The Seduction of Lady Phoebe by Ella Quinn

Author:Ella Quinn [Quinn, Ella]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Fiction, Historical romance
ISBN: 9781601831644
Publisher: eKensington
Published: 2013-09-18T21:00:00+00:00

That afternoon at five o’clock, Marcus glanced up as Phoebe descended the stairs. She was very fetching in a new carriage gown of royal blue with matching pelisse and a small hat with a feather that curled around her ear.

“How do you contrive to look more beautiful every time I see you?”

Phoebe smiled, but retorted, “Very pretty talking, my lord. You should know I don’t like such flummery.”

Taking her hand, he smiled into her eyes. “You wrong me, milady. Was a knight-errant ever so cruelly treated?” Marcus raised her hand, turned it over, and placed a kiss on her wrist. Phoebe blushed charmingly, just as he’d intended.

Once in the Park, he moved his curricle into the line of carriages crowding the path, and was pleased to note he and Phoebe were attracting even more attention than previously. They were halfway around their first circuit when they were hailed from a carriage pulled up onto the verge.

Giving Phoebe a speaking look, Marcus pulled his curricle to a halt beside the landau and greeted his mother and Lady Bellamny. Lately, his mother had not been in the way of joining the afternoon promenade and he wondered why she was doing so now.

“Mamma, Lady Bellamny, I didn’t expect to see you here.” Nor, Marcus thought, did he want to. He wasn’t sure of Phoebe and didn’t want to scare her off or raise his mother’s hopes.

“Mamma, I believe you’ve met Lady Phoebe.”

“Yes, of course, Marcus, your sister is married to her brother.”

Lady Dunwood addressed Phoebe. “My dear, I am very happy to see you again.”

Marcus tried to stifle a groan. His mother glanced at him with narrowed eyes before turning back to Phoebe and smiling. “You are so far away. I cannot even shake your hand, my dear. Please come join us for a little. Marcus, help Lady Phoebe down. You may take a turn and fetch her when you come back around.”

Even though Phoebe wished it, there was no avoiding this meeting. With good grace, Phoebe smiled politely at the two older women.

Once Marcus was gone, Lady Dunwood’s conversation focused on Phoebe’s life and views, in which she seemed genuinely interested.

Lady Bellamny, however, whom Phoebe had known since she was a child, was as disconcerting as ever. She was the perfect foil for Marcus’s mother.

Taking advantage of their long relations, Lady Bellamny did ask her about Marcus, offering her advice and opinions. Between the two of them, Phoebe felt artfully interrogated.

She was relieved when Marcus maneuvered his curricle beside the landau. Saying all that was proper to the ladies and bidding them adieu, Phoebe changed carriages.

“I returned as soon as I could,” Marcus said in apology. “I had trouble passing two landaus—one had pulled to the side, the other hadn’t. They gave me such a look when I asked to pass.”

“Your mother and Lady Bellamny probably planned it,” Phoebe replied cynically.

His brow creased with worry. “Was it that bad?”

Phoebe pulled a face. “Not any worse than my sisters. Though if I had

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.