Lady in Demand Read Online Free PDF Page A

closer, Finn lifted it before she could stop him. She winced as he pushed up her sleeve to examine it.  
    “Please, my lord, there is no need—”
    He touched the area, gently moving the wrist slowly.
    “Have someone look at it, but I do not believe it is broken.”
    “Thank you, Doctor Levermarch.”
    “Don’t be petty, Phoebe. It doesn’t suit you.” Finn pulled her sleeve back down and then lowered her arm to her side.
    He saw the flush of red in her face before she turned from him and lifted her good hand up to grip the mane of her horse.
    “Please help me mount, my lord. It is past time I returned home.”
    Finn ignored the leg she stuck out for him to assist her up and instead placed his hands on her waist and lifted her, seating her gently on the saddle. She fussed with the reins and then looked down at him.
    “Thank you for not commenting on what I was doing, Lord Levermarch, as I know you wished to do.”
    He braced a hand on the saddle behind her thigh before speaking.
    “Phoebe, were you a woman in my family I would have lectured you from sun up to sun down about how reckless your behavior has been. I would then sell your horse and set someone to accompany you the minute you so much as stepped one foot from the house.” Finn held her eyes. “But as you are not, I can only say that I hope you know that what you are doing could result in serious injury to you; indeed, it could take your life.”
    A small smile played around her lips and then, to his surprise, she touched a hand briefly to his shoulder.
    “Well, then let me say how pleased I am not to be a woman in your life and add to that a thank you for not lecturing me, Lord Levermarch.
    Finn snorted at her sarcasm.
    “But just so you know, my lord, riding is something I excel at.”
    “Yes, I had already noted that,” he drawled, pulling reluctantly away as she removed her hand from his shoulder and prepared to leave.
    “Have a care please, Phoebe. I would not like anything to happen to you.”
    She simply lifted a hand at his words and then, with her groom, they cantered away. Finn remounted and followed seconds later.  
    Some man was going to have a hell of a life with that woman, but it would not be he. Ignoring the twinge of regret, he nudged Titus out the gate and turned for home.

          Snapping open the paper an hour later, Finn tried to focus on the first page and then lowered it as he had yet to pour his tea. Bloody woman, she was disturbing the best part of his day. The vision of her long legs and the sweet curve of her buttocks in those tight breeches would not leave his head.  
          Finn liked his morning meal. He usually sat in wonderful solitude and partook of a lengthy and substantial meal, believing this was the most important part of the day. He would read the paper that was neatly folded beside his plate, from cover to cover, drink an entire pot of tea and consume most of the contents of the dishes on his table. He did not have things laid out on a sideboard as other houses often did. Finn had everything at his fingertips. It was his time to indulge and he did, daily.
          This morning, he was having ham and eggs with fresh, crisp rolls slathered with butter.  
          “I bet he has a table full of food!”
          “I could drink the tea direct from the pot!”
          “I could eat a raw egg about now, it’s been so long since our last meal.”
          “May God have mercy on my blighted soul,” Finn growled as the loud voices reached him. “Our peace is disturbed, Narrow,” he said to his butler, who was placing a steaming dish of eggs in front of him.
          “So it would seem, my lord,” his butler said now, moving sedately toward the door where he opened it in time for Finn’s twin brothers to rush through the portal.
          “By Jove, Finn, we are awful glad to be home,” Benedict said loudly as he threw his brother a brief wave before hauling out a