Rules for a Rogue by Christy Carlyle

Author:Christy Carlyle
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2016-09-26T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“When conveying unpleasant tidings, do so swiftly and honestly. A difficult truth is always preferable to a happy lie.”

—MISS GILROY’S GUIDELINES FOR YOUNG LADIES

The scent of coffee lured Kit out of his father’s study toward the breakfast room like a smoky, seductive siren, and he was grateful for the reprieve. According to the paperwork Sophia stashed away, their father had been avoiding correspondence for months prior to his death. One ink supplier sent several exasperated letters before finally threatening to sever their contract altogether; another manufacturer sought a reply his father never sent, judging by the multiple missives from the company.

Getting Ruthven Publishing into any proper state to sell would take weeks, possibly months. During which he’d need to balance work on Fleet’s play while mending business matters his father left unsettled. Managing Ruthven’s from its London office held no appeal, if it meant listening to Gabriel Adamson’s self-important rambling.

Kit had come to the shocking realization that remaining in the home he’d been avoiding for years made sense. He’d moved out of his childhood bedroom into one of the guest suites and found countryside quiet conducive to creativity. His writing was flowing as never before.

In the breakfast room, his sisters sat eating in companionable silence. Sophia read from a newspaper by her elbow between bites, and Clary scribbled merrily on a slip of paper next to her teacup. Something about the familiarity of the sweetly domestic scene made Kit’s chest ache.

After exchanging greetings, he filled a plate at the sideboard, joined them, and found a neatly folded copy of the Times next to his silverware. Unfortunately, he couldn’t read a single headline because someone had placed an elegantly engraved invitation on top.

Sophia had taken to managing his social engagements like a fussy mama maneuvers a debutante through her first Season.

Kit skimmed the details and rolled his eyes. So much for the bliss of country life. “No one told me there would be a ball.”

“There is always a ball, though it’s truly more of a country dance.” Sophia patted daintily at each edge of her mouth and laid down her napkin. “How could you have forgotten that Lady Pembry hosts a ball every year after the autumn festival?”

“How could you forget I spent my youth avoiding the social obligations our father was so fond of?” He hadn’t forgotten the Pembry balls, of course. One in particular would always be seared in his memory.

“I’d be fond of them too if I was ever allowed to go,” Clarissa groused. She hadn’t finished chewing her bite of toast before speaking and gulped a bit of tea to keep from choking.

“Your day will come, Clary.” Sophia smiled reassuringly before flattening her mouth in chastising moue. “And don’t speak with your mouth full.”

Clarissa nodded, waited until Sophia had gone back to sipping her tea, and rolled her eyes in Kit’s direction.

He chuckled under his breath and lifted his cup in a toast. Your day will come, he mouthed.

After a bracing swig of coffee, he declared, “I won’t attend.

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.