How to Live Indecently Read Online Free PDF

to?”
    “On occasion. It’s nice to be prepared, as you will agree from our recent encounter.” Daphne gave an exaggerated sniff of superiority that made Jamie laugh. He was acutely aware he’d been laughing a lot this evening, a rather unusual occurrence but one he wholeheartedly enjoyed. It was clear conversation wasn’t going to get him any relief. He tried food.
    “I’m hungry, how about you? I know a place that serves hot meals until two in the morning.” A half hour ago he’d been thinking the Albany too scurrilous for her. Now he was dragging her off to decidedly middle-class entertainment. Perhaps it was because they’d already been set upon by footpads. Nothing worse could really happen. Perhaps he was still carried away on the tides of his adrenaline. The fight, the kiss, the discovery of a knife up Daphne’s skirts, had all been fuel to his masculine fire. He needed to do something physical before he exploded.
    The Coal Hole was in Fountain Court. He and Riordan had frequented it on occasion, not enough to be recognized but enough to know its clientele: actors, artists, a few clerks and the coal carters that had given the place its name. It was definitely not a place to take a society miss. Actors and artists could drink too much and get up to mischief just as well as anyone else. But if her earlier behavior was any indication, Daphne needed a physical outlet for the energy coursing through her as badly as he did.
    Jamie tooled into Fountain Court, his conscience demanding he give Daphne a choice. “It’s a song and supper room,” he explained, waiting for a polite protest on her part, but none came.
    “If it’s too much, just tell me,” Jamie prodded, giving her permission to demur. “If I’ve gone too far—”
    She cut him off with one of her radiant smiles. “That’s the thing about adventures. You can never go too far.”
    He’d like to argue with that. He nearly had gone too far back in Piccadilly with his hands under her skirts. But her excitement was contagious and he was in no mood to be good for both of them. The Coal Hole it would be. He grinned and winked. “Come on, Daphne, let’s go to a real party.”
    * * *
    A real party indeed! It was more than that, it was heaven. Daphne didn’t know what to pay attention to first; the music, the food, the decor. The musician in her decided for her; it would be the music.
    The hall was alive with raucous late-night energy of people having unfettered fun unbound by the rules of Mayfair and she wanted to be part of it. The massive head table set at the front of the room was filled with people singing over their supper plates to the accompaniment of a violin. Her own fingers itched to play, to join in the fun. Would she dare it, given the opportunity?
    Jamie ushered her forward, her gaze unsure where to look first as they passed through the room. Lavish red drapes with gold fringe hung at the windows and the tables were elegantly set with silver that suited a Belgravia mansion.
    Was it really possible to simply walk into such a place? “Don’t we have to pay to get in?” Daphne whispered, shaking some of her awe.
    “No, but you have to pay to get out.” Jamie chuckled, his voice close to her ear to be heard above the noise. “John Rhodes, the proprietor, makes his profit on ‘wet money,’ money from selling food and drink, and with his prices, he makes plenty of it. But the food is good, better the usual pub fare.” He gestured toward the extensive buffet running the length of the left side of the room. “Come help yourself, the oysters here are excellent.”
    The buffet was a feast for the eyes, platters piled high with chops, beefsteaks, deviled kidneys and immaculate oysters on the half shell. She had no idea how to eat an oyster, but Jamie laughingly filled her plate with them.
    “I doubt the Starry Night ball is serving any of this.” Daphne joked as they finished with the buffet line.
    “To their great loss. Oysters beat