Midnight Pleasures by Eloisa James Read Free Book Online Page B

I’m not ashamed of her.”
    “It’s not a question of your shame,” Alex put in. “One would hate to offend the feelings of your future wife. When Lady Sophie becomes your countess, she might meet your mistress face to face every week.”
    “That’s why I picked Sophie York,” Braddon said triumphantly. “She’s up to snuff. It won’t bother her at all. In fact, I have a mind to introduce them, after a bit of time has passed.”
    Patrick stared at him, nonplussed. His old friend had finally lost his mind. That was the only explanation. Who would want a mistress when he could have Sophie?
    And Sophie! What would happen to her when her mutton-brained husband started flaunting his mistress all over the street? Patrick’s chest tightened to think of it. He cast a wild glance at his brother.
    “I’ve seen quite a bit of Sophie York in the last year,” Alex said rather slowly. “She is my wife’s closest friend, you know. I wouldn’t describe her as worldly. If anything, she is remarkably naive for a woman who has been out for two years.”
    “She may be naive,” Braddon replied with some impatience, “although I don’t believe it myself. You must have heard the tales about her—my God, you’d think she’d kissed every man in London. Not that I care. Anyway, she may be naive, but she’s certainly knowing when it comes to marriage. Look at her own father! She can’t have missed his activities.
    “And I do not intend to be anything like her father. Madeleine wouldn’t want to go to society affairs. She’s not that sort of woman. So I won’t be waltzing around the ballroom in front of my wife with my mistress. In fact, I foresee a very peaceful home life. I will be careful not to embarrass Sophie or demand too much. I’ll go my own way, after the heir, and we will stay friends. After all, ladies don’t like to have children, ruins their figures. Maybe we’ll be lucky, have a set of twins like you on the first go-around, and then we wouldn’t have to bother anymore.
    “Doesn’t that sound like a good plan, Patrick?” Braddon looked at him appealingly.
    Patrick’s eyes glowered at him with an unmistakable threat. He said nothing.
    After a second Braddon’s lips quivered into an unmistakable pout. “You’re a dog in the manger! A dog in the bloody manger! You didn’t want Arabella anymore—bloody hell, you went right off and left her at a house party without even saying good-bye. And you didn’t come back for six days. Six bloody days! What’d you expect? You didn’t care at the time, so why do you care when I leave her?”
    “Why the devil would I care whether you left Arabella?” Patrick shouted back. “This has nothing to do with Arabella!” His words rolled around the empty ballroom. He was blazing with rage.
    Braddon jumped to his feet, taking a few agitated steps. “Then why are you so angry at me? What do you care whether I set up a mistress, if you’ve never even seen Madeleine before?”
    Patrick blinked. He was conscious of his brother’s interested gaze from his right. What a mess.
    “I care,” he said, picking his words carefully, “how you treat Sophie York.”
    “You are a dog in the manger!” Braddon burst out, his eyes bulging a little with anger. “I know you didn’t offer for her! I heard all about you groping Sophie in an empty room, and then you didn’t think she was good enough for you! Well, I don’t have your standards, Patrick Foakes. Sophie’s good enough for me.”
    Even Braddon’s foolish long face could gain a bit of dignity in a pinch, Alex thought cheerfully, crossing his legs.
    Patrick came to his feet in an instant. “You blithering idiot!” he shouted back. “I offered for her, you ass. I offered for her!”
    There was a moment of silence. Braddon blinked at him, biting his lower lip. Which only increased his likeness to a bulldog, in Alex’s uncharitable opinion.
    “You offered for her? You? And she wouldn’t have you?”
    Patrick