Miss Burton Unmasks a Prince Read Online Free PDF Page A

Thornshire?” Serena asked.
    Rodrigo clasped his hands behind his back. “Exactly the opposite. I intend to continue to spend time in her company, but I desire my true identity to remain concealed. For this, I will need your compliance. I cannot carry on the charade without help.”
    The duke shook his head. “This is highly irregular. Miss Burton is my guest, and I will not be part of a hoax. I do not like this deception or the idea of making sport at the expense of the young lady’s sensibilities.”
    Rodrigo lifted his hands in a gesture meant to calm. “I assure you I have no intention of damaging her feelings. I simply want to continue the friendship in the way it began.”
    He took a breath, turning toward the fireplace. He felt foolish explaining himself in this manner. He was not used to having to justify his whims to anyone. Placing his hands upon the mantel, he gazed at the fire as he spoke. “I have not enjoyed myself so much since coming to England as I did having a simple conversation this morning. If I told Miss Burton that I had misled her earlier, I’m afraid any chance of our acquaintance following the same path would be ruined. We would be relegated back to our social roles.” He felt vulnerable, exposing himself thus, but it was essential to have his sister’s and the duke’s compliance.
    He could only imagine the wordless conversation—raised eyebrows and hand gestures—his sister and her husband were carrying on behind his back.
    “It is quite probably the only opportunity I will ever have to know someone in this fashion, and I understand it is highly unusual to wish for such a thing.” He continued to plead his case as he watched the flames licking over the logs. Inside he squirmed at the idea of having to explain himself. He was used to being obeyed without question. “But as the entire household and Miss Burton will leave for the London Season in two weeks, the deception will necessarily come to an end.” The room was silent for a moment before Rodrigo turned around to face the others.
    Serena was looking at her husband with a small smile. She lifted her shoulders in a shrug.
    The duke’s arms were folded across his chest, his brows pulled together. He turned to face Rodrigo. “I will insist that Miss Burton does not feel as though she has been made a fool of, and you must reveal yourself before she leaves for London. Or I will do it for you.”
    Rodrigo frowned. He did not like the idea of telling Meg she had been deceived. However, his concern was slightly remedied with the expectation that if he were to allow her to get to know him, to trust him, she would inevitably understand why he had misled her. Although he didn’t want to reveal himself, he understood why the duke was insisting upon it. There was every possibility that she could find out the truth at the masque, and of course Rodrigo would never want to hurt her. But in the meantime, Rodrigo would have two weeks of friendship, and exposing the truth was a small price to pay to spend time with the young lady until then.
    “I agree completely to your terms,” Rodrigo said finally. He was surprised by how important this was to him. “I have already promised Serena that I will attend the masque the day before you and your guests leave for London. A fitting place to reveal myself, do you not agree?”
    “But what do you intend to do about the other guests?” Serena said. “The Poulters know you already, and you cannot mean to avoid Colonel Stackhouse. Not when he’s traveling all this way from the military hospital in Chelsea to spend time recovering in our company.”
    “We shall have to be creative, I think,” Rodrigo raised his brows.
    “It will be a delicate operation to be sure.” The duke tapped his finger against his lip. He held his hand out to Rodrigo. “But I think Miss Meg Burton—given her love of adventure—is the perfect person to inspire an escapade of this nature.”
    Rodrigo took the duke’s hand