Promise Me Heaven Read Online Free PDF

her respect!
    With that, he rose with determination, if not grace, from his bed, all the while making plans for his new protégé.

     
    “Ah!” Thomas rose from the breakfast table with flattering alacrity upon Cat’s arrival. His gaze dropped to her gown. His “ah” trailed off.
    “Is something wrong?” Cat asked worriedly, looking down at her pale blue, sprigged frock for any undone fastenings.
    He grimaced apologetically. “We might as well begin immediately, don’t you agree? But first we must set some ground rules.”
    She nodded gingerly, the motion causing her head to throb.
    Cat had not sprung from her bed. She had crawled from it. Her pounding head failed to dim a horridly clear memory of the preceding evening’s debacle. She had called her host “massive.” She had laughed at his past conquests. And somehow, somewhere, she had been maneuvered into outlining her ridiculous plan. Worst of all, she had at some point agreed—God, had she even suggested it herself?—to a preposterous scheme whereby she became Thomas Montrose’s pupil! If her head didn’t hurt so much, she was sure she could have fathomed the reason for his readiness to fall in with her plan. It certainly couldn’t have been her charm.
    “Good,” he was saying. “First, you must promise to put yourself completely in my hands. I will not have you continually doubting my judgment, and I can assure you, with the utmost confidence, that I am remarkably knowing on the subject of seduction. Ain’t I, Bob?” he cheerfully inquired of the dour-faced footman.
    “Regular libertine,” acknowledged the footman in a sad monotone.
    “So, are we agreed?”
    “Ah, yes, sir,” Cat answered, wincing.
    His dark eyes flashed. “I realize that I am your elder and, in view of your exquisite manners, it will be hard for you to do so, but considering the proposed nature of our relationship, I think you might call me Thomas.”
    She lowered her eyes. Nodding hurt too much.
    “Good. And I shall call you Catherine.”
    “Cat.”
    “Excuse me?”
    She reddened. “My family calls me Cat.”
    “A nickname? Famous seductresses usually forswear nicknames as juvenile affectations, but seeing how your appellation has certain connotations I believe it may do very well.
Cat
.” The word on his lips became a caress, and she looked up to find him smiling at her, obviously amused.
    He waved her to a seat across from him. “Do sit down, my dear. The fish is delicious. I believe Lady Montaigne White enjoyed quite a healthy portion earlier, didn’t she, Bob?”
    “Has a taste for the heads, does her ladyship,” Bob agreed.
    Fish
. Her gorge started to rise at the very thought. The blood fled her face and she covered her lips with unsteady fingertips before taking her seat.
    “Now, as to the matter of your attire. If this is an example of your most seductive gown, I begin to suspect the cause of your lordling’s disinterest. Who the deuce is the fellow, anyway?”
    “He is the Marquis of Strand, Lord Giles Dalton.”
    The smile died on Thomas’s mobile lips. An odd silence ensued while he studied her.
    “Strang, is it?” he finally asked, chasing a piece of sauced mushroom around his plate. Cat felt a new wave of nausea. “No matter. All the young pups who are presently cluttering London drawing rooms were in leaders the last time I was there. About your gown—”
    “It is ‘Strand.’ And this is not my most seductive gown. Why would I wear my most seductive gown to breakfast?”
    “Ah,” Thomas intoned. “A seductress does not own anything other than ‘most seductive gowns.’ Do you understand?”
    “I think so.” Bob thrust a plate of oily little fish carcasses beneath her nose. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head.
    “Good. Well, immediately after breakfast go change into something you consider alluring and we’ll critique it, shall we?”
    She dared a peek. The fish were gone. She breathed a sigh of relief and looked over at