The Wanton Widow - A Regency Novella by McQueen Caylen

Author:McQueen, Caylen [McQueen, Caylen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2011-11-12T17:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seven

When he found her in Hyde Park, Edward thought she looked more beautiful than ever. Her dark tresses were hidden beneath a straw bonnet; apart from the few curled tendrils that framed her face. Her cheeks were tinted rouge, likely from the heat. In the light of the sun, her tawny eyes looked more warm and vibrant than ever.

“G-good day, Willow. It's l-lovely to see you again.” Every time he stuttered, Edward could feel himself wince. It had been two days since he had received any pinches from the beautiful widow, and he was out of practice.

But not anymore. She pinched his arm two times. “And you are looking handsome, Edward Harcourt.”

“And you're as beautiful as ever, Wilomena Worthington,” he fired back at her. “I l-like your bonnet.”

Another pinch.

“Thank you for the compliment, but I hardly think it's anything special,” Willow said. “I keep asking Philip to take me to a milliner. Unfortunately, I don't think having a fashionable mistress is very high on his list of priorities.”

“If you were with me, you would be my only priority.”

Willow could feel her cheeks getting warmer. His words were innocent enough, but did he have any idea what sort of effect they had on her? Ignoring the pangs of her heart, Willow took him by the arm and proceeded to guide him in the direction of the greenery. “Well... if I'm a bit drab, perhaps it is for the best. I would not want to outshine your Miss Abrahms.”

“You could never be drab, Willow.”

“Nor could she be outshone, I am sure.” When he didn't respond, Willow assumed it was true. “So, where might we find your Miss Abrahms?”

“She is hardly my Miss Abrahms,” Edward said with a chuckle.

“Oh, but you wish she was... do you not? And I am sure she will be, if you play your cards carefully.”

“I am not so certain of that. I have a lot of competition.”

Willow tried to ignore the voice in the back of her head, the voice that was hoping he would fail. Did she really want him to sweep Jane Abrahms off of her feet? Hardly! Though she said she wanted to help him, Willow secretly wanted him to fail. Her contradictory thoughts had her feeling incredibly wicked. Nevertheless, she could only imagine how jealous she would be to see another woman in his arms.

Jealous? At what point had she allowed jealousy into her heart? It was ludicrous. It wasn't as if she wanted Edward Harcourt for herself.

Did she?!

Edward spoke again, simultaneously breaking the silence and interrupting her unwelcome thoughts. “As for where me might find Miss Abrahms... I have no clue. I was hoping we might wander around and happen upon her.”

“And the likelihood of that is very slight,” Willow said. “Hyde Park is enormous!”

“True. But I feel as if fate is on my side today. In the meantime, I have your company to enjoy.”

“Do you enjoy my company, Edward?”

“Most definitely. I always enjoy your company, Willow,” Edward insisted. “I trust Lord

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.