Heart's Desire Read Online Free PDF

for what?”
    “For saying, or doing, whatever requires saying and doing.”
    Callie blinked. “What do you mean?”
    Aunt Olivia gave an absentminded wave. “One must never forget, my dear, that men are not mind readers.”
    Callie’s lips twitched. Her aunt frequently went off on conversational tangents. “Of course they’re not —”
    “They are particularly dense with regard to women. Oh, men may be intelligent with facts, clever with sums, and ingenious with horses and machinery, but when it comes to women … ” S he shook her head . “ T here’s nary a one in the bunch who isn’t an utter nincompoop. Why, if we women didn’t let them know precisely how we feel, they’d never discern it on their own. And naturally , actions are far more effective than words. If I hadn’t gotten the ball rolling by demanding that your Uncle Ephraim kiss me , we never would have made it down the aisle.”
    Callie blinked in surprise. “You asked him to kiss you?”
    “Certainly. If I hadn’t , he never would have done so. Foolish man believed that , because my parents had come into a small inheritance , he wasn’t good enough. Not good enough, indeed. Such notions men get in their heads! I put an end to that nonsense. Remember, darling — nothing ventured, nothing gained.” She yawned hugely. “And now if you’ll excuse me, I must close my eyes and rest lest I look a fright when we arrive in London … unless you change your mind and decide we should stop in Halstead.”
    Callie had stared in stunned amazement at her dozing aunt, who frequently imparted surprisingly insightful nuggets of wisdom that belied her normal absentmindedness. She’d never known that Uncle Ephraim had refrained from courting Aunt Olivia because he perceived her to be above his station. Much, Callie realized, the way William would most assuredly view her — the sister of a duchess.
    Was it possible he cared for her but wouldn’t think of pursuing her because he believed himself socially inferior? The question had pounded hope through her , and that’s when she’d known she had to stop in Halstead. Had to see him. The thought of admitting her feelings to William utterly terrified her. But the thought of not telling him, of never knowing if something could develop between them …
    She had to find out if there was even the slightest chance his affection could blossom into passion, if perhaps her love wasn’t unrequited after all.
    That was worth any risk.
    Nothing ventured, nothing gained.
    And it had to be now. Her twenty-fifth birthday loomed, and Callie couldn’t put off the inevitable any longer. When she arrived in London , she would accompany Hayley and Stephen to Queen Victoria’s coronation. Then the following evening , Callie would be the guest of honor at the lavish birthday ball Hayley and Stephen were hosting for her. Lord Reddington would be among the three hundred guests. Callie knew Hayley hoped and believed that an engagement announcement would soon follow the party, if not to Eric, then to one of the dozens of other eligible young men with whom she was acquainted. Callie hated to disappoint Hayley.
    But neither could she marry a man she didn’t love.
    So now here she was, standing in William’s shop. In spite of her determination to get him to kiss her, part of her had come here hoping she’d see him again and feel nothing.
    That had most assuredly not been the case.
    The instant she’d seen him , she’d known her love for him burned as bright as ever. And for one dizzying instant when their gazes first met across the shop , she’d thought she’d seen something in his eyes … a heated spark that filled her with hope that she’d made the right decision in coming here. That perhaps he’d missed her over the last two years. Had decided that his feelings ran deeper than just friendship.
    It had been there in his eyes, she was sure of it. Callie knew that her position as sister to a duchess would prevent William