Newport Summer by Nikki Poppen Read Free Book Online

clean scent of sandalwood soap, the starched linen
of his evening clothes, and of much else. Beneath the finery of a gentleman, she was keenly aware of the raw, unbridled maleness of him.
    She wondered what price the earl would extract for
keeping their secret. A stolen kiss, perhaps? Audrey felt
her pulse speed at the thought of the earl’s firm mouth on
hers. The image was oddly appealing, sending a warm
thrill shooting to her belly.
    Gannon laughed at the look on her face, thankfully
misunderstanding the reason for it. “Don’t worry. What I
ask for is a little thing.” He borrowed her words. “I want
a waltz with you tonight.”
    Most of dinner was spent on the usual questions.
Which part of England did he come from? What kind
of home did he have? And that was where the conversation stayed for a very long time. Gannon Maddox was
clearly devoted to his home and to the two younger
siblings in his care. Audrey could see that her parents
were impressed with his descriptions of his home and
countryside. Her father was intrigued with the level of
Gannon’s knowledge on farming and agricultural advancements.
    But where they saw an interesting Englishman, she
saw red flags. If Gannon Maddox loved his estate so much, worried over his summer crops endlessly, and
missed his family, why was he here instead of there?

    Audrey thought the answer was fairly straightforward. He was heiresshunting in spite of his lack of
mentioning it on the beach. Her original anger flared
again, and conspiracies began to form in her mind. Had
he known who she was beforehand? Had he gone down
to the beach on purpose to corner her? Had he hoped to
compromise her? Did he still mean to, regardless of the
promise he’d made her? Worse, did she mind as much
as she should?
    Common sense told her she should mind very much.
Audrey knew her mother. If Gannon so much as mentioned their encounter to her parents, they’d be married
before either one of them could blink, and while that
might suit Gannon’s purposes, it did not suit hers. If he
needed a fortune, compromising her would be the shortest distance to the goal.
    The thought brought on a renewed sense of panic, her
thoughts coming full circle. How could she have been so
foolish as to entertain his company that afternoon when
she was so close to achieving her dream of Vienna? She
could stand to lose it all.
    The room pressed around her, hot and loud with a
thousand conversations. The excellent lobster stuck in
her throat. She rose hastily, thinking only that she had
to get out of the room. “Please, excuse me. I need some
air.” She was clumsy in her efforts to extricate herself
from the closely spaced tables and chairs. Her elegant Worth train got in her way, and she stumbled. Tears
burned her eyes.

    “Please, let me assist you,” a quiet voice said by her
side, a strong hand cupping her elbow. It was Gannon,
and at the moment, she had no choice but to rely on him
to steer her through the room. “Just walk with me, a few
more steps, now a few more,” he coached close to her
ear, his voice pleasantly comforting. Within moments he
had them outside and found them a bench in the coolness
of the night air.
    “Are you all right, Audrey?” he asked, paying no attention to her earlier request to call her Miss St. Clair.
He pressed a handkerchief into her hand. “You’re shaking. Are you cold?”
    His evening jacket was off before she could answer,
neatly draped around her shoulders.
    She breathed deeply. The garment smelled of him,
the sandalwood she’d noted earlier. She took another
breath, feeling the air start to calm her. “I’m sorry to be
a bother. I just felt sick for a moment. I am better now,
thank you.”
    There was some truth in that, but she couldn’t bring
herself to tell him he’d been the reason for her upset. She
wouldn’t feel entirely well until he went away for good.
As long as he was here in Newport, she was in