The Duke's Hidden Desire by Gemma Blackwood

Author:Gemma Blackwood [Blackwood, Gemma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-01-24T05:00:00+00:00

18

Anna was familiar with the comfortable, everyday rooms of Scarcliffe Hall. The main receiving rooms, however, had always been closed to her. If she had been the sort to imagine the lives of the wealthy and glamorous – which she was not – she might have pictured Grecian columns, elaborately painted wallpaper, golden chandeliers to light the glittering throng.

Her imagination would have fallen short. The room was magnificent.

For the first time in a long while, she was glad of Gilbert's arm. She felt horribly nervous. Even Cecily's cry of joy on seeing her was not enough to dissipate her anxiety.

It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust to the size of the room and the opulence of its inhabitants. The very cream of the acquaintances of the Duke of Loxwell and the Marquess of Lilistone combined had been invited that evening, and they had dressed to match the occasion. Anna wondered rather dizzily whether even Gilbert's fortune was enough to make them welcome in such company.

"It's not as bad a crowd as I feared," Gilbert murmured, scanning the room with a proprietary air. "There's Miss Clayton, and her father's money is just as much from trade as mine. We shall do very well this evening, I think."

Anna hardly heard him. The moment Gilbert began speaking, her eyes had found the Duke of Beaumont.

He was staring at her like a man possessed. Anna wondered that the whole room did not ignite under the heat of his gaze. Her lips parted as though she could whisper to him across the space between them. She did not know whether she hoped he would come towards her, or dreaded it.

The Countess of Streatham was on his arm, and to Anna's relief, she pulled him sharply to one side to speak to the Duchess of Loxwell. Anna shot Isabella a brief look of thanks. To her shock, it was returned with a blank, chilly expression.

That was not what she expected from Isabella, who had been so warm and friendly that day by the lake! Was this how the ladies of Loxwell Park intended to treat her now that they had finer company?

Anna's fears were quickly dispatched by the warmth of Cecily's welcome. The Earl of Scarcliffe kissed her hand and clapped Gilbert warmly on the back.

"Mr Jackson! Your business exploits with my future father-in-law are very interesting. Cecily tells me I must take lessons from you in how to manage my affairs, as you do it so admirably."

"Really, Robert," sighed Cecily. "How boring to talk business at a party! Mr Jackson will think us a dull-witted bunch if you do not immediately furnish him with a drink and come up with something more diverting."

Robert looked highly amused. He put his arm around Cecily's shoulders and gave her a fond squeeze. "Jackson and I will soon be married men, my darling. We can amuse each other with tales of our lovers' beauty, and outdo each other in gallantry until you are both sick of us.

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.