Masked Desires by Diana Bold

Author:Diana Bold
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Romance
Publisher: Diana Bold
Published: 2020-11-29T00:00:00+00:00

FIONA SAT BACK IN HER chair, letting the fancy engraved invitation in her hand drop to the desk. She stared at it, her mouth parted in shock.

A dinner party. At the Earl of Hawkesmere’s house in Grosvenor Square.

A hysterical laugh bubbled in the back of her throat, but she wasn’t quite sure if laughter or tears was the best reaction to something so ludicrous.

Though she was very friendly with both the countess and Vanessa, she didn’t believe either of them was behind this unprecedented leap in their relationship. In all the time she’d known the Strathmores, she’d only been invited to their home once. She’d gone to the earl’s house for Vanessa and Adrian’s wedding, but it was Adrian who’d invited her then, and she hadn’t stayed for the whole thing. She’d been woefully underdressed and out of place. She’d appreciated the sentiment, but the rest of the guests had made it clear to her that she did not belong. She’d sneaked away as soon as she could and had sworn never to go back.

Although she saw Vanessa and Serenity quite often at Brookhaven, and the three women had built a wonderful friendship, neither of them had ever invited her to their homes before. Not for so much as an afternoon tea.

No, this was Morgan’s doing, and she didn’t know whether to be thrilled or horrified.

She shook her head slowly, mentally cataloging her closet and coming up woefully short. Not a single item of clothing she owned was suitable for dinner with an earl. Even if she wanted to go, which she wasn’t sure she did, she had absolutely nothing to wear.

The last thing she wanted was to show up in her off-the-rack, thoroughly worn work attire and prove to them all just how unsuitable she really was to be a part of their exalted circle.

But instead of throwing the invitation into the wastebasket at her feet, she ran one finger across the fine linen paper, longing stirring within her.

What would it be like, though? To dine with the Strathmores? To sit beside Morgan as though she were his equal? To chat and laugh with all the people who had become so dear to her?

Her gaze drifted to a locked drawer of her desk.

With a trembling hand, she retrieved the key and opened it, taking out a stack of crisp pound notes she’d squirreled away for a rainy day. Adrian insisted on paying her for her position at Brookhaven, but she’d never yet spent a dime. She enjoyed knowing the money was there, if she ever needed it, and every few months, she carefully tallied how long she could keep Brookhaven going with her own funds if the Strathmores ever pulled their support.

Perhaps she could use just a little to go shopping...

With a sigh, she snapped the drawer shut. No! That was out of the question. She shouldn’t even be considering something so frivolous...

But it had been so long since she’d done anything for herself. What could it hurt, to

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