To Marry an Heiress Read Online Free PDF

give him a chance.”
    Her father’s grin shifted the wrinkles in his face and made him appear much younger. “You won’t regret it. Now get ready for this ball. I have a feeling he’ll introduce himself tonight.”
    She cast a speculative glance at the gown her father had purchased for her. If Devon Sheridan approached her while she wore it, she’d know he was a desperate man. A desperate man indeed.

Chapter 3
    A s Georgina stood beside Lauren in a corner of the ballroom, she couldn’t help but be overwhelmed by the extravagance—the glittering world of crystal chandeliers, marble floors, and mirrored walls. Dozens of large flower arrangements made the air nauseatingly sweet. Although the area reserved for dancing was open, the perimeter was crowded with small tables, chairs, plants, and statuettes.
    Georgina always felt as though the walls were closing in on her. At times she found it increasingly difficult to breathe. Even when she walked through the city, she was bothered by the hordes of people. Her only respite came in the wee hours of the morning, when she went riding.
    She couldn’t possibly contemplate marrying and remaining here. If only something grander than loneliness awaited her in Texas.
    “Stop twirling your fan,” Lauren whispered harshly.
    Georgina stilled, grateful for the distraction. “You told me to hold it in my left hand to signify I was interested in making someone’s acquaintance. That’s what I’m doing.”
    “No, you’re twirling it in your left hand, which is a signal you love someone.”
    And she certainly didn’t love anyone. Had never loved anyone beyond her family and Lauren. She’d longed for a gentleman to love her. To look upon her as so many of these young men did Lauren.
    Would Devon Sheridan gaze upon her with appreciation? She contemplated what she might have done to garner his attention. Nothing of significance came to mind. In truth she could not help but feel that her father had taken some action.
    And yet would a match based on mutual needs be such a terrible thing?
    She was twenty-six years old, and love continued to elude her. And although she had not come to London searching for a husband, she couldn’t help but speculate on what it might be like to be truly accepted into this circle. To have a husband and in time children.
    She desperately wanted to give her children roots deeply embedded in familial history. What better place for that than England?
    But her heart belonged to Texas. Her father wasn’t only asking her to consider marrying a man she didn’t know, but he was asking her to give up her dream of returning home to live.
    Georgina glanced around, wondering if Devon Sheridan had arrived. She hoped her father was wrong, that the man wouldn’t approach her here. She didn’t know all the rules and subtle nuances. Memorizing them wasn’t the same as applying them.
    “You’re twirling the fan again,” Lauren said in a whisper.
    “I can’t help it. I hate just standing here, waiting. Maybe I should go home.”
    “Don’t be silly. I’m trying to decide who would find you the most interesting, so I can introduce him to you.”
    She hadn’t shared with Lauren her father’s amazing afternoon revelation. Lauren would only encourage her to accept the man’s suit. It didn’t matter that they had not one thing in common—not their heritage, not their language, not their values. It was an odd notion: that a country born of another could have rebelled to such a degree it hardly resembled its mother any longer. But Georgina assumed that result was the natural evolution of a child. To seek its own path, its own destiny. To be forever different.
    Besides, Sheridan might not show, and she didn’t want to appear the fool for halfway wishing he would.
    “Of course, we’d have more success at finding you a suitor if you’d worn something”—Lauren’s gaze roamed Georgina’s length—“other than that ghastly gown your father purchased.”
    “It