Dangerous Gifts by Mary Jo Putney Read Free Book Online Page B

that you are not forced to sit out this dance.”
    Her mouth curved. “I shall miss that fan,” she said as she drew on her gloves again. “It was a gift from my godmother.”
    “I foresee that I will miraculously find it later.” He placed her hand on his arm. “Naturally I must call on you tomorrow to return your fan. In gratitude, you will grant me a drive in the park.”
    She laughed buoyantly, loving the feeling of being swept along by the force of his interest. Why was it that behavior that might irritate her in another man simply made him more attractive? She set the thought aside for another day. What mattered now was this moment, and the excitement that bubbled through her veins like champagne.

    Leah did not have a chance to speak with her godmother until they were in the carriage on the way home. Lady Wheaton started the conversation by saying, “You’re bouncing like a kitten, child. I gather this is about Duncan Townley, since you shamelessly partnered him for two dances in a row.”
    “Am I that transparent?” Leah said with a laugh.
    “It’s one of your charms,” her godmother said gently. “I’m continually amazed that a girl with your beauty is as direct and unaffected as you.”
    Leah’s mouth twisted ruefully in the darkness. She was not sure that she deserved such a compliment, just as she felt that tributes to her beauty should go not to her but to the faery whose spell had created her appearance. But she could not say that to her godmother. “Captain Townley is a most attractive man,” she said truthfully. “Tell me about him. I found that he has no wish to discuss his heroic deeds.”
    “Duncan is the nephew and heir of an old beau of mine, Viscount Townley,” Lady Wheaton replied. “Though he was plain Will Townley then. We were quite infatuated for a time, but I wished to marry and he felt unready for such a commitment. So I accepted Wheaton, and Will went off to India. He was a great success there, I hear.”
    Wondering at the note she heard in her godmother’s voice, Leah asked, “Are you still in love with Lord Townley, Aunt Andrea?”
    “Nonsense,” Lady Wheaton said briskly. “Wheaton was the most doting of husbands. I’m very attached to my stepchildren, and I have a comfortable income and the use of Wheaton House for the rest of my life. Altogether it was a most satisfactory marriage.” Her voice softened. “Still, I do have fond memories of Will. I hear that he’s recently returned from India, so I expect that eventually we’ll see each other at some ball and laugh at just how young we once were.”
    To Leah, it seemed that perhaps her godmother protested a bit too much, but she did not pursue the point. “Have you known Duncan long?”
    “Since his christening. His parents lived not far from us in the country.”
    Leah leaned forward in her seat eagerly. “What was he like?”
    Lady Wheaton hesitated. “For all that he’s so handsome and dashing, the word that comes to mind is—sweet. He was the most agreeable boy. Intelligent—he always had a book. Kind. Reliable. A little shy. But I haven’t seen him since he came down from Cambridge. His parents died, and he went into the army and became that splendid masculine specimen that is coveted by every woman who sees him. He may be very different now from the boy I knew.”
    “Why is he considered a hero?”
    “At Waterloo, the French tried to break through the line where his regiment was stationed. All of the senior officers were killed or wounded in the first assault, leaving young Duncan in command. Though he was wounded himself, his courage and leadership prevented the enemy from breaking the line.”
    Leah nodded, understanding better why he disliked the label hero . It had been bought at a very high price. Proceeding to the critical question, she asked, “His affections are unattached?”
    “I believe so. As I said earlier, he has not been going about much in society. Dislikes being lionized, I