The Redwyck Charm by Elena Greene

Author:Elena Greene
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2014-07-09T21:00:00+00:00

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Marcus endured Miss Hutton’s cold looks as he bade her and her grandfather farewell, and saw them and the Plumbrooks to their carriages. He would not place even the smallest of wagers on the chance of her anger cooling by morning, when he was pledged to visit the Huttons again.

As the coaches drove off, he came back to the entrance hall, to find Mama smiling at him tenderly.

“Well, my darling, I suspect it will take a few more minutes for your servants to get a bedchamber ready for me, and for Dora to unpack my things. Let us go back to the drawing room and sit down, so you can tell me the whole story.”

The whole story flashed through his mind, which boggled at the thought of relating it to his mother.

“Come, you know I am not easily shocked, dear. Can you not see I am positively dying to hear about your lovely Miss Hutton?”

“Yes, Mama, I can see that,” he said, taking her arm to lead her back to the drawing room. “I would rather know why you have arrived here at such an hour.”

As he had hoped, the question diverted her. She smiled coyly as she replied.

“The Plumbrooks were coming down for the Season, and were kind enough to offer me a seat in their coach. Then we were delayed by the rain.”

“Yes, but you know that is not what I asked, Mama. Why have you come to London?”

“Mr. Wilson at the Minerva Press has expressed an interest in The Perils of Francesca!”

“That is excellent!” he said. “But I am not at all surprised. I knew all you had to do to engage their interest was to complete the story.”

“So sweet of you to have such faith in me, my darling son. However, the terms Mr. Wilson offered were so paltry that I thought it would be better to come in person to negotiate with him rather than to do so through correspondence.”

They entered the drawing room, and Mama sat down. Marcus went back to stand by the fire, shaken by the thought of what had transpired in this room, how the warm, passionate Juliette had suddenly transformed herself into the cold, contemptuous Miss Hutton. He still found it difficult to reconcile the two; he felt as if he had tried to seduce a stranger.

“Did you hear what I said, Marcus?”

He wrenched his thoughts away from Juliette—Miss Hutton—and back to his mother.

“I am sorry, Mama. What did you say?”

“I was telling you how I planned to manage things with Mr. Wilson. But I see your mind is more interestingly occupied. I cannot blame you, darling. She is delightful!”

“She is furious with me.”

“She has spirit as well as beauty—just the sort of girl I would have chosen for you. By the way, I think you handled the situation beautifully.”

“I could not allow them all to coerce her into marriage with me. You do believe me when I say I had no plan to compromise her?” He flushed as he asked the question.

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