Prince Charming Read Online Free PDF Page A

will them away. It would upset her grandmother if she saw her weep, and crying wouldn’t change what was happening anyway.
    â€œYou aren’t having second thoughts about your grandmother’s grand plans for you, are you, Lady Taylor? If she believed she had truly coerced you into . . .” Thomas didn’t finish voicing his concern.
    Taylor forced a smile and said, “I’m not having second thoughts. You should know by now that I would go to any length to please my grandmother. She wants all the loose ends tied up before she dies, and since I happen to be the last of her loose ends, it has become my responsibility to help her. There will be no getting around that duty, Thomas.”
    A burst of laughter came from the salon. The sound jarred Taylor. She turned toward the noise, then spotted two strangers garbed in black attire lounging in the back of the hallway adjacent to the stairs. Both men, she noticed, held champagne flutes in their hands. She suddenly realized the house was packed with guests.
    â€œWhat are all these people doing here?”
    â€œThey’re getting ready to celebrate with your uncle Malcolm and your cousin, Jane,” Thomas told her. He added a nod when Taylor looked so infuriated, then hastily added, “Your uncle invited a few friends . . .”
    Taylor wouldn’t let him finish his explanation. “The vile man doesn’t have a single redeeming quality, does he?”
    The anger in her voice inflamed his own. “It appears not, milady. Your father, God rest his soul, seems to have inherited all the good qualities, while your uncle Malcolm and his offspring . . .” Thomas paused to let out a weary sigh. He noticed that Taylor was about to pull open the salon doors and hastily shook his head. “Both Malcolm and Jane are inside, milady. If they spot you, there’s bound to be a scene. I know you want to chase everyone out, but you really don’t have the time. Your grandmother is waiting.”
    Taylor knew he was right. Her grandmother came first. She hurried back across the foyer, took hold of Thomas’s arm, and started up the steps.
    When they reached the landing, Taylor turned to the servant again. “What does the physician say about Madam’s condition? Isn’t it possible she could surprise all of us once again? She could get better, couldn’t she?”
    Thomas shook his head. “Sir Elliott believes it’s only a matter of time now,” he told her. “Lady Esther’s heart has simply worn out. Elliott’s the one who notified your uncle Malcolm, and that is why everyone has gathered here today. Your grandmother was fit to be tied when she found out, and I do believe Elliott’s ears are still ringing from the tongue-lashing she gave him. It’s a wonder his own heart didn’t quit beating then and there.”
    The picture of her grandmother berating such a giant of a man like Elliott made Taylor smile. “Madam is an amazing woman, isn’t she?”
    â€œMy, yes,” Thomas replied. “She has the ability to make grown men shiver with fear. I had to remind myself I wasn’t afraid of her.”
    â€œYou were never afraid of her,” Taylor scoffed at the notion.
    Thomas grinned. “You wouldn’t let me be afraid. Do you remember? You told me all about Madam’s bluster while you were dragging me home with you.”
    Taylor nodded. “I remember. Madam didn’t raise her voice when she berated Elliott, did she?”
    â€œGood heavens, no,” Thomas replied. “She’s a lady, first and always,” he boasted. “Elliott flinched as though she were shouting. You should have seen his expression when she threatened not to leave him any money for his new laboratory.”
    Taylor started down the long corridor with Thomas at her side. “Is Sir Elliott with Madam now?”
    â€œNo. He stayed the night through and only just left to get a