American Heiress [1]When The Marquess Met His Match by Laura Lee Guhrke

Author:Laura Lee Guhrke [Guhrke, Laura Lee]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Historical Romance
ISBN: 9780062118189
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2013-10-28T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

It was nearing twilight, but even though the light was dimming, making it more and more difficult to read, Rosalie could not bear to give up her book and go back to the house. Not yet.

Instead, she turned a page of her well-worn copy of Pride and Prejudice and continued to read. Around her, bees were giving up on the flowers of the garden and returning to their hives, and the finches were no longer squabbling around the birdbath, but that was all right with her. She wasn’t out here to admire the beauty of the duchess’s gardens.

She’d come out here to enjoy a few minutes of her favorite pastime. Odd how she had longed for the balls and parties of the London season, but now that she was in the midst of it, she was beginning to appreciate how tiring it was. She’d had little time for reading, and given the lavish entertainments planned for the house party, she doubted she’d have much time for it during the week ahead, so she was stealing some time for it now, before the house party really began.

Ah, she was coming to the best part. Rosalie settled back more comfortably on the garden bench, smiling in anticipation as she turned another page. Though she’d read this book dozens of times, she still delighted in Darcy’s confession of love to Elizabeth as much as she had the first time she’d read the book.

The dressing gong sounded through the window of the nearby library, and she looked up with a frown. Was it seven o’clock already? Oh, Lord, she was out of time.

Rosalie stood up and started toward the house, but she kept her book open. With an occasional glance to direct her way, she continued reading as she mounted the flagstone steps and started down the long terrace.

I must tell you how ardently I admire and love you.

Rosalie gave a pleasurable sigh, turned another page, and went around the corner, but before she could read another word, she ran smack-dab into what seemed to be a solid wall.

“Oh!” she cried, as the impact of the collision sent her stumbling backward, and she stepped on the hem of her skirt as she tried to regain her balance. Her book went flying out of her hands, and she would have fallen to the hard, tiled granite of the terrace if a pair of hands had not caught her by the arms and kept her upright.

She blinked, drawing a shaky breath as she stared into the black-and-white obstacle she’d cannoned into. She realized at once that what she was looking at was a man’s chest sheathed in evening dress, and the hands holding her upright were strong, manly hands.

“Are you all right?” a deep voice asked, an unmistakable voice that caused her gaze to fly up in disbelief, and when she saw that it was indeed Lord Trubridge standing before her, happiness welled up within her, pressing against her chest and making it impossible to breathe.

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