What a Wicked Earl Wants by Vicky Dreiling

Author:Vicky Dreiling
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Regency, (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯), General, Romance, Historical, Fiction
ISBN: 9781455522873
Publisher: Forever
Published: 2012-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Laura sat in the dining room with Pembroke and toyed with the lobster patties that he’d insisted upon bringing to her. She had no appetite, and yet he kept bringing her fruit and cheese. At least his short absence was a reprieve from his nonstop chattering. A few minutes later, Pembroke’s voice broke through her thoughts. “There you are, safe and sound,” he said. “I feared you would disappear.” He laughed as he set more food before her.

Her temples were starting to ache.

“I confess I’m jealous you awarded the waltz to Bellingham,” Pembroke continued. “You must promise me the waltz at the next ball.”

She was growing weary of him. “A gentleman asks.”

“I do apologize,” he said. “I do not usually forget myself. Oh, dear, you must think me witless, but surely you will forgive a tiny mistake.”

She rose. “Please excuse me.”

“Are you unwell?” he asked. “Perhaps I could bring you something else? You barely touched the lobster patties.”

“Lord Pembroke, I thank you for escorting me to the midnight supper, but you needn’t be so attentive,” she said.

“But I wish to be attentive,” he said.

“My mother had an old saying: There can be too much of a good thing.”

“But—”

“I wish to find my son. Enjoy the supper,” she said, and quit the dining room. The man tried too hard to please, and in the process all he did was make himself disagreeable to others. She wished to be kind to him, but she had better not allow him in her drawing room again. He’d stayed far past the usual twenty minutes the last time, and he’d not stopped talking. Poor man. He really didn’t know how to get on with others.

Laura climbed the stairs and entered the ballroom. It wasn’t as noisy since many of the guests were downstairs partaking of the supper. Admittedly, she was rather surprised that Justin had not joined the throng in the dining room, considering his large appetite. She often joked that he was like a bottomless well.

Then she saw Justin sitting beside Sarah and smiled. She would not interrupt them. The guests were returning to the ballroom in droves. Laura craned her neck, looking for Lady Atherton.

“There you are,” Lady Norcliffe said. “I have been looking for you all evening.”

A gentleman stood next to her. Laura grew a bit flustered when his gaze dropped to her bosom.

“Lady Chesfield, Lord Lindmoore applied to me for an introduction. May I?”

“Yes, of course,” Laura said.

Lindmoore bowed over her hand. “I’ve heard so much about you, but you are even more beautiful than I was led to believe.”

“I hope you are enjoying the ball,” Laura said. Something about the man made her more than a little uneasy.

“May I take you to the refreshment table for a cup of punch?”

She scrambled to think of an excuse to evade him when another gentleman appeared.

“See here, Lindmoore, you will not keep her all to yourself.”

Laura regarded Lady Norcliffe with raised brows.

“Stovington, you know the rules of conduct. If you wish an introduction, you must apply to me or another lady of her acquaintance first.

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