The Chivalrous Rake by Elizabeth Rolls

Author:Elizabeth Rolls
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2003-12-08T16:00:00+00:00

‘Ah hah! Here she is at last!’

Cressida stopped dead just inside the drawing room as the Earl of Rutherford announced her entrance. She wasn’t late, was she? She had taken rather longer dressing than usual. Her new gown looked so nice, she had experimented for quite a while with her hair, trying to achieve a new style.

His lordship came forward and offered her his arm. ‘Happy birthday, my dear. And congratulations. Jack tells me you attained your majority today.’

She felt her jaw drop and her eyes flew to Jack’s face. No one had said anything all day. She had assumed he had not said anything.

He was watching her with an odd smile as Rutherford led her into the room.

Meg came forward and tilted her head as she examined the gown. ‘Hmm. Just right for you. And this will add the finishing touch. Stand still.’ She slipped a lace fichu around Cressida’s shoulders and twitched it into place. ‘There. Perfect. Happy birthday, Cressida.’

She ought to say something. Something gracious, like thank you, but the words stuck in her throat, lost in the choking lump there. She saw Meg’s smile through a haze of tears.

Her father came to her with a self-deprecating smile. ‘I’m sorry, my love, I forgot the date until Jack reminded me. But I do have a present for you. I always meant you to have it on this day. Happy birthday.’

He put his hand into his pocket and drew out a small, oval-shaped object.

Recognition robbed her of speech even before he kissed her and handed her his present. Her fingers trembling, she took the miniature of her mother and gazed at it. Tiny, on ivory, it showed her mother as a young girl, smiling gently out at the world she had left.

‘And Jack has something for you,’ went on the old man. ‘He asked my permission to give it to you, so you need feel no impropriety in accepting it, my dear.’

Jack had something for her? Biting her lip, she turned to him.

He approached her hesitantly. ‘It’s nothing much,’ he muttered. ‘Mere trumpery. But I thought they’d look pretty with that gown…’ Flushing deeply, he handed her a small wooden box.

Carefully she put the precious miniature down on a side table and opened the little box. A necklace of carved ivory roses met her gaze in accusing innocence. Ivory. And Jack had given it to her.

Horror struck, she stared at it. She mustn’t accept it, she couldn’t. Papa didn’t understand…and she could never tell him.

Even as she fought for the words to decline the gift, she became aware of Jack gently taking the box from her numb fingers.

‘Here. Let me.’ His deep voice caressed her senses even as deft fingers unclipped her mother’s necklace and laid it down carefully. Then the ivory necklace was placed around her neck. She trembled uncontrollably as she felt his fingertips brush her sensitive nape as he did up the clasp.

‘There. All done.’ His voice was suddenly harsh, tight. Wildly at odds with the gentle, lingering touch on her throat.

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