Lover Be Mine: A Legendary Lovers Novel Read Online Free PDF

her seat. “Yes, I know.”
    Her father, Oliver Fortin, had grown up a poor commoner, understandably bitter and
     resentful of the Wilde villain who’d deprived his branch of the Fortins of the title
     and fortune. The barony might even have returned to their line had Sophie’s brother
     not tragically perished from a fever at a young age.
    But Mrs. Pennant was not in the least concerned with Oliver’s proper inheritance,
     since she was Sophie’s mother’s aunt, related to the Fortins only by marriage. In
     fact she thought the feud silly, as Lord Jack did.
    At nearly seventy, the wealthy widow was irascible and hard to please, and she thoroughly
     disliked Sophie’s father. Believing Oliver to be too controlling and domineering over
     his wife, Rebecca, Mrs. Pennant went out of her way to tweak his nose at every opportunity.
    Tonight’s ball was a prime example. A masquerade was a bit risqué for the more genteel
     denizens of the ton, and the fact that it had been held in the gardens rather than
     the ballroom was highly unconventional. Mrs. Pennant had known Oliver wouldn’t approve.
    She had also wanted to show up the Duke of Dunmore, who was rather staid and proper.
     Thus, she’d invited a number of other eligible bachelors to the masquerade because,
     she’d explained, she wanted to give Sophie more choices in whom to wed.
    Mrs. Pennant eyed her thoughtfully now. “Your father would be apoplectic if you were
     to pursue an association with Lord Jack, but you should know Iwould not object. Indeed, I could not be more delighted.”
    Sophie’s eyebrows lifted. Far from scolding her, was her aunt encouraging her to revolt
     against parental wishes?
    “Lord Jack is a handsome devil, you cannot deny,” her elderly relative continued.
     “If only I were fifty years younger, he would set more than
my
heart aflutter.” Her gaze sharpened on Sophie. “If you allowed him to kiss you, you
     must be attracted to him.”
    Oh yes indeed, Sophie thought, remembering his stunning, stolen kisses. He fascinated
     her in a forbidden, thrilling sort of way. He wore his raven hair longer than the
     current fashion, so that he resembled a pirate in looks as well as deeds—starkly masculine
     and sinfully male. When he smiled at her in that rakish, wicked manner, he set her
     heart leaping. And when he kissed her, he’d tasted like everything she’d secretly
     dreamed of.
    But it was the height of foolishness to let herself be captivated by him, Sophie reminded
     herself, since nothing could come of it. She could never betray her parents that way.
     They had suffered so much from her brother’s death, facing life’s cruelest disappointment,
     losing a child. After all their heartbreak and sorrow, she couldn’t hurt them further.
    For years she had known it was up to her to restore the family fortunes by making
     a good match. Her parents had sacrificed significantly to secure her a promising future,
     scrimping and devoting every spare penny to groom her for a future role as a nobleman’s
     wife, and she hoped in some small way to make upfor their grief and privation by giving them what they craved most: financial security.
    “It won’t happen again,” she assured her aunt. “I daresay I will never even see Lord
     Jack again.”
    Mrs. Pennant harrumphed. “A pity.” Then she waved her thin-boned hand in dismissal.
     “Well, take yourself off to bed, child. I need my sleep.”
    Obediently, Sophie kissed her relative’s wrinkled cheek and let herself out. But as
     she made her way to her own bedchamber in the guest wing of the house, she couldn’t
     help reflecting on Lord Jack Wilde.
    He made her feel acutely alive and set her blood racing. She also appreciated his
     sharp wit, even if it was difficult to hold her own with him. She even enjoyed his
     shocking, provocative manner, despite his dubious claim of wanting to test if they
     were a match.
    Regardless of her feelings for him, though, it was pointless