Twice the Temptation Read Online Free PDF

and then not bothering to make an appearance. If he thought she would spend the evening doing nothing but anticipating his arrival, he was sadly mistaken. Her only emotion where he was concerned happened to be relief that he’d taken himself elsewhere.
    Across the room her mother gave an encouraging nod as the viscountess sent her husband off to fetch her a refreshment. When she’d been younger, Evangeline had spent countless hours in observation and instruction, learning precisely how to go about being the mistress of the house—asking without asking, expecting without demanding, directing without ordering, and seeing very clearly who truly ruled the family.
    Using those same methods herself, she’d narrowed down the selection from her multitude of suitors—weeded out the roses from amid the nettles, as her mother said—and found the two men with the right combination of wealth, power, and potential, and ofcourse a hearty need for her guidance. Redmond or Dapney. Either would do, though contrary to her mother’s opinion she thought that with Redmond she would find a usable…desperation to be seen as charming by someone less than half his age, a need to be wanted that Dapney at one-and-twenty simply didn’t yet feel.
    As she wound up and down the line of dancers, everyone seemed to be sending admiring looks at her neck. Bad luck, indeed. She’d never felt more admired. Redmond could barely keep his gaze off her long enough to notice where he was going. If everything continued this well, she could expect a proposal from him within the fortnight. And then Lord Rawley wouldn’t dare presume that she’d enjoyed kissing him and might wish to do so again.
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    â€œExplain to me again why you need me to be here?” Connoll asked, flipping open his pocket watch for the third time. “I told you I had a previous engagement.”
    â€œI need you to be here,” his companion said, “because what I know about art wouldn’t fill a snuffbox. My grandmama is coming to visit, and she expects to see some refinement burgeoning in my soul if I ever hope to inherit. That’s what she said in her last letter, anyway. Just to frighten me into finding some culture, I think. You said you would help me, Conn. You promised.”
    â€œFor God’s sake, Francis, don’t you think it’s a bit late now to try to develop refinement? You had none the entire time we were at Oxford.” And besides, he’d threatened dancing tonight. He needed to follow through with it, or a certain forthright chit would gain even more ground on him.
    Francis Henning frowned, the expression furtherrounding his generous cheeks. “I did have refinement back then. I shared quarters with you.”
    Connoll snorted. “Then we’re both sore out of luck, my friend, because I was just today informed that I have no refinement left to my person. Apparently I drowned it in a very large snifter of brandy.”
    â€œNonsense, Rawley. I saw that stack of paintings in your hallway. You know what you’re about, even if you’re mad enough to travel to Paris for your precious art.”
    â€œKeep that between us, will you?” Connoll cautioned in a low voice. “A confirmation of my travels, whatever the reason for them, could make me very unpopular.”
    â€œI’ll be quiet as a mouse about it if you’ll help me tonight.”
    Damnation . “Very well.” He signaled for a glass of claret. The red liquid was not his preferred drink, but on the off chance that the auction ended quickly and he had time to escape to the Gaviston soiree, he would not give Gilly Munroe another opportunity to call him a drunk.
    â€œWhat about this one, then?” Henning whispered, elbowing him in the ribs.
    He shook himself. “Hogarth,” he observed, eyeing the painting as the salon’s employees set it on an easel in preparation for bidding. It was tempting