The Love Match (Entangled Scandalous) Read Online Free PDF Page B

distract Lady Sarah from her target.
    “I’ve heard enough about Miss Middleton,” he said. “I’d prefer to talk about you.”
    …
    Olivia glanced up and then back down, perturbed. Mr. Cross and Lady Sarah were whispering about something. She could only guess what. But Lady Sarah smiled at the man next to her as if he were the only person in the world who mattered. And her fan wouldn’t stop moving. She kept fluttering it around and resting it against her cleavage like a big obscene arrow.
    Olivia couldn’t tell from this angle if Mr. Cross’s eyes followed the motion of the fan or not.
    It wasn’t of consequence. He could look at any woman’s bosom if he desired. But really, it was a bit tasteless to do so while they listened to Miss Ashworth play, wasn’t it?
    She sniffed and bent her head even lower, trying to shut them out.
    A few minutes later she was forced to look up because her book was ripped from her hands. The music had stopped, and the other guests had risen from their chairs and were now broken off into little chatting clusters.
    “Stop this at once!” her mother said, the vein on her forehead twitching. “You are wasting a perfectly good opportunity.”
    Olivia sighed and stood up. She started, with reluctant footsteps, toward the group containing Mr. Cross, Lord Ashworth, and, unfortunately, Lady Sarah. The woman was never too far from either of them.
    “And speak to Lord Ashworth,” her mother whispered loudly behind her. Her mother had never seemed to grasp the point of whispering. “Not the other one.”
    Olivia halted awkwardly just outside of the small circle, directly behind Lord Ashworth. No one noticed her sudden appearance. She glanced back at her mother, who was glaring and twitching.
    She sighed again, and was about ready to clear her throat or utter some banality like, “Hello, everyone,” so they might break apart and include her, when Mr. Cross glanced in her direction.
    He must have heard the sigh. His eyes fell on her lips first, before darkening and lifting. Warmth flooded her as she remembered their kiss.
    “Miss Middleton,” he greeted.
    Lord Ashworth’s head swiveled as he tried to find her. She stepped out from behind him, resisting the urge to lift her hands and say, “Here I am!”
    “Ah, there you are,” he said with a smile. “We were just discussing going for a ride. I recall you enjoy riding?”
    “Oh… Yes… I did say that.”
    Mr. Cross glanced at her, his mouth curving. She knew exactly what he was thinking. He was rather insufferable. She didn’t know why she’d let him kiss her.
    Except, she’d thoroughly enjoyed herself and would probably let him do it again.
    But then she looked between him and Lady Sarah. Did he bestow his kisses as indiscriminately as he flirted? If that was the case, she didn’t want to be just one woman in a long line, indistinguishable from the one before and the one after.
    “Will you come with us?” Lord Ashworth asked.
    She didn’t like horses. Not at all.
    She glanced back at her mother, who hadn’t yet been distracted by gossip. She still held Olivia under a fierce hawk-like glare.
    “I’d be delighted.”
    …
    It was unnatural to sit on a beast that could crush its rider like a fly if it decided to roll over. Olivia had always thought this, since the first time she’d been forced through riding lessons at the tender age of seven. Her initial fear of the creatures had only decreased slightly in the last twelve years.
    So, it was with great trepidation that she stood on the mounting block and allowed Lord Ashworth to assist her onto a gray mare.
    The mare shifted a bit, and Olivia squeaked, holding on tight to the pommel.
    He peered at her with concern. “What is wrong?”
    “Nothing,” she said shrilly. “I’m well.”
    He frowned and bent to adjust the stirrups while she smoothed out the skirt of her dark green riding habit, taking care not to flash her ankles.
    Mr. Cross looked over while he assisted