Redeeming a Rake Read Online Free PDF Page B

If
you prefer the stench of social death…you may have his company and
be damned.” Lady Sophia sneered at her brother, turned on her heel
and marched from the room with her head held high.

    Geoffrey’s heart convulsed as dark clouds
rolled off the horizon nearly suffocating the angel’s sunshine.
“Forgive me for calling on you, I…” His knees trembled with the
desire to bend and allow him from the floor to beg her to be his
friend, if only in secret, but Graysons didn’t beg. “…I’ll not
bother you again Mrs Spencer.” Geoffrey could already smell gun
powder. Bowing low, he turned away denying himself a last glance of
happiness.

    “My Lord, I’m glad you called.” Stopping,
out of the corner of his eyes he could see a feminine hand
extended. Slowly turning back he stared in disbelief from the small
hand into determined eyes.

    “Mrs Spencer…”

    “Tolerance! My friends call me Tolerance.
It’s my Christian name.”

    Geoffrey blinked unsure if he’d heard her
right or if the large amount of brandy he’d imbibed for courage was
causing him to hallucinate. “Forgive me Mrs Spencer, but did you
just give me leave to be your friend?” He sighed in relief as the
fear of rejection evaporated in the warmth of her smile.

    “I hope you’ll call again soon.”

    “Why?” His heart threatened to faint from
the shock of asking the unaskable. He didn’t want to hear that she
pitied him. He tried to cover his vulnerability with a sneering
smile. “Did you spend your childhood dreaming of being a
duchess?”

    “You’re quite safe my Lord, I have no wish
to remarry. As to why I hope you’ll be my friend; there’s just
something about you. I feel like I’ve known you forever. Does that
sound odd?”

    “No.” Looking into her smiling eyes he
wanted to tell her that he understood exactly what she meant, but
he couldn’t. She might think it was a cheap blandishment to help
him win an invitation to view her bed. He’d tell her once she was
naked in his arms. Just because she didn’t want to remarry didn’t
mean she wanted a celibate life. Her smile gave him hope that he
wouldn’t have to wait long. Geoffrey reverently took her hand and
pressed his lips to her skin for as long as he dared. “Tolerant
angel, I will endeavour to deserve the honour of your friendship.”
He briefly pressed his lips a second time to the back of her hand
and reluctantly let it go. With another formal bow he turned and
fled before the temptation to pull her close destroyed any future
happiness.

    Her front door closed behind him, the
thought of lying in her naked arms, wrapped in her sunlight made
him light-headed. The nothingness had been eroded from another
small portion of his heart. Setting his hat at an angle, he headed
back to the narrow medieval house he called home, his thoughts
haunted by his sister’s acidic words. He couldn’t help wondering
what it would be like to find his new friend’s smile on his pillow
every morning. The mental image caused another surge of
bitter-sweet pleasure. He barely resisted the temptation to run
back to the smiling woman.

    Finding an invitation waiting for him from a
woman he remembered standing near Tolerance the night before gave
him hope. The possibility of seeing his friend a second time that
day was too tempting. Most of the company would give him the cut
direct, but he didn’t care how he was received as long as they let
him in the door. “I’ll be going out this evening Howard. Have the
maids prepare another bath and impress upon the kitchen staff that
I wish to see steam rising off the water. They boil water for tea;
I dare say they can boil water for my bath.”

    “Very good Your Grace.”

    “Didn’t I move here with several boxes of
books?”

    “They’re in the attic Your Grace.”

    “Have the boxes brought to my
bedchamber.”

    “As you wish Your Grace.” Howard raised both
eyebrows as soon as his master’s back was turned. He hadn’t seen
the