Waltz With a Stranger Read Online Free PDF

plots where nature had been permitted freer rein. The Wilderness Garden probably lay down one of the latter. Her guess confirmed by a passing footman, she set off down the indicated path and soon found herself in what appeared to be the very heart of spring.
    No sign of Glyndon yet, but rhododendrons and azaleas—in every shade of white, pink, and red imaginable—bloomed in splendid profusion on every side of her. Some bushes were short, reaching barely to her knee, while others towered over her head. For a moment, Amy imagined her arms full of azaleas as she drifted down the aisle toward Glyndon, then she reluctantly abandoned the fantasy. If she meant to marry in September, azaleas would be long gone by then. But roses would still be available, and orchids—even more magnificent.
    She wandered through the flowering wilderness, her mind still full of wedding plans. Gown by Worth, of course, satin trimmed with seed pearls…no, pearls were for tears and she didn’t want those on her wedding day. But Brussels lace, a train, and a veil of the finest tulle.
    What should Aurelia wear as maid of honor? Ice blue to set off her eyes, or perhaps a delicate peach to flatter her complexion. It might be Amy’s day, but she wanted her twin to shine as well. She had no patience with brides who dressed their attendants unbecomingly so they might look better by comparison. Such a petty thing to do!
    “—a paltry thing to do!” A male voice spoke up suddenly from the other side of a towering wall of rhododendrons.
    Amy stopped, jolted from her reverie. That voice—she knew she’d heard it before.
    “Leave off, Thomas!” snapped a second voice that sent a shudder of recognition down Amy’s spine. Glyndon …“It’s none of your affair!”
    “On the contrary, it’s very much my affair since you’re on my mother’s property,” Thomas retorted. “You were thinking of meeting Miss Newbold here, weren’t you?”
    “And if I were?” Spoken with sulky schoolboy bravado. “I’m still a free man, cousin.”
    “Not for long. Your engagement to Lady Louisa’s due to be announced any day now.”
    Amy froze. Blood, breath, and heartbeat slowed to the speed of a melting glacier.
    “You have no matrimonial intentions toward Miss Newbold,” Thomas continued inexorably. “And it’s no kindness to let her think you do.”
    Amy closed her eyes, willing Glyndon to assure him otherwise. Seconds dragged on like hours, like days, and then—
    “All right,” the viscount said heavily. “I’ll stay away from her.”
    There was a pause, then Thomas said, “You don’t intend to tell her about the engagement?” His tone was oddly devoid of expression.
    “What’s the point? She’ll find out soon enough, when the notice appears in the Gazette .” Glyndon gave a short laugh. “Miss Newbold’s sharp enough to figure things out from there.”
    “You show touching concern for the lady’s well-being.”
    “Don’t pretend you care, Thomas,” his cousin scoffed. “You’ve said yourself these American girls are all pirates. I’ll wager she has another string to her bow, even as we speak.”
    Amy clenched her fists, her fingernails digging into her palms even through her gloves. Mortification and rage flooded hotly through her, dissolving the ice in the pit of her stomach.
    Glyndon was continuing, “I suppose Mater and Pater are right. Harford Park would best be served by a proper English duchess, not an American upstart.”
    Amy had heard enough. Head high, she spun on her heel and stalked from the garden. She reached the path again within moments, following it back the way she had come. Her face was flushed—she could tell by the rising heat in her cheeks—and her heart thumped against her ribs with healthy fury. Fury at herself as well as at Glyndon, a small part of her was perceptive enough to recognize. How stupid she’d been, how complacent and naïve to have believed his protestations for even a moment! She’d have