Undressed by the Earl Read Online Free PDF Page B

ago, but no one had paid any attention to the young woman. It seemed that she was still unmarried, and now that her brother was locked away, her options were running out.
    “Surely your parents left you some funds?” Amelia questioned.
    “They did, but my cousin has cut off a great deal of my pin money. It won’t pay for another Season.” She shuddered. “And I cannot live in his household.”
    Amelia caught a hint of disgust from the young woman. She didn’t ask her to elaborate, but inquired, “Were you hoping to sew for money?” Though it wasn’t appropriate for an earl’s daughter, perhaps there was a way the young woman could do some work for the modiste, so long as it was in private with no one to see.
    “No, I’m terrible at sewing,” Lady Sarah admitted. “I thought if I spoke with you here, you might understand my circumstances. I have to find a way out—someone to marry or someone who will take me far away from here. I…don’t have much time.” Her gaze dropped downward, and it was clear that this woman was at the end of her options. “I’m pleading with you for help.”
    Margaret arrived and stood beside Amelia, holding an umbrella over her head to shield her from the rain. “Amelia, it’s time for us to return.”
    She hesitated. If her family knew she was considering helping Lady Sarah, they would be livid. But neither did she want to step aside and look away when another woman needed help. If she was willing to work, to overcome her brother’s sins, then it was only right to give her a chance.
    “Come and have tea with me this afternoon,” she said. “We can talk, at least.”
    Her sister looked appalled, but Amelia held her ground. “Wasn’t it you who believed a lady should be charitable to those in need?” Without waiting for an answer, she returned inside the shop.

    David stared at the list of seven women. Amelia had written the names of several respectable girls—Margaret among them. It didn’t surprise him that she wanted to set him up with her sister. They weren’t that far apart in age.
    Margaret was polite enough, but he strongly doubted if she would consider a man like him. In the past, she’d tended to avoid him, choosing men who were younger and more conversational. Which was understandable, given his lack of interest in socializing.
    He crossed off two others from the list because they had dark hair like his wife. Perhaps that was foolish, but he didn’t want another reminder of Katherine. He wanted someone as opposite from her as a rain cloud to a rainbow. Someone quiet and calm, who would teach an eleven-year-old girl how to become a respectable, well-behaved young woman.
    Christine had begun asking questions he had no desire to answer. Questions that made him distinctly uncomfortable. He didn’t doubt that a woman like Amelia Andrews would answer every question his daughter posed, likely telling her far more than Christine needed to know. The idea made him wince, as did the thought of his daughter growing up. Thankfully, he wasn’t going to wed Amelia. But it did make him think of her earlier proposition, when she’d asked him to put in a good word with the viscount. He had no intention of trying to bring the pair of them together.
    David pulled out a piece of paper and began composing his own list. Instead of writing seven names, he divided the paper in half and wrote Inappropriate Men and Appropriate Men . He might as well be honest with Miss Andrews.
    He wrote Lord Lisford’s name beneath Inappropriate Men and beside it: a rake and a wastrel . Beneath him, he listed the names of several fortune hunters. Last, he wrote his own name upon the Inappropriate Men list. Beside it, he wrote: too old for you . He was three-and-thirty now. Although there were marriages between old men and young ladies, the true reason was that he’d known Amelia since she was sixteen. It made him feel like a satyr to be intrigued by such a young, fresh-faced girl.
    When David