Tananguard 02 - To Love a Lord Read Online Free PDF Page A

lost.
    “Now you must explain . Do you truly fight for pleasure?” Lady Cunningham demanded. She sidled up to Connor and eyed him with concern, but beneath it, Connor could see something else in her eyes as well. The vulture was back.
    “I have been in a few brawls. Nothing more,” he understated , stepping casually to his left to distance himself from Rebecca. Quickly, he turned his attention back to Sophia and changed the subject. “Tell me, Miss Murrieta—or is it Mrs.?”
    She flushed. “No, it is simply Miss.”
    He nodded, and within, his mind’s eye smiled. She was not married. “How do you know my cousin?”
    Sarah jumped in. “Her mother was my pianoforte instructor. Jo—” She shook her head, flushing slightly and giving Sophia an apologetic look. “Sophia often accompanied her for our lessons.”
    Rebecca snorted in response. “Honestly Sarah, why are you lying? You knew our dear Sophia long before her mother was giving instruction,” she said, emphasizing Sophia’s name with derision.
    Sarah paled, but she responded without hesitation. “Yes, but it wasn’t until I began receiving those instructions that S-Sophia and I became friends.”
    “Of course. It wouldn’t be acceptable to befriend a servant girl after all. ”
    “Servant girl?” someone asked.
    “Yes, our pianist scrubbed floors for my mother when we were younger. Isn’t that so?” Rebecca asked.
    “It is, but that life is far behind me,” Sophia answered. “And I believe it is due to those years of working for your family that my mother was discovered for her talents in teaching the pianoforte.”
    “Indeed,” Rebecca said. She eyed Sophia with disdain.
    “Yes, we must be grateful for the discovery,” Sarah said nervously. “ It has given us such pleasure in music this day. Doesn’t our Sophia play beautifully?”
    “Indeed,” Connor agreed. “ She has very lovely hands.”
    Sarah gasped. “Connor, why would you say that?”
    “Sarah, I don’t think he’s speaking of my—”
    “Why shouldn’t I? It’s quite true,” he stated simply. “They’re beautiful.”
    Rebecca Cunningham chuckled deviously. “Mr. Tananguard, you mustn’t tease a woman about her flaws.”
    He stared at her in confusion, not understanding what she could possibly be speaking of. How was he teasing Sophia? He glanced her direction. She was quite pale suddenly. She was looking down at her hands, and Connor finally understood what the fuss was about. There were scars covering the backs of Sophia’s delicate hands.
    Connor’s heart sank. How had he missed the scars? They were quite obvious when one looked, yet all he had seen was beauty and grace. But those hands which had enthralled and captured his heart had once been horribly burned and were very noticeably scarred.
    Connor reached for one instinctively as Sophia tried to tuck them behind her back. She glanced at the pianoforte in search of the white gloves she had so carelessly left there earlier. She turned back, looking as if she wished to say something that would excuse her when she saw him reaching for her. Her eyes furrowed, and she stepped backward.
    He stared at her in earnest. “I was not teasing,” he said most seriously. The entire room was silent.
    Sarah was looking at Connor as if he had grown horns. “Then why would you say something like that to her when it is obvious—”
    Sophia tried to speak. “No, please Sarah. I simply wish to ignore—”
    “Because it wasn’t obvious to me. I was sincere in my words.” He took a cautious step toward Sophia.
    She eyed him warily.
    “ Please, Miss Murrieta, you must believe me. I did not see any flaws when I said those words. I still do not see flaws. I see grace and beauty in your hands that can produce such fine music. Nothing more.”
    Lady Cunningham laughed. “ Nothing more? You are a terrible liar, Mr. Tananguard. There’s no need to apologize to her. After all, she is nothing but a commoner, a maid who scrubs