The Marrying Season Read Online Free PDF Page A

herself to care. It felt too sweet, too carefree, to be circling the floor in his arms.
    He shook his head in mock dismay. “My lady, you wrong me . . . and after I have rescued you.”
    She smiled. “Very well. I shall say nothing else bad about you.”
    “Genevieve!” He widened his eyes. “No, think! You may do yourself harm.”
    Genevieve laughed. “It has been forever since we danced together. Was it at Alec’s wedding? No, surely that’s not right.”
    “I believe it was the Twelfth Night ball.” He gave her a rueful grin. “But you may be excused for forgetting. I believe you had other matters on your mind that night.”
    “What—oh, of course.” That had been the night Dursbury proposed. How foolish of her to have forgotten. “Where have you been since then? What have you been doing? Lady Dursbury is right; you have not been at any of the parties.”
    “I spent some time at home. I am surprised you missed me, involved as you must be in wedding plans.”
    “Indeed. But I believe Grandmother is enjoying it a great deal more than I.” Her eyes sparkled with laughter. “It is rather fun to watch her and Lady Dursbury square off about the details.”
    “My money would be on your grandmother.”
    “You would be right. Although Elora did win on the subject of the location. She is insisting it be at the cathedral in Ely.”
    “No doubt Lady Rawdon wanted it to be at Durham Cathedral.”
    “Oh, no. She wanted it in the chapel at Cleyre.”
    “And what did you prefer?”
    “I did not really care. The chapel was not large enough; Elora was right about that. I think that was partly why Grandmama wanted it, so they could exclude some of the Dursbury relatives—there are hundreds of them, it seems. Of course, I could not go against Grandmama.”
    “No, indeed.”
    “In the end, Alec told her he’d be damned if he’d have all those benighted people bothering him at Castle Cleyre. And Grandmother no longer likes to travel so far, anyway.”
    “Alec enjoys his solitary life,” Myles mused. “I was surprised to hear he and Damaris were in London.”
    “I believe Damaris wished to shop.”
    “Ah.” Myles smiled. “He is happy?”
    “Oh, yes. He and Damaris are as mawkishly in love as ever. One hardly dares step outside one’s room for fear of finding them in the hall, embracing . . . or worse.”
    “Spoken like the cynic that you are.”
    “I am not cynical!” Genevieve protested, a little stung. “I am merely . . . practical.”
    “Naturally.” His brown eyes danced with laughter, and Genevieve, looking up into his face, had to smile. “Speaking of true love, where are Gabriel and Thea? This is their party, is it not? I haven’t seen a sign of them.”
    “I have no idea where Gabriel is. But Thea and Damaris were talking about the baby—”
    “Matthew?”
    “Yes. They brought him with them. They take him with them everywhere,” Genevieve added in a tone of amazement.
    “Some people are oddly fond of their children.”
    Genevieve shot him a repressive look. “Most people leave children at home with their nurse or a governess.”
    “I believe I often traveled with my parents.”
    “Yes, and look how you turned out,” she gibed with a grin.
    “A fair hit, my lady.”
    “Thea said she was going to slip away to the nursery before Nurse put Matthew to bed, and Damaris decided to go with her, leaving me no recourse but to chat with Miss Halford and Lady Dursbury.” She frowned at the memory.
    “Not your favorite occupation, I gather.”
    “No.” Genevieve sighed. “I am a vinegary wretch, am I not? No doubt I shall eventually become one of those old crones, rapping my cane on the floor and snapping at my relatives.”
    “I should like to see that.” He chuckled. “I have an idea.”
    “What?”
    “The waltz is about to end. I suggest we nip up to join Damaris and Thea.”
    “In the nursery?”
    “Why not? I’ll warrant ’tis livelier there. I’d lay odds we’d