Rogue's Kiss (Scandalous Miss Brightwell Book 2) by Oakley Beverley

Author:Oakley, Beverley [Oakley, Beverley]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2015-03-19T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

THE moment Aunt Minerva stepped into Lord Quamby’s drawing room she turned a beaming countenance towards Thea who was chatting with her cousins and, with ample bosom heaving, demanded, “And who shall you be masquerading as, my dear? I hope you’ve given due consideration to the matter for I shall be mightily put out if you’re not ready when the carriage is due to leave.”

Her three nieces were struck dumb for a moment. Aunt Minerva was positively glowing.

“I…thought we weren’t going to any masquerades, Aunt Minerva?” Thea fingered the locket at her neck while her thoughts wildly traversed the possibilities now opened up to her, and which surrounded the saviour of the article at her neck.

“It is true I said that…” Aunt Minerva twirled a lock of squirrel’s tail about her finger and looked coquettish as she settled her bulk into an armchair by the small fire, which she’d again demanded despite the warm weather. “However, it appears a certain gentleman wishes for my company.”

Thea and her cousins exchanged a look, which Thea immediately hoped had not been observed by her aunt. Fortunately Aunt Minerva was gazing at the intricate plasterwork on the ceiling, which Thea noticed now appeared to be a myriad of entwined cherubic-looking creatures. They reminded her of the wee babe she’d held the previous afternoon and to her utter astonishment her body exploded into longing, not divorced from a desire to be similarly entwined in Mr Grayling’s embrace.

Good Lord, where had that come from?

Swallowing, she whispered, “I haven’t given a thought to my costume, aunt.”

Both Fanny and Antoinette cried out in unison, “Oh, but I have just the thing for you, Thea!”

And within moments the girls were hastening her upstairs, trying to contain themselves before all but bursting their seams upon the large four-poster in Fanny’s bedchamber.

“A gentleman wishes for my company,” Antoinette mimicked, leaping to her feet and sticking her chin in the air as she paraded about the room with the customary air of self-importance Aunt Minerva adopted.

She swung round to face the girls. “Who do you suppose this gentleman could be? Surely not the gentleman who rejected her a lifetime ago.”

“Mr Granville?” Thea frowned. “In fact, I do believe she’s got it into her head that he’s come to see the error of his ways and is about to throw himself upon her and beg forgiveness.”

“Then if that’s the case, do you suppose she wishes to reject him or to graciously hold him to her bosom?” asked Fanny.

“And crush the air out of him.”

Fanny and Antoinette looked at Thea who’d spoken, and suddenly burst out laughing. “Why, Thea, I didn’t know you had it in you to make a joke like that,” cried Fanny.

“Or to be so irreverent about the woman who has granted you such kindness and generosity; a home and everything else you could possibly want to sustain you,” added Antoinette.

After some more shared hilarity, Thea who was now half lying on the bed while her cousins lounged in two

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