Sweet Revenge Read Online Free PDF Page B

men who sought to use the royal connection for—
    Snick. The paneling sprung open, revealing two hidden compartments.
    The first one held a sheaf of folded letters tied with a length of red velvet. Billet-doux , by the look of them. Arianna thumbed through them, pausing over several from the same gentleman. After a slight hesitation, she slipped one of them into her sleeve before retying the ribbon and returning all the others to their original position.
    The second one contained an assortment of keys. Buried amid the jumble of wrought iron and silvery steel was a small drawstring pouch made of tan chamois. Inside were a handful of identical reddish gold medallions engraved with an image and several lines of ornate script. Arianna tucked one in her pocket before returning the rest to the little bag.
    Intrigued by what she had found so far, Arianna spent a moment longer exploring the depths of the hidden compartment. Sure enough, there was something else there—her fingers brushed over a slim pasteboard folder wedged against the grained wood. She fished it out and found it contained a sheaf of papers covered with mathematical equations. The top sheets appeared yellowed with age, while the ones beneath them seemed—
    Suddenly aware of the rustle of heavy silk in the corridor, Arianna hesitated, but curiosity won out over caution. No doubt it would prove useless, but the idea that Lady Spencer had a hidden interest in something besides men was too tantalizing to ignore.
    Stuffing the folder beneath her stomach padding, she quickly tidied up the telltale signs of her snooping, then spun away and took up a position by the marble mantelpiece.
    “Why, Monsieur Alphonse, what a surprise to see you in the light of day!” Lady Spencer paused in the doorway to smooth out her skirts. “Like a mushroom, you seem to favor dark places.”
    “Alors,” replied Arianna, casually replacing the Sevres snuffbox that she had been examining. “Seeing as our little world has been turned topsy-turvy, I thought I had better come up and fetch the week’s menus. You have not yet sent me your list—or have you lost your appetite for my cooking?”
    Lady Spencer smiled, showing off a set of dimples. Arianna could understand the widow’s appeal to the pleasure-loving Prince Regent. Everything about her had an earthy lushness, from her bulging bosom and rounded hips to her throaty purr, which oozed sensuality. As she moved closer, the air thickened with the honeyed scent of lilacs.
    “No, monsieur. I vow, I cannot imagine life without your gateaux aux chocolat .” Fanning her cheeks, she gave Arianna a wink. “Are you sure I can’t seduce the recipe out of you?”
    For a moment, Arianna wondered how Lady Spencer would react if she were allowed to uncover the shocking truth . . . and then promptly decided that the Prince’s mistress might not be as horrified as she should be.
    “Quite sure, madame ,” growled Arianna, retreating a step at the unwelcome thought of being invited to make up a royal ménage à trois.
    “What a pity. I adore plump men.”
    “Not when they haven’t a feather to fly with, madame. ” Arianna folded her arms across her goose-down stomach. “I couldn’t afford you.” In more ways than one.
    “True,” agreed Lady Spencer, a note of regret shading her voice. “But you have a rather . . . unique charm.”
    Choking back the insane urge to laugh, Arianna dipped into a formal bow. “The supper menu, madame ?”
    “Ah, yes. Supper.” Lady Spencer licked her lower lip. “Something simple, Monsieur Alphonse. After all you have been through lately, I don’t want to put you through any further trouble.”
     
    The carriage wheels spun through a sharp turn, the iron rims jolting over the cobblestones as the driver urged the team to a quicker pace. Saybrook and his escort had exchanged few words since the earl had agreed that a visit to Lady Spencer’s town house should be the first order of business. However, the