Reckless Read Online Free PDF

he might not have spoken the ugly truth.

3
    N ormally the thought of a trip to the countryside would have been Charlotte’s idea of perfection. She had never been overly fond of London. It was noisy, smelly and dirty, and while the opportunities for theater and lending libraries and the company of like-minded women were stimulating, the thought of rusticating, at least for a short while, was divine.
    But divine had nothing to do with how Charlotte intended to spend her time in Sussex. The Mad Monks were meeting for their debauched revels, and she was to be a part of them.
    The trip in Lina’s well-sprung barouche had been almost too short. At Lina’s suggestion she wore a bonnet that concealed most of her face, and kept her head down. Her height likely gave her away—there were few women quite as long-limbed as she was—but she had every intention of managing a crablike scuttle to appear shorter and more subservient. It wasto be hoped that anyone who gave her a second glance would assume she was Lina’s maid, because even amid full debauchery a lady still needed her personal attendant. Meggie had been brought along as well, and had anyone asked, the answer would have been that the Countess of Whitmore required her own hair dresser. In fact no one asked. Such concerns over propriety had been absent. By the time they were settled in the distressingly normal rooms at Hensley Court they had seen no one, not even their ailing host, and Charlotte’s nervousness began to decline.
    â€œIt’s very simple, darling,” Lina said airily as they drank their afternoon tea, thoughtfully provided by Montague’s excellent staff. “The monk’s robe will cover you completely, from the top of your head down to the very tips of your toes, and you’re so tall everyone will assume you’re a man. Just try not to hunch, dearest. Throw your shoulders back but keep your head bowed. You won’t need to say a word—your vow of silence is evidenced by the brown color of your robe, and your watcher’s status is signaled by the white trim on your sleeves. You may move freely around the grounds, though on no account go near the Portal of Venus. All rules are off there, but I’ll point it out to you before I get…er…distracted. You can go anywhere else, unless a door is locked, but that’s usually signaled by a gentleman’s neckcloth attached to the outer door. As long as those remain the couple or group inside don’t wish to be disturbed.”
    â€œGroup?” Charlotte said faintly. What had started out as a lark was becoming far too real, and she wondered whether it was too late to change her mind, if she’d wanted to, that is.
    â€œSweetheart,” Lina said patiently, “that’s what an orgy is. Two people is simply sex, three or more is an orgy. But don’t worry—there are any number of members who much prefer an audience for their activities. I promise you you’re more likely to be able to observe an orgy than to be invited to participate in one.”
    â€œYou relieve my mind,” Charlotte said in a hollow voice.
    Lina surveyed her. She was dressed in a nun’s habit, albeit one made of silk and tailored to her exact dimensions. She hadn’t yet taken on the headdress, and with her curly black hair and bright eyes she looked like a very wicked young religieuse indeed.
    â€œIf you’ve changed your mind, as I’m beginning to think you should, there’s no disgrace. I can have John Coachman drive you home, with no one the wiser, or you can stay in these rooms and enjoy Montague’s impressive hospitality. He has the finest chefs. And while a few of the guests return here for respite during the revels, the majority of them stay at the abbey, which has been fully remodeled for this purpose, so you’d be unlikely to run into any of them. And one would need a boat to get to and fro, whichdiscourages people