Forgetting The Earl by Ayers Kathleen

Author:Ayers, Kathleen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2022-04-04T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

Southwell helped Honora into his small, open carriage, a conveyance far more luxurious than Honora had expected. There was no driver or footmen. Honora hadn’t considered Southwell would drive them himself today. He wanted privacy, which both surprised and pleased her.

As she settled back against the black leather squabs, delighting in the beauty of the day, Southwell climbed in beside her and took the reins. Her skirts caught on a wicker basket tucked beneath the seat.

“I thought we were merely going for a ride in the park, my lord. Are we having a picnic along the Serpentine, perhaps?” The ribbons of her bonnet fluttered about her neck, and Honora resisted the urge to just throw the stupid little bit of decorated straw from her head. Bonnets made her head quite warm, though they did keep the sun from her cheeks. On a glorious day like today, Honora longed to feel the wind through her hair and was sorely tempted to remove the bonnet. She doubted Southwell would mind.

“We are, Mrs. Culpepper. Having a picnic, that is. But we are not going to the park. I’ve something else in mind. I thought we could both do with a taste—” He allowed the innuendo to hover between them. “—of the country.” The bits of amber in his eyes sparked back at her.

Honora’s fingers curled around the edge of her seat. “You’re kidnapping me?”

Southwell, especially with the thick dark waves of his hair flowing against his shoulders and the bit of beard he sported, did strike Honora as looking like a pirate. Or perhaps a warrior in an invading army, one bent on making her the spoils of war.

An unexpected bolt of pure desire shot through her. Her grip on the seat tightened.

Her eyes caught at his profile. The slash of cheekbone with the sun glancing off his lightly tanned skin. The aquiline nose. The tiny scar she could see just beneath his ear. There were many gentlemen considered more handsome than Southwell, though he was certainly attractive, but none of those men had his presence.

He caught her studying him and gave her a cheeky wink. “What if I am kidnapping you? Would you like to be my captive, Mrs. Culpepper?”

Yes. “Perhaps,” she murmured. It was a rather mild reply from the seductive widow Honora pretended to be but still so close to the truth heat pinked her cheeks.

The busy streets of London faded to be replaced with gently rolling hills spotted with farms and the occasional sheep. She had absolutely no idea where Southwell was taking her. Honora hadn’t been out of London in…years. Not since before Culpepper had died. The air around them had grown silent. She imagined she could hear bees buzzing and the butterflies gently beating their wings.

“Tell me about your travels, my lord. I assume we have time.”

“A bit. But you must tell me when I begin to bore you.”

“When I begin snoring, my lord,” came her saucy reply, “you will know I’ve lost interest.”

Southwell gave a soft chuckle before launching into the tale of an Indian prince.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.