His Favorite Mistress by Warren Tracy Anne

Author:Warren, Tracy Anne [Warren, Tracy Anne]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Romance, Regency, Fiction, Historical, General
ISBN: 9780345504920
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: 2007-12-26T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

F ROM HER PLACE on the divan in her bedchamber, Gabriella turned a page of the novel she was reading, a volume from the Minerva Press that Lily Andarton had lent her the last time she’d called here at the house. Rain drizzled in rivulets against the windows, the day a gloomy one that seemed to suit everyone’s subdued mood.

After last night’s troubles in the park, she and Julianna had decided to cancel their engagements and remain indoors for the rest of the day, the weather only reinforcing the wisdom of their decision. At present, Rafe was out on business while Julianna had gone upstairs to the nursery to feed baby Stephanie and play for a while with her precocious two-year-old son, Campbell, whose new favorite word was “no.”

Turning her attention back to her book, Gabriella tried to focus, but despite the heroine’s perilous situation, her thoughts soon began to drift again. Although Rafe and Julianna hadn’t said anything further about her and Tony becoming separated from the group last night, she couldn’t help but think there might still be repercussions from the event.

Her uncle’s words had certainly carried an uncharacteristic edge to them, while the pointed looks he’d given Tony had been impossible to miss. For her part, Julianna had clearly been relieved by their safe return. This morning, however, Gabriella had caught a faintly worried expression on her friend’s brow—an expression that disappeared the moment she’d noticed Gabriella looking.

And then there was Lady Hewitt.

On the surface, her offer to take Gabriella and the duke in her coach had been a generous one, her conversation during the journey congenial and often amusing. Yet the more Gabriella considered, the more she wondered if there might have been some other, underlying motivation at work. And although many of Society’s rules still eluded her, she knew enough to realize that she and Tony should not have been alone together—at least not discovered alone together. Still, any reasonable person would surely understand that there had been extenuating circumstances. They’d been caught in a riot, for heavens sake!

Besides, she silently shrugged to herself, what is the worst that could happen? If anything were said, the talk would blow over in a few days’ time. With her mind a bit easier, she returned to her book. Five minutes later, a knock came at the door.

“Come in,” she called, marking her page with a finger.

“Pardon me, miss,” said one of the housemaids. “His Grace is here and has asked if you would join him in the drawing room.”

Tony is here? Setting the novel aside, she rose to her feet. “Of course. Tell him I shall be along shortly.”

The maid bobbed a curtsey and withdrew.

Crossing to the pier glass, she checked her hair and smoothed a crease from the skirt of her apricot-and-cream-sprigged muslin gown. Deciding she looked presentable, she walked from the room.

She expected to find him already talking with Julianna, but instead he was alone. He turned as she entered the room.

“Good morning, Your Grace,” she said, crossing to him.

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