Marrying for Love or Money? by Elizabeth Beacon

Author:Elizabeth Beacon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2019-12-09T13:51:23+00:00

Chapter Ten

Fliss was relieved when the impromptu party broke up half an hour or so after she returned to the terrace outside Mrs Corham’s house, doing her best to pretend she had been communing with the brilliant stars practically ever since she and Mr Yelverton wandered away to look at roses, or whatever the others thought they had been doing in the scented darkness. They were deluded if they thought the night and the moon would make a romance bloom between correct Miss Grantham and reluctant Mr Yelverton. Instead it made her moon-mad and she was almost sure she regretted every minute of those kisses and that—whatever it had been. If he had not been so shamefaced and chastened she might not be either, but he was and he had spoilt so much she did not want to think about it until it no longer hurt and that seemed a very long time away. Now she had a dreadful headache and felt as if she had aged a few decades since she set out for that wretched party so full of dizzy anticipation of who knew quite what. It seemed impossible that was only a few hours ago as now a very different Fliss set out with a naive belief that tonight would be momentous for her in some undefined way.

Well, it was, Darius Yelverton had wanted her and she had wanted him, but he did not care, so it could never be more than a want, an urge to mate when the brake was taken off his chilly desire to wed money by that wretched punch. Yet she still felt as if a great weight of sorrow was pressing down on her as they bade one another a stiff goodnight and parted as if they hardly knew each other.

And it was true; they did not. They knew nothing about one another despite two dramatic meetings now and a furtive kiss in the dark that almost became more. He obviously had no idea what she felt and thought when they were locked in each other’s arms like passionate lovers. She had not known how undone a man could be by a curious impulse and some mistaken matchmaking. But she did now. At the beginning of tonight she did not know how joyous and seductive and tempting a man’s kisses could be in the moonlight, but she certainly did now. She knew why dark, scented corners must always be avoided without the presence of a stern duenna and that a man could want a woman with every fibre of his being one moment and be stiff and sorry and shocked about what they had nearly led themselves into the next.

Well, if he regretted those at the time enchanted moments in Flora’s grotto he would never rue them as bitterly as she did. It would only have taken a faint promise to try to work out what it was that drew them together like stardust and champagne and she would be walking

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.