How to Entice an Earl Read Online Free PDF

She was thoroughly sick of both of them. There were reasons that ladies continued to press for emancipation from domination by men, and these two were prime examples.
    Gresham, however, had not forgotten his quibble with the young viscount. “Linton, what do you mean bringing your sister to a place like this?” he demanded. “It’s not as if her reputation is flawless to begin with.”
    “Oooh, you … you…” For once in her life Maddie found herself at a loss for words and had to vent her frustration by stamping her foot instead of shouting as she wished to do. The nerve.
    “If you dare to ask me that,” Linton said with a shake of his head, “then I’ll wager you’ve never tried to convince Maddie to abandon a scheme. I’d have had more luck convincing the sun to rise from the west.”
    “Her persistence notwithstanding,” Gresham said with a twist of his mouth. “Are you really claiming to have no control over your own actions? You could certainly have left this evening without bringing her along. I cannot imagine you’ve brought her with you all the other times you came here.”
    “Pardon me,” Maddie interrupted, “but she is here and quite capable of speaking for herself.” If she let them they’d make arrangements between them to have her home and she’d be in bed before the clock struck midnight. And she had only just got here.
    “Yes, I know you are,” Linton said through his teeth. “And you promised not to bring attention to yourself if I brought you along tonight. You were supposed to be quiet and to keep to the background as much as possible. You swore to me.” This last he said with a pout in his voice that reminded her of their childhood tiffs.
    “But I didn’t know Gresham would be here scolding me like a disapproving governess,” Maddie said hotly, angry that her brother cast the blame on her rather than on Gresham where it belonged. “I can hardly be expected to refrain from defending myself.”
    “Is there a problem, gentlemen?” Mrs. Bailey asked, stepping up to the threesome, her brows raised slightly.
    “Not at all, ma’am,” Linton told their hostess, masking his annoyance. “We were merely discussing an upcoming race at Newmarket and my sister became incensed. She does have strong feelings about the races.”
    “Especially when she’s backing the wrong horse,” Gresham said grimly.
    Madeline, realizing that it might be best to remain silent before their hostess, said nothing.
    “Interesting,” Mrs. Bailey said, glancing from one to the other of them. “I hadn’t suspected that Lady Madeline was a racing aficionado. You must let me show you my stable one day, my dear. I think you’ll find it quite amusing.”
    Somehow, Maddie got the feeling that Mrs. Bailey wasn’t talking about horses. She would have asked for clarification, but just as quickly as she’d approached them, Mrs. Bailey left them again. Which was frustrating since Mrs. Bailey’s use of metaphor was something that might work well in her novel. Yet another crime to lay at Linton’s and Gresham’s doors.
    “If it would be all right with the two of you,” Maddie told them, “I believe I will excuse myself to repair my coiffure.” Never mind the fact that her hair was just fine; Maddie wanted to be away from her annoying brother and her equally annoying … annoyance, or whatever it was that Gresham was to her. Perhaps a few minutes alone would allow her to calm down and remember why she was here in the first place.
    Not waiting for a response, she strode to the doorway and asked a lurking footman for the direction of the room set aside for the ladies.
    *   *   *
     
    Christian bit back a curse as he resumed his position at the faro table—watching, not playing. He might have known this mission wouldn’t be as uncomplicated as Leighton had made it out to be.
    When he’d agreed to keep an eye on Lord Linton and Mr. Tinker, he hadn’t thought his acquaintance with Lady Madeline