The Scoundrel's Secret Siren Read Online Free PDF Page A

direction of the study.
    “Very well then,” he sighed, “best to get it over with quickly. I shall see Honoria in the parlour. You had best send for some cake and tea, while you’re at it, Watts. She’ll be wanting refreshment after the trouble she took in driving all the way over here.” The irony was implicit in the sardonic smile that curled the corners of his mouth, but he set off to face his fate with as much good grace as he could manage.
    The door to the family parlour was ajar.
    “Honoria,” he greeted, entering the room. The woman wore a lavender gown created by the finest modiste in Paris. It put one in mind of confectionery. She rose unceremoniously and kissed her brother on the cheek – a gesture of excessive sensibility which he would only ever bear in private. Then she stepped back and sorrowfully took in his lack of a coat – she had always disapproved of the fact that her brother made not the least effort for her visits.
    “Alastair! I am most excessively glad to see that you are well. Given the infrequency of your letters, one is never quite sure.” The chastisement in her blue eyes when she met his gaze squarely was hard to ignore, but he did so regardless. They took their seats, she on a pretty sofa that had been picked out by their mother years ago, and he in a comfortable wingback.
    “I have an aversion to such absurdities as writing my sister every detail of my day, Honoria. And how is Bassincourt?”
    “As well as can be. He is dreading the garden party , of course, but there is no way around it. It is to introduce Julia into Society and, as her father, he must be present. As must her uncle Winbourne.” Another meaning glance was directed at him with those words.
    “Ah. Now we get to the heart of the matter. You wish me to add consequence to your party, no doubt?” “I wish you to be polite and to dance. There will be many lovely young ladies present, you know. It is an important moment for Julia and she would have you there. Why, Eloise is coming from the country.”
    Eloise, his younger sister, had been married the previous year and had only just returned from the Continent with her husband, Geoffrey, the Earl of Gilmont. Gilmont was a far more pleasant brother-in-law than Bassincourt, who was widely considered one of the dullest bores on the ton .
    Winbourne enjoyed the company of Eloise and Geoffrey enough that he thought he might just about bear Honoria’s party. Besides, he supposed his sister’s garden party was as good a place as any other to begin his half-hearted search for a suitably biddable woman to be his countess. He was getting rather tired of Honoria’s badgering on the subject.
    “I have ordered C ook to make your favourite vanilla mille-feulles .”
    “Oh, very well, then. You have convinced me, sister.” He made sure to sound appropriately bored.
    At that moment, Watts appeared, with a footman in tow, to provide Honoria with tea and fancies.
    “Ah, good!” she exclaimed. “I am quite famished. You always do know exactly when to send for tea, brother.”
    When they were quite alone and Honoria was happily partaking of the cherry cake, she ventured to broach her favourite subject.
    “You know, I have invited Miss Dunn. And Lady Eleanor Smythe. They are both expected to do famously in the Season.”
    “I expect that is your way of telling me that they are great beauties worthy of a coronet. But I know that when she laughs, Miss Dunn develops a slight squint and Lady Eleanor Smythe has little interest in anything beyond her spaniels.” He said the last partly to annoy Honoria. He had no intention of telling her that he meant to pick any suitably meek creature who did not irritate him overmuch and whose appearance was passably tolerable.
    “Nonsense! Miss Hartley does not have a squint! And Lady Eleanor is a very sporting young lady to enjoy the hunt as she does. You’re being beastly again, Alastair.”
    “Am I ? I am certain I was only making an