The Rake to Redeem Her by Justiss Julia

Author:Justiss, Julia [Justiss, Julia]
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance, Regency, Nineteenth Century, Historical Romance
ISBN: 9780263898217
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

As she neared the children playing in the grass beside the gravelled allée in the Place Royale, Elodie picked up her pace. Her heart pounded and her skin prickled as if the mother’s love, trapped within her and denied expression for so long, was trying to escape her body and reach him before her feet could get her there.

Discovering from the cook at the Hôtel de la Rocherie that Philippe was, indeed, still in Paris, playing with his nursemaid only a few streets away, had made her desperate to reach him, see him, clasp him once again in her arms. Frantically she raked her gaze from child to child while her thoughts chased one another as quickly as hounds after a fox.

Would his hair still be ebony-black, his eyes still dark and alive with curiosity? He’d be slimmer now, more like a child than the sturdy toddler she’d left, ready for games and to sit a horse. Would he still love balls, play at soldiers, cajole for sweets?

Then she saw him. Her heart stopped, as did her feet, while everything around her faded to a blur.

He was taller, as she expected, his face more angular, having lost the roundness of babyhood. Pink-cheeked from exertions, his skin glowing with health, his eyes bright, his uninhibited laughter as he chased after his ball with that stubborn lock of hair curling down as always over his forehead, made her heart contract with joy.

As her eyes left his face, she noted that his clothing had been fashioned from quality materials and fit him well. The nursemaid tossing him the ball regarded him with an affectionate eye and a husky footman stood nearby, obviously keeping watch.

One anxiety dissipated. She’d for ever blame herself for not recognising the trap before she walked into it, but at least her instincts about the Comtesse de la Rocherie had been accurate. Philippe was well treated and cared for.

But he was hers, she thought with a furious rush of determination. Despite all the odds, she’d survived her ordeal, connived her way back to Paris. She would reclaim her son at last and nothing but death would prevent her.

Another swell of emotion shook her and she almost tossed down the basket to run to him, starved for the feel of him in her arms.

She took a shaky breath, fighting off the urge. He hadn’t seen her for eighteen months, an eternity in the life of a young child. She mustn’t startle him, but approach quietly, let him notice her, inspect her, rediscover her at his own pace.

Then she would work out how to steal him back.

Hands shaking now on the basket, she strolled down the path, on to the grass near her son.

It took two attempts before she could get the words to come out of her tight throat. ‘Would you like an orange, little man?’

He looked over at her, his gaze going from the fruit to her face. Elodie held her breath as he studied her, willing recognition to register in those dark eyes, as lively and energetic as she remembered.

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.