If I Had You by Heather Hiestand Read Free Book Online Page A

her employer’s gaze. “If you mean Peter Eyre, he already has a mistress. Miss Plash. She lives on this floor.”
    â€œWhy is she still a miss, I wonder, at her age? Did she revert to her old name after a divorce?”
    â€œFiancé killed very early in the war. Or so the rumor goes.”
    â€œOh, she’s not so much younger than I am. She should have been married before that.”
    â€œThat’s all I know. Our chambermaid told me. I was asking questions because I was concerned about Mrs. Plash. She was very confused the other night. Talking to a fern, that sort of thing.”
    â€œGoodness,” Sybil said. “With such distractions as that, it should not be too hard to knock Miss Plash out of the running.”
    â€œBut how old is Mr. Eyre?” She thought him to be about the same age as Ivan. Much too young for Sybil.
    Sybil set down her lipstick. “It hardly matters. I’m not looking for a husband. But I’ll need you to lie for me, whenever I’m missing.”
    Alecia chose her words carefully. “What do you want me to say?”
    â€œThat I’m beautifying. Men always believe that. It’s so often true.”
    â€œI should say something like you are having a manicure somewhere new?” She opened Sybil’s manicure case and set the tools to rights.
    â€œOr I’m on a quest for the newest lipstick shade. Only inexpensive things. Do not panic my husband.”
    â€œOf course not.”
    Sybil picked up a gold and red enamel bracelet and slipped it on one arm, then held it up for admiration. “I must say, I’m surprised you are going along with this so easily.”
    â€œI knew theatrical folk were different,” Alecia said. “And London isn’t Bagshot.”
    â€œSteer clear of Mr. Marvin at any rate. You don’t have to think he’ll need a substitute for me. I’ll keep my end up in my marriage. I just want to have a little fun. Being married to an older man can be such a bore at times.”
    â€œYes, of course.” Alecia took the jewel case that Sybil handed her. “I’ll take this down to the safe.”
    â€œThank you.” Sybil looked up with a broad, happy smile as the door to the adjoining room opened and Richard came in. She accepted his kiss on her cheek.
    â€œVery nice, poppet. You’ll be a shoo-in for the part.”
    â€œThe understudy part.” Faint wrinkles showed on Sybil’s upper lip as she pouted.
    â€œYou’ll have your chance to go on stage. Meanwhile, we have this command performance to consider.” Richard checked his arms in the mirror and turned one of his square gold cuff links.
    Alecia left the room as silently as she dared. She’d thought the pair completely attuned. Perhaps they were, but only in matters of business. They did have separate bedrooms, even in an expensive hotel, and had been married for seventeen years. Did all marriages go this way?
    She did wonder, though, what would happen to her position if the affair was discovered, along with her part in helping it along. She might end up returning to Bagshot sooner than she’d like.
    While she went down the five flights of stairs to the lobby, she had time to think. In general, long marriage or not, she was horrified by Sybil’s behavior, or at least how she planned to behave. Alecia’s cheeks heated at the thought. She didn’t know much about sex, but at least she knew a little about kissing now. She suspected Ivan was good at it. Did he have a sex life?
    Oh, don’t think about that. Once she started she wouldn’t be able to think about anything else. Some modern girl she was. But what lay underneath that handsome uniform? A broad chest? Muscled arms? Toned thighs?
    She swallowed hard as she reached the door to the main floor, panting audibly. It was the stairs. She needed to take more exercise. A long walk every day. Yes, that was the ticket. Or dancing.
    She