Pokrewne

Start
Chelsea Handler Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang (epub
Brit Brinson [Dia of the Dead Dia of the Dead (epub)
Cody Goodfellow [Radiant Dawn Radiant Dawn (epub)
Cate Tiernan [Immortal Belove Immortal Beloved (epub)
C J Busby [Deep Amber 01] Deep Amber (retail) (epub)
Carl Ashmore [Time Hunters 01 The Time Hunters (epub)
Drew Hayes [Super Powereds 02 Super Powereds Year 2 (epub) i
Beth Harbison [Shoe Addict 02 Secrets of a Shoe Addict (epub)
Cara Lynn Shultz [Dark World The Dark World (retail) (epub)
Cook 01 Sweet Silver Blues

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
."It will be a relief not to spend all Season accosted by boring and dull n’er-do-wells.""I will marry him.It’s all right," Cassandra forced herself to say.She couldn’t allow Chastity to think there was any doubt in her mind about marrying a complete stranger.An impoverished son of a duke, no less, with little to his name besides a strong jaw and hypnotic eyes, from what she could tell.Although his friendship with Lord Willoughby certainly placed him in pleasant enough company."Is it really all right?" Chastity asked."Yes," Cassandra lied."Why not him? At least he and your affianced are friends.What better could I do?" Her happiness was one thing.The happiness of her sister and Lord Willoughby was another.Chastity and Lord Willoughby couldn’t possibly marry if the Drummond sisters endured another taint beyond their impoverished origins.She knew it.Chastity knew it, too.While she loved her sister for her implied sacrifice, she loved her too well to let her make it."But I am worried…about…tonight." She inclined her head."The wedding night.""Oh—the wedding…well…um….You’ll be fine." Chastity smiled, but the words were forced from between tight, thin lips."Have you…?" Cassandra didn’t know which words to use.Made love? How absurd when she had known Gray for a grand total of two minutes.How could she be expected to be so intimate with a total stranger?"Of course not! We haven’t married." Chastity shook her head, but her cheeks burned red."But there are other things we’ve tried…rest assured, very little talking is required, so you won’t need to worry about your silent affliction."Cassandra took in this information, not sure whether it was good or bad.It felt as if her sister had a secret, and for a moment she felt as distant from Chastity as ever."How fare your negotiations for the shipping route to the East?" she asked, for if there was one thing that brought her and her sister together, it was the fate of Drummond Shipping, with her sister wearing the business hat and she herself wearing the engineering one."Not good," her sister said grimly."Without that route, we have no hope of competing with the other companies, who will be able to shave at least a week off their sailing time.""What does that mean for us?"Chastity forced another smile to her face."It means nothing, dearest.Nothing matters today but your wedding."It was Chastity’s way of saying it meant everything, but that for now, they would pretend and Cassandra was game to pretend with her."Let’s make our way to the aisle.""In a moment," Chastity said."I have an errand to perform."* * *"A drink?" Lucas Willoughby asked.Gray shook his head.Drink was what had gotten him into this mess.Had he not been drinking, he would have recognized his late-night visitor for what she was and promptly called for a chaperone.Or would he have? Would he really have denied himself a moment alone with such a vision?"You have to go through with this," his friend said."I know." Gray felt piqued at Lucas’s visible relief.He might be impoverished, but he was still a gentleman and Lucas should have known there would be no risk of his withdrawal."She’s a good sort, at least.Nice.Very affectionate to her sister.Level-headed.""And rich," Gray said bitterly.So rich she did not need him except to save her reputation.So rich it was clear he was bringing nothing to their marriage.Not earning his keep in any way.He was finally living his worst fear.He was doing exactly what his father wanted: marrying for money.You’ll never be anything more than a rich woman’s kept man.I thank your mother for your wretched face, which will make it easy."Yes, she is rich, not that she cares for it.Miss Cassandra is happiest when she’s engaged in engineering experiments.Chastity claims it’s Miss Cassandra’s designs that have brought Drummond Shipping to such heights.""I will have that drink after all." Gray grabbed the glass from Lucas’s hand and swallowed its contents in one gulp.So she was intelligent, too, and had proven her value immeasurably to her father’s company.Could it get any worse?"I must warn you…she has a reputation.""For what?" Gray asked—never say for philandering? He couldn’t believe that of her, although he’d seen her for only five minutes before Lady Chesterley had whisked her away on the eve of his proposal, shouting, "Of course she’ll marry you," before Cassandra could say yes or no.Even now he felt his fist tighten and wanted to lay it across Lucas’s jaw for even implying anything untoward about her."For being aloof—perhaps a bit strange."Gray held back a smile.He was no stranger to strange."I’ve gleaned from her sister that Miss Cassandra detests social settings and is a bit of a shut-in.I must warn you—she’s barely said ten words to me.If not for Chastity, I would have assumed she was addled instead of brilliant."So his Cassandra was like her Greek counterpart.What an enigma, this woman.The clearing of a throat caused both men to turn to the open doorway.Gray took in his first sight of his intended’s sister.She was a slightly shorter version of Cassandra, with blue eyes instead of catlike green, and frizzy hair."Might I have a word?" she asked."Of course," he said.Gray watched Lucas’s face soften as he gazed at his betrothed.He and Lucas were cut from the same cloth—poor sorts whose only use was their good humor.Now Lucas was titled, compliments of his brother, and soon to be wealthy, compliments of his fiancée, yet no one would accuse him of being the sort to rely on others [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]