Bedding Lord Ned by Sally Mackenzie Read Free Book Online Page A

Er. Well.”
    â€œSpeechless, eh?”
    She nodded. It seemed the only response.
    â€œI often have that effect on women.” Mr. Humphrey’s narrow lips twisted into a self-satisfied smirk.
    â€œAnd what effect would that be?” Ned said from behind her.
    Ellie spun around, catching her heel in her skirt. She would have fallen if Ned’s hand hadn’t shot out to grasp her elbow, steadying her.
    She shook off his hold immediately; she couldn’t risk falling under his spell again. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people that way, Lord Edward.”
    He gave her a puzzled, almost hurt, look, but his face hardened when he shifted his attention to Mr. Humphrey. “Is this man annoying you, Ellie?”
    Oh, dear, his voice had that edge to it. Even as a boy, he’d fly to defend whomever he believed to be the injured party in a confrontation. If he thought Mr. Humphrey had insulted her, he could make things very unpleasant.
    Lovely. That would be all they needed—Ned and the mole getting into a drawing room brawl, though given the vast difference in their size and strength, the battle wouldn’t last long.
    â€œOf course not. This is Mr. Humphrey, Ned. He has just inherited an estate in Devon.” She turned back to the mole. “Mr. Humphrey; Lord Edward.”
    â€œSo why isn’t he in Devon?” Ned said, looking at the mole as if the man was indeed a member of the vermin class.
    Mr. Humphrey’s face turned an unpleasant shade of white, and his small eyes grew as wide as they could behind his spectacles. His Adam’s apple bobbed spasmodically.
    â€œBecause your mother invited him to the house party, of course,” Ellie hissed. “And I’m sure she expects you to make him feel welcome.”
    â€œNot if he’s insulting you.”
    â€œHe’s not insulting me.”
    Mr. Humphrey finally found his voice. “Of course I am not insulting Miss Bowman, Lord Edward. On the contrary, I was about to”— Oh, God, the man could not mean to tell Ned he was going to —“offer her the honor of being my—”
    Ellie trod as hard as she could on Mr. Humphrey’s foot.
    â€œOuch!”
    â€œOh, I’m so sorry, sir.” She refused to look at Ned. “I can’t believe I was so clumsy.”
    Mr. Humphrey smiled, though his expression looked a bit forced. “Quite all right, my dear.” She could feel Ned bristle at the “my dear.” “No harm done. As I was saying—”
    Thank God the duchess came back then; she’d sent the duke, a large glass of Madeira in hand, off to join the party by the fire. “Ned, I see you’ve met Mr. Humphrey.”
    â€œYes.” Ned sounded rather surly.
    His mother beamed at him. “Splendid. Then if you’ll excuse us, I should make Mr. Humphrey known to the others.” She took the mole by the arm. “This way, sir.”
    Mr. Humphrey was no match for the duchess; he meekly allowed himself to be led away.
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    The moment the fellow was out of earshot—not that Ned gave a damn whether Humphrey heard him or not—Ned turned to Ellie. “That idiot wasn’t proposing to you, was he?”
    Ellie flushed. “N-no.”
    â€œBut he’s going to, isn’t he?”
    Ellie wouldn’t meet his eye. “Perhaps.”
    â€œGood God, he just met you.”
    She glanced up at his face and then quickly away. “Maybe he was taken with my great beauty.”
    He heard the sarcasm in her tone and opened his mouth to continue the joke, but something about the way she was holding herself so stiffly stopped him.
    What was the matter? Cicely had been very sensitive—he’d learned to choose his words carefully with her—but this was Ellie. He and she had joked and teased about everything for years, like brother and sister. Ellie didn’t care about things like physical beauty. Just look at the