This Earl Is on Fire by Vivienne Lorret

Author:Vivienne Lorret
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2016-06-23T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

The Season Standard—the Daily Chronicle of Consequence

The highly anticipated Select Seventy gathered last night at Lady St—’s elegant home. In a surprise to many, this most coveted event transformed into the Seventy-Seven instead! The last-minute guests included the Duke and Duchess of V—, not to mention the shocking appearance of a certain earl. While rumors about an attack on W— were earlier refuted, the ghastly evidence speaks for itself. For the time being, however, we withhold judgment on our wolfish earl. For as we know of all canines, there are some you simply do not invite into your home, or else risk being bitten.

“Augh!” Adeline shouted as she threw the paper down onto the secretaire in her bedchamber. That last line was clearly a jab at her family. It seemed no matter what they did, they could not alter the ton’s opinion of them.

She’d come to London to prove herself capable of being just like any other debutante, but she could not find the opportunity to do so. And more than that, it was no longer solely about her. Liam was involved.

It truly angered her that society portrayed Liam as a man without any morals, especially when he’d sacrificed his own recovery for her. Did these society people have no eyes? Couldn’t they see how much he’d struggled; how exertion shortened his breaths and flared his nostrils; how his dark pupils expanded as his gaze searched for a place to rest and find comfort?

No, of course they had not. They were more concerned with her reputation and her parents’ supposed gullibility. Which was likely the reason they had received no invitations to any party or ball this evening.

She sincerely hoped that her new friends were not looked upon as fools for assisting her. And even more so, that the dowager duchess would not suffer spiteful whispers for having invited the Pimms as her special guests to the dinner ball she was hosting for Liam’s Uncle Albert and Cousin Gemma.

Staring down at the letters she’d written to each of them this morning, she wondered if they showed the abundance of her appreciation, or if she should pen new letters instead.

Before she came to a conclusion, Hester tapped quietly on the open door. “Pardon me, miss, but I found this key on the side table of the room across the hall. It does not fit into that door, and so I wondered if you knew where it belonged.”

Instantly, Adeline recognized the cloverleaf bow. It was the key to the hidden door between this house and the next.

Liam’s house. A shiver of excitement rushed through her, but she did her best to conceal it. Holding out her hand, she said, “Not to worry. I will find its proper place.”

The maid frowned. “I shouldn’t want to overtax you. In fact, I can ask Mr. Finley—”

“I am perfectly capable of completing this task,” Adeline interrupted, her tone more forceful than she’d used before.

Hester blinked, taken aback. Then she curtsied and summarily opened her hand. “Thank you, miss.

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.