The Game and the Governess Read Online Free PDF

of property—”
    “For a few more weeks at least.”
    Turner shot him a glare. “—and was an officer in the army.” Although he had not purchased his commission. So many officers had died during the wars and leftvacancies, available to anyone wanting to take them. Turner had gotten a non-purchase vacancy as a lieutenant, and was promoted to captain on merit in the field.
    “And these qualifications make you as snobbish as the highest lord,” Ned replied dryly. Having to limit himself to only ladies would be slightly more difficult, but . . . “Fine, I agree to your stipulation. Besides, I have found that, regardless of social standing, the fairer sex does not differ much when it comes to matters of the heart. If you confess your love, chances are they will confess it back.”
    “Oh, and that’s another stipulation,” Turner added, nudging Abandon forward, making their way up the road again. “You cannot declare your feelings. Her declaration must be spontaneous.”
    “What?” Ned cried, kicking his stubborn steed into moving, catching up to Turner. “That is ridiculous!”
    And it thoroughly destroyed Ned’s plan. He would meet a girl (although chambermaids and cooks were now out of the question, it seemed), woo her for a se’nnight, then he would declare his love. Then he would have a whole week for her to declare it back, to wear her down. And if, on the off chance he received a firm “no,” he would use that extra week to secure his interest with someone else.
    “Why is that ridiculous?” Turner countered. “You mean to prove that your good humor wins the day—not your ardent declarations.”
    “I don’t think you understand how this works. No young lady—not of good breeding, anyway, which is your stipulation—will make a declaration of love without first hearing one from her object.” Ned shook his head. “It simply isn’t done.”
    Turner seemed to consider it for a moment. “Well, then, perhaps we revise what constitutes a declaration of love.”
    Ned smiled. Finally, a rule that would work in his favor.
    “All right. What constitutes a declaration?”
    “Well, obviously, if you can get the girl to express her feelings, either written or publicly, then that will carry the day.”
    “But if she doesn’t? If she is too well bred for that?”
    “Then . . .” He thought for a moment. “If you can collect three things from a lady, it will serve as proof enough.”
    “And what are these three things?” Ned asked suspiciously.
    He ticked them off on his fingers. “A dance, in public.”
    “Easy enough.” Ned conceded.
    “Second, a token of affection. A glove, a pressed flower, or some such nonsense. Freely given, not taken without her knowledge.”
    “Turner, if these are your qualifications, I will not only have one lady in love with me within a fortnight, I will have them all,” Ned scoffed.
    “And third: an . . . intimate knowledge of the lady.”
    Ned pulled up short. “An intimate knowledge?”
    “Yes—the location of a mole on a concealed part of her body, a personal secret from her youth—something to that effect. All women have these little things.” Turner grinned like a cat of prey again—his tiger smile. “How you find out the information is up to you.”
    “Now hold on,” Ned said sternly. “You are requiring that I seduce someone. That could have longer-reaching consequences than a fortnight.”
    Turner shrugged. “Only if you cannot get her to declare her love openly. There is still that option. Besides, seduction is not a requirement—only a possible method of obtaining what you require.”
    A possible method? Hell, it was the only method Ned could think of. Suddenly, he felt as if he had no grounding anymore. He swayed in his seat, grasping hard to keep upright.
    “Have you grown uneasy?”
    “Not at all,” Ned shot back immediately. “I simply prefer to avoid doing things that cannot be undone. But if that’s what it