WidowsWickedWish Read Online Free PDF

to sea someday,” Justine said. “To see the
world.”
    “World’s a pretty big place,” Tom said. “I’ve seen parts of
it, only a bit mind you, but it’s good to travel, to see how others live.”
    “Papa is going to take me to Italy soon,” Justine told him.
    Olivia wondered if that would be before or after he found a
wife to give him a son and decided that Justine might have to wait a few years
to tour Italy.
    Not that Jack would have any trouble at all finding a lady
to wed. He would make some lucky lady a very fine husband. But the getting of
heirs was often a long, drawn-out affair, as she knew well. It had taken her
eight years, a daughter, and two miscarriages before she’d finally, finally
produced the son Palmerton had so desperately wanted.
    She’d paid a high price to fulfill her duty, one she’d never
have to endure again. The knowledge was both a curse and a blessing.
    “He’s a fine-looking man,” Mary murmured from where she sat
beside Olivia in the matching rocker.
    “Yes,” Olivia agreed as she studied the man in question.
    He’d been a handsome boy, all those years ago when he’d
first joined Simon in a visit to Hastings Hall, tall and lean with his dark hair
clipped short. His face had been smooth, his blue eyes alight with mischief, a
smile forever curling around his full mouth.
    At five and thirty, Jack Bentley’s visage was a testament to
all the years that had passed, to hours spent working outdoors, to the joys and
hardships he’d experienced. Fine lines fanned out from the corners of his blue
eyes and bracketed a mouth that was firmer than she remembered but no less
full, no less kissable.
    As she’d learned just that afternoon.
    Olivia replayed that kiss in the snow in her mind, surprised
anew at the intensity of it, at the passion simmering below the surface of
what, in truth, had been the hottest, wildest kiss she’d ever imagined, let
alone experienced.
    “We’ll put Justine in with Fanny and Charlie,” Mary said.
“Jack can have the guest room.”
    Olivia nodded absently. She hadn’t thought about the
sleeping arrangements. Mary’s plan would put Jack right across the hall from
her.
    “Unless you’d rather put Justine in the guest room and Jack
can sleep with you.”
    Olivia started in surprise, felt her face flush. “Am I that
obvious?”
    Mary only shrugged in response, but her eyes twinkled.
    “I’ve been thinking,” Olivia began.
    “I thought you might be.”
    Olivia opened her mouth, closed it again.
    “Come now, dearest, what thoughts have put a blush on your
cheeks?” Mary asked with a fond smile.
    “Oh, it’s nothing really,” she replied, bending down to hide
her embarrassment. “I just… Once upon a time I saw a man and woman sneak into
the stables behind Hastings House. I watched that man pull the woman into his
arms, heard them whispering and laughing together before they kissed with
shocking abandon.”
    “And?” Mary prompted when she fell silent.
    “And I wished that just once I could be so wicked as to
unleash a man’s desire.”
    “Surely Palmerton desired you.”
    “My husband desired an heir.” Olivia forced aside her
embarrassment and met the other woman’s eyes. “I’ve heard women talking of
passion, of the pleasures to be found in a man’s bed and wondered what all the
fuss is about.”
    “And marriage did little to enlighten you,” Mary replied
gently.
    “Palmerton did not…that is to say I did my duty by my
husband and he did his by me,” Olivia replied.
    “Duty,” Mary repeated.
    “Perhaps I am simply not a woman to feel passion.” Even as
she spoke the words, she doubted them. There had been times at the beginning of
her marriage when she’d felt a whisper of pleasure when Palmerton had come to
her bed, when she’d wished he might kiss her a bit more, touch her gently,
before rolling on top of her and joining their bodies.
    And Lord knew, she’d felt passion up on that hillside when
Jack slanted his