AllFreeNovel
Share Us
He reached the main drawing room, set up with a lavish buffet. Tables, covered in starched white linen and topped with silver candelabra circled by festive wreaths of holly and ivy, were grouped around the center of the room. All were occupied, as were the settees and upholstered benches—decorated with red and green velvet ribbons—tucked against the walls. Most of the younger ladies had taken to the settees, drinking champagne punch and fluttering their fans at the gentlemen who strolled by.
It was all so boring that he’d rather wrestle a bear in the middle of the Canadian wilderness.
He was about to retreat when he finally spotted Donella. She was standing quietly behind a large potted palm, doing her best to blend into the foliage. It was a hopeless attempt, because she was absolutely the prettiest girl at the party, though she generally downplayed her looks.
Not this night. Her plush velvet gown, which matched the color of her extraordinary eyes, hugged her gentle curves and displayed an enticing amount of bosom. Of course he’d known Donella had breasts; he’d just never seen much of them. Now that he had, his brain—and the rest of him—made the split-second decision it wanted to see more.
Much more.
Her slim neck and creamy shoulders were also on ample display, since her gleaming hair was swept off her neck and captured in a velvet bandeau. Logan’s hands tingled with the need to explore that smooth, freckle-dusted skin and dip down below the gold trimmed edge of her bodice. She would have lovely soft nipples, rose colored, that would grow dusky and hard under his fingertips.
That wouldn’t be the only thing growing hard if he persisted in this line of thought. If he didn’t wish to erect a tent-pole under his kilt, he’d best get his idiotic brain under control. Wooing Donella was the first order of business, and she would be decidedly unimpressed with rampant displays of masculine lust.
Seeing her as she was tonight, though, would certainly make it harder to keep his hands to himself.
Telling his blasted cock to stay down, he started to make his way over to her odd hiding place. As he got closer, however, it became clear why she was standing in the shadows, as still as a marble statue. She was as pale as one too, but for the angry flush coloring her cheekbones.
“Oh, my dear,” said an attractive blond girl, seated on the bench in front of the large palm. “Surelyyou’ve heard about Donella Haddon and her mother. It’soutrageous.”
Her companion, a young woman with a large feathered fan, leaned closer and flapped like a deranged parrot. “Not a word. Do tell.”
“You mustn’t say anything, because I promised Mrs. . . . er, the person who told me . . . that I wouldn’t breathe a word.”
“My lips are sealed,” her friend solemnly affirmed.
Anger started a slow burn in Logan’s gut. While Donella was obviously too embarrassed to do anything about the gossiping chits, he certainly wasn’t.
But as he started forward, her glance darted over to meet his. She shook her head in clear warning. When he lifted an inquiring brow, she waved a hand, telling him to retreat.
No bloody way.
Since it was obvious she didn’t want him interfering, he simply held his ground, biding his time.
“From what I heard,” said the blond girl, “there wasquitea horrendous scandal. And Lord Riddick was forced to cover it up withquitea bit of money.”
The fan lady all but flapped up a gale. “You mean a scandal about Miss Haddon’s mother? What happened?”
“It had to do with Miss Haddon’s betrothal to Captain Gilbride. Which wasquiteanother scandal, you know. Apparently, he didn’t wish to marry her, so he ran away.”
“I know that,” Fan Lady said impatiently. “Then he came back ten years later with Eden Whitney. Imagine, bringing home the girl you intend to marry, right under your fiancée’s nose.”
“Yes, but that’s not the truly shocking part.”
“It seemsquiteshocking to me. I heard she became his lover, even before he broke if off with Miss Haddon.”
Logan’s anger flared hotter. They were gossiping about their host and hostess, whose hospitality they were happy to accept all while spreading ugly rumors about them.
As if sensing his fury, Donella again glanced over and gave a firm shake of her head.Trust me,she mouthed.
Logan answered with a terse nod, even though it went against every instinct.
“And Mrs. Gilbride is from London, you know,” Fan Lady added. “She had quite the reputation before she arrived in Scotland.”
“True, but that’s not the really scandalous part,” said the blonde. “It’s the business after Miss Haddon broke off the engagement. Apparently, her brother challenged Captain Gilbride to a duel and almost killed him.”
Donella rolled her eyes. Clearly, nothing of the sort had happened, or Logan would have heard about it, too.
“One can hardly blame her brother,” said Fan Lady, looking dubious. “But I don’t know about the almost-killing part. Gilbride and Miss Whitney were married only a few weeks after the betrothal was broken off.”
