To Seduce a Bride Read Online Free PDF Page B

Heath had never patronized Fanny, although he’d seen her at various entertainments they both attended.
    The raven-haired, lush-figured Fanny was witty, beautiful, stimulating, and perceptive, and reportedly expert at satisfying her lovers in bed. In short, the ideal mistress.
    At the moment, however, there was no sign of her usual sultry affability. Instead, she was surveying him with grave concern.
    â€œI saw you follow Lily from the ballroom, my lord. You cannot deny it.”
    His brows drew together as he contemplated what he should say in answer. “Very well, I won’t deny it, Miss Irwin. But is that a crime?”
    â€œIt would be if you seduced her.”
    Heath felt his gaze sharpen defensively. “My encounter with Miss Loring is a private affair, but you may be assured, I did not seduce her.”
    â€œNo?” Fanny said acerbically. “It is obvious that you have been employing your usual seductive methods on
someone.
Your hair is tousled and flaked with straw, as if you’ve just been enjoying a roll in the hay with a farm milkmaid.”
    She reached up to pluck at a stray wisp from his hair. “Ordinarily I wouldn’t dream of interfering with your conquests, Lord Claybourne, but I am Lily’s friend, and I cannot sit idly by while you exploit her for your sport.”
    Heath took a slow breath, controlling his impatience. “I admire your concern for your friend, Miss Irwin, but you have nothing to worry about from me.”
    â€œHow can I possibly trust your assurances?”
    It rankled that she would question his word, yet realizing that Fanny was genuinely troubled, Heath decided to make allowances.
    â€œWhat would you say if I told you I had just promised Danvers to keep an eye on Miss Loring while he was away on his wedding trip for the next month?”
    That much was certainly true, Heath thought. A short while ago, when he and Drew had said farewell to Marcus and reluctantly drunk a toast to the demise of his bachelorhood, Marcus had coerced them into agreeing to look after the two younger sisters while he was gone.
    But Fanny did not seem reassured. “
This
is how you keep an eye on her?” she responded, her tone a bit caustic. “Trysting with Lily in a stable?”
    â€œWe weren’t seen together, if it is any consolation.”
    â€œBut someone could have discovered you. With your reputation, just being alone with Lily could give rise to gossip. Given their family history, she is more vulnerable than the usual lady of quality. She and her sisters are finally moving beyond the past scandals now that Lord Danvers has made such a concerted effort to reinstate them into society. But you could so easily ruin her.”
    â€œI certainly don’t intend to ruin her.”
    â€œThen what
are
your intentions toward Lily, my lord?”
    It was an impertinent question at the very least. And Heath didn’t have an immediate answer, since he wasn’t certain himself what his intentions were toward Lily. Before tonight, he would have said
none,
but after kissing her, holding her…
    Admit it, man, you don’t want to give her up.
The thought came unbidden and made Heath frown.
    When he remained silent, his gaze arrested as he distantly regarded the bank of palms, Fanny continued in a softer, more pleading tone. “You cannot seduce her, my lord. There would be no hope for her then. If you were to compromise her, her only recourse from disgrace would be marriage. And I know Lily quite well. She would never agree to marry you—or anyone else, for that matter.”
    Slowly he glanced back at Fanny. “What if I said my intentions were entirely honorable?”
    Fanny looked startled at that. “Honorable?
You
? You are the worst heartbreaker in England, Lord Claybourne. You aren’t the least interested in matrimony…
are
you?”
    At her obvious shock, Heath’s mouth twisted with wry humor. It was true