The Rake's Redemption Read Online Free PDF Page A

You were asleep for several hours, you know. I allow them to call me Sophia. And they have asked me to call them Freddie and Dominic … you know, Juliana,” her aunt stood, chewing on her lower lip, a habit she had whenever her memory failed her. “Dominic reminds me of someone. Something in the way he speaks or moves. And his name … I’m sure it has a familiar ring to it.” A frown marred her pleasant countenance. “I have this dreadful feeling that it is extremely important for me to remember where I have heard of him.”
    The next morning Sophia was still trying to recall why Dominic seemed so familiar. Juliana was tempted to tell her that the marquis was not the kind of man who could be easily forgotten, but decided not to feed her aunt’s interest. To tell the truth, she could not share Sophia’s excitement that their two rescuers were still in attendance. She was not a fanciful young woman; indeed, her father had often told her she was alarmingly pragmatic, but she found the marquis … unsettling. Which was why she felt shy at the breakfast hour, even though she had pinched her cheeks so that they had a tinge of color and had skillfully pulled an auburn curl forward to hide both her lump and bruise. She found the marquis and Lord Liscombe in the small private parlor with her aunt, who had preceded her by a few minutes, when Juliana felt the need to spend a bit more time on her toilette.
    “We have been waiting for you, love.” Both gentlemen rose to their feet as Sophia gestured toward the chair nearest her.
    Lord Liscombe eyed her with undisguised appreciation, which did bring back a little of her usual confidence. “Good morning, Juliana.”
    The marquis sketched a bow and Juliana, her face feeling stiff from her forced smile, sat down next to her aunt.
    “We have just been sampling Mrs. Forbes’s marvelous tea. The woman is a genius in the kitchen,” Sophia remarked serenely.
    “I’d say so,” promptly replied Lord Liscombe. “Dominic offered her a place in charge of his kitchen in town, but she turned him down. Flat!” Crowing with laughter, Freddie’s round hazel eyes were as bright as new buttons. “Even the legendary Aubrey charm couldn’t change her mind.”
    “Indeed!” Relaxing a bit more, Juliana glanced at the marquis and found it difficult to believe any woman could refuse him when he set out to be charming.
    Dominic Crawford, Marquis of Aubrey, heir to one of England’s oldest and wealthiest dukedoms, felt his boredom lift. There was a decided sparkle of amusement in Juliana’s lovely eyes, and his interest, tickled at the first sight of her and aroused when she cuddled in his arms like a purring kitten, had been most definitely caught. He placed his cup firmly on its saucer. “Yes. She informed me that she could not allow herself to be dictated to by a demanding schoolboy.”
    “Schoolboy!” Juliana’s perfect brows rose in apparent delight to meet her glossy curls. He could still remember the fragrance of her hair, fresh, clean, and slightly perfumed when it had fallen over his chest.
    His lips twitched and his eyes watched the play of emotions across her face. “Yes. Mrs. Forbes is our innkeeper’s grandmother. Not his wife. She views all of us in much the same way she does Robbie.” Seeing Juliana’s inquiring look, he added, “Mr. Forbes. His grandmother refers to him either as Robbie or lad.”
    The marquis remarked that in many ways Mrs. Forbes was a great deal like his own grandmama. Juliana was never to discover where this interesting thought might have led, for the parlor door opened and a robust young serving girl carrying an enormous tray entered. Kidneys grilled to perfection, succulent chops, eggs plucked fresh from the henhouse that very morning, flaky, marvelous-smelling rolls, jams and jellies, and more of Mrs. Forbes’s strong, rich tea was laid out before them.
    Some time later, Sophia sighed, leaning back in her chair. “That was truly wonderful. I