Not Always a Saint by Mary Jo Putney Read Free Book Online Page B

interest, sensing that she was the sort of female who would want a fashionable life. Not for him.
    The younger daughter, Miss Mary, looked barely seventeen, and she was so shy that she couldn’t even meet his gaze when she stammered, “A . . . a pleasure to meet you, my lord.”
    â€œThe pleasure is mine.” His voice softened when he replied. She was barely out of the schoolroom and far too young for him, but she needed kindness to emerge from her shell. She glanced up with a slight, grateful smile before her gaze dropped again.
    They moved on so the next people in line could greet their hosts. The main drawing room was packed almost solid with chattering humanity. Elaborate chandeliers added to the heat, and the atmosphere was thick with the scents of bodies and perfumes. Laurel said grandly, “Daniel, welcome to the lion’s den!”
    He laughed. “The biblical Daniel survived, and so shall I. Though I’d prefer real lions. They’re cats, after all, and I like cats.”
    â€œLions are more benign than some of the guests here,” Kirkland observed. “There are refreshments in the room to the right, but the tables will be mobbed and there’s better food at home. I advise moving steadily toward the exit at the far end. Along the way, we’ll introduce you to anyone we know. Once we reach the exit, we can escape.”
    â€œA good plan,” Daniel replied as he wondered how long it would take to move through the crowd.
    Unfortunately, Kirkland knew everyone, which made their progress slow. Daniel was impressed at how confidently his quiet, reserved sister moved among the chattering masses. She’d grown comfortable in her role as a countess.
    She’d also been right that this crowded, noisy rout would be a good place to meet London society. Daniel was introduced to politicians, dandies, social leaders, and those who apparently cultivated eccentricity as a way of life.
    As with Lord Childe, the politicians tried to discern his political leanings, and females evaluated him for his romantic potential, marital and otherwise. The eccentrics dismissed him as too dull to be competition for creating the next sensation and hence unworthy of attention.
    Despite the noise and crowding, Daniel enjoyed it more than he had expected to. He found people endlessly fascinating, whether rich or poor, and this parade of humanity offered entertaining material for study.
    But he didn’t like being an eligible titled gentleman, which was indeed synonymous with “prey.” He found himself automatically retreating into cool detachment. He was polite, but made sure he said nothing that could be construed as encouragement. For tonight, he’d concentrate on memorizing names and faces for future reference.
    They were barely halfway across the room before he began to cast longing glances toward the exit. At this rate, it would take another hour to reach it.
    Repressing a sigh, he shook the hand of a man Kirkland had just introduced. The fellow was a member of Parliament from Yorkshire with a blunt, witty way of speaking. They exchanged a few words before moving in different directions, but Daniel was sure they’d meet again and speak at greater length. He mentally rated about 40 percent of the people he’d met as interesting and worth knowing better. This boded well for his future time in London.
    During a brief lull while both Kirkland and Laurel were chatting with another couple, Daniel scanned the room. Though his height meant he regularly banged his head when he visited patients in cramped hovels, being tall was an advantage in these circumstances.
    Was that Viscount Castlereagh, the foreign secretary, engaged in earnest conversation on the left side of the room? Kirkland would know, and would probably want to introduce them. Daniel was bemused by the fact that the most significant aspect of his unwanted inheritance was not money or property, but the political power