The Devil's Web Read Online Free PDF

Madeline asked, smiling at Jason Huxtable with a flirtatiousness that she had not intended.
    â€œWe are all going,” Alexandra said. “Even Papa, if you can imagine. Of course, he does not consider concerts quite as frivolous as other forms of entertainment. James will be coming too, naturally.”
    Madeline felt rather as if a giant fist had punched her just below the waist. She felt as if she had just run hard for a mile. She had glanced across the room and almost met his eyes. She drew her head back as if to ward off a touch, though he was clear across the room from her and really had not looked at her at all.
    â€œI have just had a thought,” she said, and heard in some dismay the high pitch and volume of her voice. But she seemed unable to do anything about it. She turned to Lord North and laid a hand lightly on his sleeve. “When a gentleman offers to take me driving, I immediately visualize a curricle or a phaeton. You were not by any chance offering a closed carriage, were you, Geoffrey?”
    â€œIt could certainly be arranged,” he said, brightening.
    â€œI should not even dream of accompanying you in a closed carriage without the presence of my maid, of course,” she said gaily. “But one advantage of having been on the town forever is that one does not have to pay heed to all that faradiddle.”
    â€œOn the town forever, Lady Madeline?” Lord North said gallantly. “Why, you look not a day older than the newest young lady in town.”
    â€œGracious!” she said, tapping his arm and laughing merrily and altogether too loudly across at the colonel. “I am not at all sure I take that as a compliment, sir.”
    She was aware of Sir Cedric and Mr. Brunning in the other group smiling across at her. And she could not stop herself from smiling. She could not force herself to be quiet and let the conversation continue around her.
    She was behaving as she had always behaved in the presence of James Purnell. He had always despised her as silly and empty-headed. She had always been aware of his contempt. And yet she had always lived up to his expectations when he was in the same room. She had never been able to act naturally with him. Except perhaps on that last occasion, when she had offered herself to him and told him she loved him.
    Her cheeks burned with shame at the memory.
    She wished she could relive the last half hour, have another chance to do it right, to greet him civilly, to behave with the coolness and poise of a mature woman. Oh, she wished she could have the time back again.
    When Lord North rose in order to return home for his town carriage, all the guests took his doing so as a cue to take their own departure.
    â€œI shall look forward to seeing you again this evening,” Alexandra said, kissing her mother-in-law’s cheek.
    â€œOf course, dear,” the dowager said. “We will see you there as well, Mr. Purnell?”
    He answered her question, bowed, and extended a hand to her. Madeline turned away and took an effusive farewell of Colonel Huxtable.

    â€œI AM QUITE SURE this cannot be real. Any minute now I am going to wake up and find it is all a dream.” Jean Cameron clung to James’s arm and looked behind her at the grand carriages that were disgorging their elegant passengers and ahead to the shallow marble steps leading to the open front doors of Mrs. Denton’s house and numerous impeccably clad footmen.
    â€œBut it is real,” he said very quietly so that Alexandra and Edmund, walking behind them, and his parents walking ahead, would not hear. “And I can pinch you to prove it if you wish, though I assure you the pain is not necessary. And moreover, you look quite as pretty as any other young lady within my line of vision.”
    She had wanted to come. He had seen that in her face as soon as he had called on her at her father’s house. At the same time she had been filled with misgivings. Her