Royal Revels Read Online Free PDF Page B

looked at him, her dark, doe eyes filled with worry. “No, it is not enough,” she said simply. “I must sound like a dreadful shrew. I wouldn’t insist if... I can get more elsewhere, you know,” she said with that frightened look still in her eyes as though fearful of his reaction. But he just sat, looking. “That is my message, my final decision,” she said and arose, glancing at the door.
    “Wait!” Belami called, jumping up and taking a step toward her. “Lady Gilham, do you really want the disgrace and degradation of having those intimate letters published for the world to snicker over? You won’t remain untarnished yourself.’’
    “I am already thoroughly tarnished, milord. Your royal friend has seen to that,” she said, quick anger flashing across her lovely face. “As he has seen fit to boast of his conquest of me, I might as well have some recompense for it. I am ruined for any chance of a respectable marriage. I must have something to live on.”
    “I assure you the conquest is not spoken of abroad,” he told her.
    “If he can sprinkle titles and sinecures on his other mistresses, he can give me a paltry five thousand pounds. It is reasonable, considering his alternative,” she said with a toss of her head. Anger had washed away that air of the shy, young girl. What Belami was looking at now was a very determined woman.
    “You refer to the publication of the letters,” he said, his interest piqued at her sudden change of mode.
    “That will do—for a start,” she said.
    While he stood looking, the anger faded and tears welled up in her eyes to splash down her cheeks. She was back to being a frightened little girl, and he felt an urge to gather her up in his arms and comfort her.
    “Perhaps if you could let me see the letters,”       he said, as something had to be said. Negotiations must not be severed entirely.
    “We can’t talk now. Not with her listening at the keyhole,” she said in a low voice, tossing her head toward the door through which Mrs. Morton had recently departed.
    Belami felt that he had at least ingratiated himself with Lady Gilham. Earlier, she had wanted the chaperone to remain in the room. It was an easy leap to suspect the chaperone was behind the exorbitant sum asked.
    “When then?”
    “She goes to visit a friend at Devil’s Dyke tomorrow. Can you return then? I shall be quite alone.”
    “At what hour?” he asked eagerly.
    “She leaves at ten. I shall be home all day alone. Do come early. I must get this settled. It’s driving me to distraction.” She shook her head and dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief.
    “I’ll come at ten-thirty,” he promised.
    She nodded her agreement with a little sniff to stop her tears. “What—what did he say when he sent you on this mission?” she asked hesitantly.
    After a brief, thoughtful pause, Belami saw no reason to encourage her hopes. “He said he hoped to avoid scandal and was willing to pay the sum I mentioned for the letters. That’s all.”
    The forlorn expression hardened into bitterness. “That’s all I was to him, just a possibility of future scandal. He is a wicked man, your friend. Wicked, treacherous, deceitful—like all men,” she finished with a disillusioned look.
    Such beautiful youth as he beheld ought not to be disillusioned, he thought sadly.
    “I don’t suppose it’s easy being a prince,’’ Belami said, hoping to assuage her anger.
    “He should try being a pauper!”
    “He’s surrounded by sycophants. It’s enough to make a saint a cynic. We’ll discuss it tomorrow.”
    “Very well, but unless you are prepared to raise the price, there is nothing to discuss. Good evening, milord.”
    She turned her back on him and walked away, not out the door, but farther into the room, leaving him to show himself out. There was a scurrying sound in the hallway, leading him to believe their discussion had indeed been listened to. Tomorrow they would have a chance for a better,