The Runaway Heiress Read Online Free PDF Page B

the
highly eligible Marquis of Aldeborough, but since when had he cared about gossip?
    Besides,
as his mother took every opportunity to remind him, perhaps it was time that he
took a wife. As he knew only too well, life was cheap—he owed it to his family
to secure the succession. If Richard had lived... He deliberately turned away
from that line of thought. It did no good to dwell on it.
    But
far more importantly, he could not in honour abandon this innocent girl to the
consequences of her ill-judged flight. He frowned at her, his expression
severe. It was all very well for her to shrug off the social repercussions, but
a young girl could be damaged beyond remedy by the cruel and malicious tongues
of the ton. It was in his power to save her
from social disaster, and duty dictated that he should. It was really as simple
as that. Her vulnerability as she sat silently in his library, refusing his
offer of marriage, contemplating the prospect of a bleak future alone, touched
his heart and his conscience. He had made his decision and he would do all in
his power to carry it out. But he feared that to convince the lady in question
of the necessity of this marriage would prove a difficult task.
    'I
do not accept your argument.' He finally broke the silence, his voice clipped,
his tone encouraging no further discussion. 'You have not thought of the
implications and in my experience they could be, shall we say, distressing for
you. But I have a meeting with my agent that I must go to—I have already kept
him waiting. We will continue this conversation later, Miss Hanwell. Meanwhile,
my servants will look after your every need. You have only to ask.' He lifted a
hand to touch her cheek where the dark bruise bloomed against her pale skin,
aware of a sudden urge to soothe, to comfort, to smooth away the pain. He drew
back as she flinched and wished that she had not.
    'No further discussion is
necessary, I assure you, sir. I would not wish to keep you from your agent.'
She tried for a smile without much success, hoping that her pleasure from his
touch did not show itself on her face.
    'You are very obstinate,
Miss Hanwell. How can you make any plans when you have nothing but the clothes
you stand up in?'
    She could find no answer
to this depressingly accurate statement, and merely shook her head.
    'I must go.' Aldeborough
possessed himself of her hand and raised it to his unsmiling lips. He left the
library in a sombre mood. He did not expect gratitude from her, of course—after
all, he had to admit, apparently, that he had some role in the disaster—but he
did expect some cooperation. His sense of honour demanded that he put right
the desperate situation that he had so unwittingly helped to create.

Chapter Three
     
    'Lady Torrington has
called, ma'am. I have explained to her that his lordship is unavailable, but
she has insisted on seeing you. I have shown her into the drawing room.'
Rivers, Aldeborough's butler, bowed, his face expressing fatherly concern. 'Do
you wish to see her, ma'am?'
    Frances felt her blood run
cold in her veins and a familiar sense of panic fluttered in her stomach. Since
Aldeborough's departure to keep his appointment with Kington she had enjoyed a
number of solitary hours in which to contemplate her present situation. It had
made depressing contemplation. Mrs Scott had provided her with a light
luncheon, which she had no appetite to eat, and she was now taking advantage of
his lordship's extensive library. Her education might have been limited, but
she had been free to make use of her uncle's otherwise unused collection of
books and normally Aldeborough's possessions would have been a delight. But
not even, a magnificently illustrated tome on plants and garden design, which
should in other circumstances have enthralled her, had the power to deflect her
mind from the present disaster.
    'Will you see Lady
Torrington, miss?' Rivers repeated and Frances hesitated.
    'Yes. Of course,' she
stammered. On one thing