His Lady Mistress by Elizabeth Rolls Read Free Book Online Page B

but he couldn’t. Not until he had made quite sure that Selina was safe.
    A heavy weight descended on his shoulder accompanied by a satisfied snort. Adjusting his step to accommodate the mare’s head, he cast a sideways glance at her and rubbed thevelvety nose. ‘Comfortable? Anything else I can carry for you?’
    She whiffled contentedly.
    He shook his head and walked on, remembering the unridable filly he’d bought three years earlier. Mistrustful Fidget, as likely to bite a man as not, with her head on his shoulder like an overgrown spaniel.
    He’d tamed her. Why not Selina? He had rescued Fidget from a young idiot who was mistreating her brutally. Was Selina’s situation so very much different? He caught himself up with a rueful grin. Arrogant coxcomb! Selina was a girl, a woman. Not a filly.
    Fidget had been given no choice in her fate. Selina had every right to refuse. Fidget had learnt to trust him after he had taken her. Selina would have to learn before he took her, if she learnt at all. If she hadn’t been too badly hurt. His stomach clenched at the thought of what she’d likely been subjected to.
    He’d been invited to stay for a fortnight. He had just over a sennight left. That long to gain Selina’s trust—and affection.
    Affection? Where did that notion come from? Since when had he wanted affection from one of his mistresses? All he wanted from his mistresses was a couple of months of pure and simple pleasure. Three at the most. Well, maybe not pure. Very well, definitely not pure. But no more than three months. Not even from the loveliest of them. So there it was—he wanted Selina. Right down to her freckles.
    And if she didn’t want him?
    His whole being revolted at the thought. He took a deep breath. If she didn’t, he’d have to devise another way of protecting her. It crept into his mind that Selina would be very different from his previous mistresses. He had the oddest feeling that he might not want to let her go after three months.
    He pushed the thought away. He was being fanciful. Taking her as his mistress would be the easiest and most satisfactory way of protecting her. That was all.
     
    Hurrying along an upstairs corridor the following morning, Verity heard a breathless voice protesting.
    ‘No. Please, sir…you mustn’t…’
    She hesitated for a moment. She should be helping Celia get ready for the riding party…A sob of fright came, followed by a crash and a wail of despair. Anger burned away her hard-won caution. Hitching up her skirts, she broke into a run. Rounding the corner she found one of the younger maids, Sukey, crouched weeping over a tray of broken porcelain. Desperate fingers clawed uselessly at the shattered ruins.
    Godfrey stood there, an amused smile on his face. ‘Next time you’ll know better than to refuse, won’t you?’
    Verity felt sick. This would see Sukey dismissed. She turned on the man responsible like a tiger. ‘Leave her alone! Haven’t you done enough? Just go away!’
    She hurried to the distraught maid and bent down to help her, picking up the pieces. Godfrey loomed over both of them. Furious, Verity surged to her feet, a jagged shard of porcelain in her hand.
    ‘Were you looking for this? Go away!’
    He leapt back, swearing.
    ‘What is…my Sèvres !’
    Verity barely bit back a curse as she looked up to find Lady Faringdon, her face mottled with fury, staring down at the ruined tea service.
    She turned on the maid. ‘Out! Go and pack. I expect you out within—’
    ‘It wasn’t Sukey’s fault!’
    That halted Lady Faringdon’s tirade. Her eyes bored into Verity.
    Meeting her gaze unflinchingly, Verity lied shamelessly. The truth wouldn’t help. ‘I was in a hurry. I bumped Sukeyover as I came around the corner. It wasn’t her fault.’ Keep it simple. No explanations. Hopefully she won’t remember you were supposed to be going to Celia’s room—in the opposite direction.
    She held her breath.
    So, from his vantage point just