Shana Galen Read Online Free PDF Page B

with me.”
    Francesca laughed. “You’ve discovered my secret. But it won’t be long before you have little ones of your own.”
    Lucia nodded and smiled, but her stomach tightened, and she pushed her untouched plate of food away. “How is my brother-in-law this morning?” Lucia asked, hoping her sister knew something about Selbourne’s cryptic comments.
    “Arrogant. Stubborn. Perfect.” She grinned.
    Perfect, just like his wife, Lucia thought. The Marchioness of Winterbourne for the last five years, Francesca was still blissfully happy with her husband and children, and she shone with the radiance of one in love. But Lucia had never once begrudged her sister her happiness, though Francesca had always been her parents’ favorite. Francesca was so lovely, so sweet-natured, she deserved all her happiness and more.
    “You’ll never guess who I saw at the Pools’ last night,” Lucia said
    “Lord Selbourne,” Francesca replied, sitting back.
    Lucia blinked. “Yes! How did you know?”
    “He called at Grosvenor Square before he left for the Pools’. I didn’t remember that you and Lord Dandridge would also attend until it was too late. I hope he wasn’t… unpleasant . He was in a bad mood when I saw him.”
    “He’s always in a bad mood,” Lucia grumbled.
    “You’ve met him twice, Lucia,” Francesca said with a laugh. “He’s only in a foul mood nine times out of ten.”
    “Ah, seven more to go, then, as Selbourne was quite unpleasant last night. He mentioned something about a family matter being the reason for hispresence in Town but refused to explain any further.”
    Francesca raised a brow, and Lucia drummed her fingers on the table, keeping time with her tapping toes. “Naturally I thought he was referring to Lord Winterbourne and you, but he told me that wasn’t the case. Then he mentioned something about calling here this morning.” She scowled. “Selbourne was quite mysterious about the whole thing.”
    “That doesn’t surprise me,” Francesca said. “He’s not exactly a stunning conversationalist.”
    “Conversation? The man doesn’t know the meaning of the word.”
    The two sat in companionable silence for a moment. Francesca stared longingly at the sweets on the sideboard while Lucia tried to decide exactly how much to confide to her sister.
    Wondering what family emergency had brought Selbourne to Town had cost her a restless night, but that didn’t account for all the night’s tossing and turning. The memory of Selbourne’s hands on the curve of her neck, the slope of her shoulders, had its own part in keeping her awake. Each time she’d closed her eyes, she felt his touch and saw his face, those molten pewter eyes. It was enough to startle her awake, and she’d finally gotten up and paced the room, trying to work it out. Sometime before dawn, she’d ended up asleep in her chair.
    When she awoke, she’d resolved to ask Francesca about the whole situation, but now that the moment had arrived, Lucia hardly knew where to begin. “About Lord Selbourne—” she tried again.
    “Aren’t you being a bit hard on Selbourne?” Francesca asked, her voice muffled as she munched on a bite of tart pilfered from her mother’s forgotten plate.
    “No, in the carriage he—”
    Francesca swallowed the tart in a gulp. “You and Dandridge were in Selbourne’s carriage?”
    “No.” Lucia glanced down. “Dandridge wasn’t with us.” She pulled at her lip, hoping Francesca wouldn’t ask too many questions about her affianced.
    “Where was Lord Dandridge?” Francesca wrinkled her nose as if the name left a sour taste in her mouth.
    “Still at the Pools’. You see—I mean—Lord Selbourne—” Lucia took another deep breath.
    “Yes?” Francesca leaned forward, impatient. “Lord Selbourne must have offered to escort you home,” she surmised, narrowing her eyes. “ Why? What happened to Lord Dandridge? Or should I say with Lord Dandridge?”
    Lucia pulled harder at her lip,