The Perfect Wife by Victoria Alexander Read Free Book Online Page A

advising him that Wills would be in full control of the family accounts and her other assets. On impulse, she reached for a pen and scribbled a brief postscript. She selected some of the money from the sale of her jewels, wrapped it in the note and sealed the now bulky packet. The rest of the money she divided between her reticule and hidden pockets she tied beneath the skirt of her dress.
    Eager to get underway, Sabrina pulled open her door to find Wills’s poised to knock.
    “Excellent timing, Wills; my bag is ready. If you would take it downstairs ...” Sabrina handed him the note for her solicitor. “And give this to that idiot Fitzgerald, and be certain he understands you have complete authority over my finances while I’m away.”
    Wills lifted an eyebrow. “No message for Lady Belinda?”
    Sabrina folded her arms stubbornly and stared at the floor. “We have already said our good-byes.” She glanced at Wills. “No doubt she is still weeping in her room?”
    Wills nodded. There was no reproach on his face, no censure, no accusation. Even so, a wave of guilt passed through Sabrina.
    “She simply could not understand. Everything I’ve done since her father’s death I’ve done for her. My activities before we returned to London and literally how I’ve lived my life since have been for her. God knows, I had quite a reputation to live down, and I did it.” She glared at him. “And this is for her as well.”
    “Are you certain?” His quiet tone emphasized the query.
    “Oh, I admit, the very idea of this quest has fired the blood in my veins. I feel alive for the first time in years.” Sabrina stared defiantly. “But yes, this is for her.”
    “As you say, milady,” Wills said in his perfect butler voice. Sabrina simply hated it when he used mat tone with her. She turned and grabbed her reticule.
    “You have a guest waiting in the front salon.” Wills nodded politely. “Lord Wyldewood.”
    Sabrina groaned.
    “Bloody hell.”
Chapter Four
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    “Lord Wyldewood, how charming of you to call.” Sabrina sailed into the room with an outstretched hand and a serene smile that hid the impatience churning within her.
    Wyldewood took her hand in his and carried it to his lips. “Lady Stanford.”
    His lips brushed the back of her hand and his ebony gaze bored into hers. A thrill shot threw her at the look and the touch. What was it about this man that attracted her so? That he could have such an immediate and unwanted effect on her senses disturbed her. And the way his gaze captured hers all the while his lips caressed her hand had an annoying, practiced feel to it that indicated that he did it not only well but often.
    She firmly pushed the intruding emotions away and withdrew from his unsettling grasp.
    “It is a pleasure to see you again, and so soon, but I must admit I am at a loss as to the purpose of your visit.” Sabrina tossed him a pleasant smile, all the while praying he would be both brief and to the point.
    “My son asked me to speak with you. I believe at the request of your daughter.” Wyldewood surveyed the room casually. “May we be seated?”
    “Of course.” Sabrina directed him to a chair and then perched on the edge of a brocade sofa. A surreptitious glance at the ormolu clock on the mantel showed she still had time, but not much. This little chat really needed to proceed at a much more than leisurely pace. “I assume they wanted us to discuss the wedding?”
    Wyldewood cleared his throat and, for the briefest moment, the self-assured diplomat appeared oddly ill at ease. “Actually, it’s about your travel plans.”
    “My travel plans?”
    “Yes. Um, Belinda is very concerned about an unexpected trip you seem to be considering, and she and Erick requested that I speak to you about it.”
    Sabrina’s serene expression never faltered, never betrayed the seething irritation that grew with every word he spoke. “It is extremely kind of you to assist my