To Wed a Wicked Prince Read Online Free PDF Page B

shrewdly assessing her friend across the table. “It might be diverting,” she commented casually, and returned her attention to her breakfast.
     
    It was a beautiful morning for a ride, Livia reflected as she left the house, drawing on her gloves as she stood on the top step. Her heart sank a little when she saw the horse awaiting her in the street. The livery stable had sent her the piebald gelding again. He was a dull, plodding ride at the best of times and, even with the utmost modesty, Livia knew she was a better than good horse-woman and the mount didn’t do her justice. But she couldn’t afford to keep her own horse in London, so beggars couldn’t be choosers, she told herself resolutely as she descended the steps.
    The livery stable had sent an elderly groom with the horse and he gave her a leg up into the saddle. “Where to, ma’am?”
    “Hyde Park…the Stanhope Gate,” Livia said, settling into the saddle, feeling the gelding’s broad back shift beneath her.
    The groom mounted his own cob and whistled through his teeth. Immediately both horses started forward. Livia guided her stolid mount through the thronged streets. Not even the rowdy chaos of Piccadilly disturbed the animal’s placidity. Ideal for a nervous rider, she reflected, but dull as ditch water for one who liked a mount with some spirit.
    She couldn’t help the stab of envy when she saw Lilly Devries waiting with her groom just inside the entrance to Hyde Park. Lilly’s mount was a lively gray mare with fine lines and a dainty high-stepping movement. But then, Lilly’s husband possessed a considerable fortune.
    “Good morning, Livia. Isn’t it a delicious day?” Lilly bubbled with customary enthusiasm as her friend joined her. “How was the Clarington ball last night? I was sick at not being able to go, but Hector insisted we dine with his parents…such a bore, I can’t tell you.” She turned her horse onto the tan, the broad band of sandy soil running alongside the paved coach path around the park. Her horse pranced delicately along beside the broad-backed piebald gelding.
    Livia chatted idly about the ball, surprised that for some reason she avoided all mention of the Russian. Lilly would have been all ears, as always fascinated by any tidbit of gossip. There was no reason Livia shouldn’t mention her encounter with Prince Prokov, although she wouldn’t tell anyone except Ellie and Nell about Bellingham’s involuntary swim in the fountain, and yet she found herself reluctant to say anything about it.
    “Oh, look, there’s Colonel Melton,” Lilly said suddenly, breaking into Livia’s desultory account. “In the party coming towards us.”
    Livia looked up. A party of three horsemen trotted down the tan towards them, two of them in the scarlet coats of dragoons, the other in civilian riding dress. Prince Prokov was the other. A little prickle of excitement ran up the back of her neck.
    “Good morning, ladies.” Colonel Melton called a greeting, sweeping off his plumed hat in a gallant flourish. “Well met, indeed. Lady Devries, Lady Livia. You know Lord Talgarth, of course.” He gestured to the other guardsman, who bowed with a similar flourish. “And are you acquainted with Prince Prokov?”
    “I don’t believe so,” Lilly said with a warm smile, her eyes appraising the newcomer with sharp interest. “It’s a pleasure, sir.”
    He bowed and murmured a greeting before turning to Livia. His brilliant blue gaze held her own as he said, “I had the honor of meeting Lady Livia last night…how delightful to renew our acquaintance so soon, ma’am.”
    “Indeed, sir,” Livia responded with a neutral smile. But the air had taken on that champagne fizz again and the prickles on the nape of her neck intensified. It was those damnable eyes, she thought. No one had the right to such a dazzling purity of color.
    “May we ride with you?” The colonel was turning his horse alongside Lilly even as he asked the polite