Midnight Bride Read Online Free PDF Page A

and his eyes narrowed. "That calls for a drink." The others pushed back their chairs.
    "None for us. Fm for bed." The other nodded and yawned. Dunstan, already awash in more brandy than he usually drank, tried to refuse, too, but Hartley would not hear of it.
    "We are celebrating your winning. Wouldn't be the same if you did not take part," he explained, laughing.
    "One more hand. Then just one glass," Dunstan said, slurring his words more than he had intended to do. The hand won, he tossed down his drink and stood up, weaving slightly.
    "I am ready for bed. I will walk with you upstairs," Hartley offered. He waved away a footman who stood ready to help. "See to the others."

Chapter 2

    The morning sunlight was still only pale streaks on the horizon when Elizabeth awoke the next morning. A faint uneasiness plagued her. She shoved it aside, enjoying the cozy warmth of her bed, her headache still faintly nagging at her. After a while her maid would be there, ready to help her dress for another day. She breathed deeply. At least she and Charles had settled their differences the evening before. She smiled sleepily as she remembered how worried he had been about her forgiveness. If he only knew, she had never been able to maintain her anger with him for longer than an evening. Still, he had made a sweet apology.
    However, the longer she thought of the previous evening, the more distressed she grew. Even at ten o'clock, her brother's speech had been slurred, his walk unsteady, and his breath strong with brandy. Reminding him of his promise to curb his drinking would do no good. She would have to write another letter to her stepmother. Charles needed something worthwhile to do with his life before he became so comfortable with his role of drinking and gambling that nothing would save him. If she could only convince her stepmother to let him do as he wished and join the army.
    She sighed and closed her eyes once more, still drowsy even after the peaceful night's sleep in her own bed. Enjoying the cozy warmth, she snuggled farther down in the feather mattress. Then all her sleepiness forgotten, she crouched at the head of the bed, the covers drawn tightly around her, her eyes wide, and her mouth open in a silent scream.
    There was someone in bed with her. Her breath came in gasps. Her chest heaved. Once more she tried to scream but couldn't. Then she noticed the bare arm covered with a light dusting of brown hair. Creeping even farther up in the bed, as close to the edge as she could possibly get, she gulped and pulled even more covers around her. The move was a bad one. The covers now around her had been hiding more than an arm. She could see two long legs also dusted with hair poking out of the covers. Elizabeth closed her eyes and tried to calm her breathing so that she could call for help.
    She was in bed with a man. Or was he in bed with her?
    She opened her eyes. This was her room. The man groaned and turned slightly. Hastily Elizabeth closed her eyes, but that did not erase the vision of a hairy chest and a shock of brown hair.
    Controlling her fear, she opened her mouth to scream and then shut it hastily. She considered her choices. If she screamed, someone would come running. Picturing the turmoil that would cause made her blanch with fear. She had been through one miserable scandal in her life and once was enough. She opened one eye for a peek and then shut it quickly. Only the edge of a sheet, vividly white against his skin, had kept her from her first look at an unclothed adult male. Still breathing irregularly, she opened her eyes again, telling herself she needed more information before she could decide what to do. Just then, the man, chilled in the cool air of the spring morning, turned again and reached for the covers.
    Elizabeth refused to give up her hold on them, clutching them even more tightly around her. Once again she closed her eyes, realizing the inevitable. She would have to wake him up. Then she heard the