Lady Mercy Danforthe Flirts With Scandal by Jayne Fresina

Author:Jayne Fresina [Fresina, Jayne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance, Fiction, General, Erotica, Historical, Romance - Historical, Regency, (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯)
ISBN: 9781402266034
Google: oouPMAEACAAJ
Amazon: 1402266030
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Published: 2013-06-03T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

The Danforthe Brat always assumed that by playing loudly she could hide all her skipped and improvised notes. It was much the same method by which she argued with him for the past dozen years. Bright plumage and a great deal of noise were her shields, meant to distract other people from seeing her faults.

At the end of her song, Miss Milford applauded with an enthusiasm that caused Rafe to wonder if the young lady was in her employ or simply hard of hearing. Mrs. Kenton, he noted, prodded her brother to respond likewise, and Sir William eventually found his feet, sauntered wearily to the pianoforte, and offered to turn her music, therefore giving Rafe’s stepmother a rest. She came over to where Rafe sat in a corner of the drawing room.

“Before you comment to me on how well Lady Mercy looks this evening,” he muttered quietly, “I will agree and dispense with that line of conversation.” He’d always been able to read his stepmother like a wide-open book. With very large print.

She perched beside him on the sofa and spread her fan, using it to hide her lips. “A conversation cannot be ended until all participants are satisfied.”

He sighed heavily and leaned into the corner, elbow resting on the rolled arm of the sofa. “I refuse to compliment her on her playing. Yes, she looks quite beautiful. That is as far as I can go with any degree of sincerity. It is no more of an achievement to be beautiful than it is to be rich, when one was born thus.” Pity Mercy Danforthe didn’t have a softer heart and a little kindness in her soul, he thought. She was so busy pushing people around to do her bidding that she gave no thought to their feelings.

Mercy could take a lesson or two from Lady Blunt, who had offered her advice in such a kindly way that he took it without feeling bombarded and bullied. He could respect the old dear, of course, for she was a woman of advanced years, and there was none of that unfortunate sexual attraction to get in the way between them. He missed their conversations, he realized. Despite their age difference, the old lady had touched a chord in him. He meant it when he said he wished he’d known her when she was young.

His stepmother eyed him above her fan. “I see you made an extraordinary effort with your own grooming this evening, Rafe.”

“Yes. I do manage to scrape the dirt of the farmyard off me from time to time.”

“Just for us. We are honored.”

“I hope so,” he replied tightly, his gaze focused across the room on the pianoforte. “Lady Mercy does not appear in any haste to return home. Odd, is it not?”

“Not especially. She enjoys the country.”

Enjoys meddling, he thought.

“And her company is most entertaining. Don’t you agree, Rafe?”

He snorted. “Like a public hanging. Morbid curiosity makes it impossible to look away.”

“That’s a fine way to talk of an old friend.

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