with a woman, there were those who were intrigued by his scar, those who would suffer his presence for a night, if only out of curiosity. A one-night affair would suit him well, especially if this ridiculous attraction he felt for her ladyship didn't wane.
    "None?" the duke asked again, pulling a chair out to sit opposite him.
    "Actually," Nathan offered. "I did meet someone tonight."
    He saw the hopeful look in his uncle's eyes and for a brief moment felt guilty about his deceit, but then he reminded himself of all the man had put his father through. It was because of the duke that William Trevain had left England , forced to do so by his very own brother. Not a word of communication had ever been exchanged between the two since the break, not a single word, until Nathan had received a letter six months previously asking for a meeting. The duke hadn't even known his brother had died in the war or that his nephew was disfigured. And the reason for his wish to make amends? Two marriages and not a child from either of them. The duke needed an heir, disfigured or no, and Nathan was only too willing to play the part—for now.
    "Who is she, then? Someone I know?"
    Nathan almost smiled. "Oh, I'll wager you've heard of her."
    The hopeful look increased. "Her name?"
    "Lady Ariel D'Archer ."
    The duke's expression turned into one of horror. "The gypsy witch?"
    Nathan lifted a brow. "I take it you don't approve of my choice."
    An emphatic shake of the head confirmed the duke's next words. "She is unsuitable. Best you settle upon someone else. I assure you, despite your face, there are many women who will have you."
    Nathan took a nonchalant sip of his drink to cover his temper. So his uncle had noticed women's reactions. It was a moment before he said, "But I like this woman, uncle. She would make an excellent breeder. Wide hips. Large breasts."
    That the man didn't even flinch at his sarcasm disgusted Nathan no end. Were the British so shallow that they actually considered such things when selecting a future bride?
    Apparently so. Disgusting lot.
    "Nathan, I know you've been in England only a short time, but trust me, my boy, you'll want to pick someone else."
    "Why?"
    His uncle looked uncomfortable for a moment. "Have you not heard the story?"
    "No." And he hadn't. His sources had only told him that she'd been ruined. He hadn't needed to know more than that.
    "Then let me tell you." The duke got up, poured himself a drink, then sat down again. He waited a few moments, like a great storyteller about to embark on a favorite tale. "Most people seem to think the girl's problems began with her mother. She was a gypsy, rumored to have seduced the young earl into marriage."
    Now that he had heard. His contacts had also told him that the usually cold and emotionless earl had been desperately in love with his gypsy wife, so much so that when she'd died in