The Devil Who Tamed Her by Johanna Lindsey

Author:Johanna Lindsey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2007-06-11T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-seven

OPHELIA SHOULD HAVE BEEN ECSTATIC, jumping for joy to finally be going home. Instead she found herself fighting back tears more than once on the trip back to London, and otherwise feeling quite down. She couldn’t even fathom why, other than that she’d been introduced to the most exciting experience of her life and she’d thought she’d be able to enjoy it again, but there wouldn’t be any other opportunities to do so once she was back at home. She couldn’t be feeling so odd simply because her time with Raphael Locke was coming to an end.

Rafe didn’t need to drive the coach this time. Esmerelda’s footman was still with them and had been given that chore, so Rafe was able to ride inside with the four women. But Esmerelda’s home would be reached before the day was out. And while she kept up a steady stream of chatter that Ophelia tried halfheartedly to take part in, Esmerelda wouldn’t be with them for the rest of the journey. Not that that would leave her alone with Rafe for the remainder of the trip. Sadie did make a good chaperone, after all.

They agreed unanimously to spend the night at Esmerelda’s again rather than to look for an inn. They had a nice dinner together, their last, and the older woman got emotional there at the end of it.

“I won’t see you off in the morning. I don’t like good-byes. But I do expect to see you again sometime, gel. Enjoyed your company, ’deed I did.”

“I’m going to miss you too,” Ophelia said. “Are you sure you don’t want to come to London with us to enjoy the rest of the Season?”

“Goodness, no! The Season is for young folks. But I’ll come for your wedding, once you find the man you want to settle down with.”

If that day ever came. But when Ophelia returned to London she wouldn’t be shackled with an unwanted engagement or be spending all her time thinking of ways to get out of it, so she could actually concentrate on finding a husband. If there were any good catches left this late in the Season. Although that would hardly matter. She could easily lure any man away…

Ophelia stopped the thought abruptly, appalled at herself. Did she really used to think that way? Seeing her past behavior from such a different perspective was quite an illuminating experience. Insensitive, uncaring, self-centered. Did it really matter that she’d felt justified? That she’d merely treated others as they treated her, or at least, as she’d assumed they treated her?

She was going to have to reexamine all of her relationships now, including her relationship with her parents. It might actually be nice not to feel angry at her father all the time. And he would be her greatest test. If she could get through just one conversation with him, without having the bitterness show up…

They left Esmerelda’s early the next morning. As she’d guessed, the ride was a bit uncomfortable now without the buffer of Rafe’s aunt.

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