Her Reluctant Groom by Rose Gordon Read Free Book Online

that dratted lemonade wasn't because I didn't want to kiss you, but because I need those gowns.” She came up on her toes and softly pressed her supple lips against his rough cheek.
     
     
     

 
     
    Chapter 4
     
     
    Emma's cheeks burned with embarrassment. She had no idea what had come over her and moved her to kiss him like that. Not that she regretted it; she didn't. However, that still didn't change the fact that she was standing inches in front of him and his big body was blocking the only exit, making it impossible for her to run down the hall and hide.
    She chanced a quick peek at his grey eyes. They were staring straight at her, making her cheeks burn more. “I—I'll be in th-the drawing room,” she stammered, hoping he'd let her by.
    He sidestepped to the left and she hastily quit the room, mentally chastising herself for kissing him. Her sister had caused him a lifetime's worth of grief and embarrassment with all her female games years ago. He must think her no different now that she'd kissed him like that. But, oh how she was different. Unlike Louise, Emma truly loved Marcus. She always had. She hated that her sister treated him so poorly. Not just for jilting him—for everything. For all the stupid games she'd played with him before jilting him. Louise had treated him horribly, and Emma had no doubt he'd always hold her at arm's length because of it. Kissing him would likely result in his complete avoidance of her.
    She sighed. Did it really matter? He'd never wish to marry her anyway. She needed to stop hoping that he'd one day notice her and accept the reality of becoming a governess.
    Being a governess was not what all little girls dreamed about for themselves for when they became adults. No, little girls dreamed of marriage to an honorable man—it was a boon if he was titled, of course. Young ladies also dreamed of marriage, otherwise they wouldn't attend endless balls and musicales and routs in order to find a husband. Spinsters dreamed of being governesses. Those were the unfortunate young ladies who had passed their prime and saw they had no place on the marriage mart. They didn’t wish to become a rich man's mistress; nor did they wish to knit and embroider with an old woman while she yelled, stomped her cane, and made them do everything for her because they were her “companion”.
    After Emma’s parents died eight years ago, Gregory, Louise's husband, had become Emma's guardian until her twenty-first birthday. What she didn't realize was Gregory freely dipped into the account that was to be her dowry, and by the time she was one-and-twenty the money was gone. She had continued to live with Louise and Gregory because she had nowhere else to go.
    Following her parents’ deaths, Gregory had inherited the small cottage near Ridge Water in which she and Louise had grown up. Most of the year, Emma lived there and kept it running smoothly in exchange for a paltry allowance. Now that Gregory and Louise had made their intentions of disassociating with her clear, the hope of ever seeing that cottage again was gone, let alone living there. That only left being a governess.
    Compared to how she'd been treated by Louise and Gregory, she'd gladly embrace life as a governess.
    Now all she had to do was wait for Lord Drakely's reply.
    Emma kicked her slippers off and propped a pillow under her head. Living in the country for so much of her life, she'd never been one to stay up too terribly late. She closed her eyes and thought to take a quick nap while she waited for Marcus to let her know Drake’s decision.
    A little while later, the door creaked open, followed by Marcus’ uneven steps. Emma smiled. The poor man couldn't sneak up on anybody with how loud his footsteps were.
    “ Emma,” he whispered, leaning down to smooth back her hair.
    She opened her eyes and looked at him. The few candles she'd lit before lying down had burned out, and the only source of light was the moon flooding in from the open