Never Miss a Chance by Maureen Driscoll Read Free Book Online

the duke pulled her into his arms.
    And that was all it took for the strong, independent and
brave young lady named for England’s most powerful queen to break down into
silent tears.
    *                    *                    *
    Riverton knew he should leave, that he was intruding on a
family’s crisis.  But he couldn’t depart.  Not yet.
    He’d been aware of Lizzie’s presence all evening long, from
the moment she’d arrived in the ballroom, through her flirting with that damned
Stalford, to putting up with Gwendolyn Bossert’s impertinence.   He’d been
aware of the leers sent her way, the tittering behind fans.  He’d wanted to
rail at the whole lot of them, a room full of fools who weren’t fit to breathe
the same air as Lizzie.  Yet, he knew he’d been the biggest fool.  In love with
a woman he could never have. 
    So when Lady Willoughby had approached him, brushing her
breast provocatively against his arm, he’d been glad for the distraction, even
though it hadn’t diverted his attention from Lizzie for a single moment.  He’d
been surprised to see her speaking to Sir John, and he should’ve prevented them
from going out to the terrace.  But he hadn’t dreamed the insolent pup would dare
try to kiss her.  
    He could’ve prevented the whole catastrophe, if only he
hadn’t been trying so hard to disguise his feelings.
    He’d wanted to rip Sir John apart with his bare hands when
he’d seen Lizzie’s torn gown and the distress she was trying so hard not to
show to others.  He was caught up in anger not just at Sir John, but at himself
for not protecting her.  It was the sole reason he was even at the damned
ball.  How had he failed so spectacularly?
    But his worst failing was that in the midst of trying to
protect her, of taking her away to safety, he’d been lost in a sea of lust.  If
he hadn’t kept himself across the carriage from her, he would’ve had her in his
arms.  And, God, when the jacked slipped and he’d seen that beautiful, full
breast with just a hint of rose-colored nipple, it was all he could do not to
bring his mouth down on hers and whisk her away to spend the night in his bed.
    In some ways, he was no better than Sir John Matthews.
    And that was a painful truth to swallow.
    *                    *                    *
    When Lynwood finally pulled back from his embrace, Arthur
and Hal both held her close.  Riverton wanted to touch her, just to assure
himself that she was all right.  But he knew the folly of that.  If even a hint
of his feelings showed on his face, Arthur and Hal would be fighting over who would
run him through first.  The best he could do was look at her from across the
room.  It wasn’t enough.  It would never be enough.  But it was all honor would
allow him to have.  Their eyes met for just the briefest of moments, then
Riverton looked away.
    “Liam, you must know that I didn’t mean for any of this to
happen,” said Lizzie quietly.  “The treatise was one thing, but I would
never….”
    “We know,” said Lynwood comfortingly as he led her to the
settee.  “We know you’d never do anything like that.  Riverton filled us in on
the details.  Now all we have to do is determine what happens next.”
    “I won’t marry Sir John,” said Lizzie, regaining her
composure.  “I’d rather die a spinster in the dower house at Lynwood.”
    “I don’t think anything that drastic is in order,” said
Lynwood with a brief smile.
    “Oh, I don’t know,” said Arthur, as he patted her shoulder
on his way to get another drink.  “It might be an excellent place to spend a
few months, reflecting on the scare she gave us and in light of that dreadful
treatise.”  He gave a dramatic shiver.  “Giving women the right to vote,
indeed.  You might as well make it a requirement for cats to wear evening clothes.”
    “Perhaps you’d like to take a sabbatical