Catch a Falling Heiress: An American Heiress in London by Laura Lee Guhrke Read Free Book Online Page B

woman’s honor at all. I just provided the excuse for you to make him lose his temper so you could strike him.”
    Featherstone didn’t deny it. “Well, he’s such an ass, he makes the temptation irresistible. And it’s so easy to provoke him, too, rather like taking candy from a baby.”
    “But far more immoral.”
    Something hard glittered behind the amusement in those dark eyes. “I am not the immoral party in this situation, Miss Holland, trust me.”
    “Trust you?” Linnet raked an icy glance over him, making no effort to hide her disdain. “I would sooner trust a snake.”
    “Poor choice of words given the circumstances, I admit.” He flashed her a grin that only slightly softened the hardness of his gaze. “But nonetheless, let me assure you that Frederick Van Hausen is not worthy of your defense. Or your hand in marriage, for that matter.”
    “That was not for you to decide.”
    “I beg to differ.”
    “Why?” she demanded in baffled fury. “Why would you do this? You don’t even know me.”
    “No.” He paused, and his grin vanished as he glanced with obvious contempt at the unconscious man on the floor. “But I know him.”
    “Because of a few short weeks’ acquaintance in Newport?”
    “It’s a longer acquaintanceship than that, Miss Holland. I first met Mr. Van Hausen almost a year ago.”
    At that new information, Linnet felt another glimmer of uneasiness, but she pushed it aside. “And I’ve known Frederick my entire life. I would say I am a far better judge of his character than you are.”
    “Since you are actually considering marrying him, I doubt it.”
    “Indeed? And just what deficiencies in his character enable you to determine that he is unworthy to marry a woman you don’t even know?”
    Featherstone did not reply at once, and when at last he spoke, his answer was no answer at all. “I am afraid I cannot say.”
    “You cannot say?” she echoed, and gave a laugh of utter disbelief, not just at his words, but also at how this whole evening was turning out. “You interrupted another man’s proposal of marriage, baited him, humiliated him, and struck him unconscious. In the process, you also humiliated me and ruined what could have been one of the most beautiful moments of my life. And you cannot even say why?”
    “No. With regret, I cannot.”
    Linnet wanted to tell him what he could do with his regret, but much to her aggravation, she couldn’t think of a reply scathing enough for the situation, so she forced herself to don an air of dignified composure she was far from feeling. “Frederick may need medical attention. I believe I saw Dr. Madison in the ballroom. I shall fetch him.”
    “And when he asks how Van Hausen came to be in this state, and how you know of it, what will you say? Shall you tell him about your midnight rendezvous?”
    There was a nuance of concern beneath the careless voice and offhand question that caused Linnet to stop in surprise halfway to the door. She turned to give him a searching glance over her shoulder, but his lean impassive face gave nothing away, and she wondered if she’d been mistaken, for she couldn’t imagine why this man would be concerned by gossip about her and Frederick. “A doctor knows how to be discreet, I would say,” she said at last, still watching him.
    “You can’t be sure of that, though, can you? What if word gets out?”
    She hated being the subject of gossip, but she could see no way to prevent it. “It doesn’t matter anyway,” she pointed out, “since I shall be accepting Frederick’s proposal at the first opportunity.”
    “I was afraid you’d say that,” he said with a sigh. “Miss Holland, marrying him would be the worst mistake you could make.”
    “And yet you cannot explain why that is so.”
    He didn’t reply, and she once again started toward the door, but she’d taken just one step when an unmistakable voice called to her through the doorway.
    “Linnet? Linnet, where are