The Rake Revealed by Kate Harper Read Free Book Online Page A

a hard on the lady. The loss of her husband and family; it was a lot for one person to bear.
    He had already decided that it would be best if he did not see a great deal of her. She was a distraction, pure and simple, and he did not need distractions right now. He had business in this place and soon enough, that business would be coming to a head and he would move on. There were plenty of women to flirt with, plenty of beds and willing bodies to keep him warm, if he let them.
    But Camille Durham’s bed was not one of them.
    Having met her again to tonight, he knew that, knew it would be best if he avoided her all together for. Apart from her house, which must still play a part in the proceedings to come, Camille was out of bounds, if only because of the fact that he wanted to see her again. He wanted to say shocking things to her to bring that delicate color to her cheeks. He wanted to whisper wicked observations about her neighbors so that those green eyes danced. Wanted to casually touch her hand, or her shoulder, or any part of her that he could reasonably touch. He wanted to flirt with her and make her laugh, just to see the elusive dimples in her cheeks appear. He did so love a pretty dimple on a woman and Camille Durham’s were divine.
    She was divine.
    Which was why he had decided to avoid her. Every bone in his body told him that she was trouble and he did not need trouble at this stage of the game.
    Of course, he also knew himself too well to think that he would abide by his own good advice. Lady Durham produced some very fine nectar and he was only a man, after all.
    Having rounded the curve of the cliff, he caught a glimpse of the water, a restless, heaving shadow fifty feet below him. He was heading towards the curve of rock that sat almost directly below Kirkham Hall. He paused in inky shadows of a scrubby patch of trees and listened again, senses tuned to what was happening around him. Nothing but the soft sough of the wind and the dull, relentless wash of the water below greeted him. Putting two fingers to his mouth, he gave a low whistle. Almost immediately, an answering one fluted nearby. Tapscott stepped out into the faint glimmer of moonlight and waited for a sturdy figure to reach him.
    ‘How goes the tide tonight?’ he asked, as soon the man was in earshot.
    ‘Fair winds and a nice swell. We are traveling well, mon ami .’
    ‘I am delighted to hear it.’ Tapscott rubbed his hands together in anticipation. ‘Let us see what a clever fisherman you are then, François. What have you brought me tonight?’
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
    Chapter Three
     
     
     
    The next day was filled with domestic duties from the time Camille woke up, suffused with a new energy that was quite heartening, until after luncheon. She had taken it upon herself to hire a lady’s maid, asking the second girl Gillie, who had started at the Hall that morning (and who was quite the opposite of her silent sister in every way) if she knew anybody suitable. Gillie did indeed know somebody, her cousin, another member of what seemed to be a quite prodigious family and all of which seemed largely unemployed until Camille’s arrival. The loquacious Gillie was eager to help her new mistress in any way she could and within the space of an hour, Camille had all of the local gossip. It should have come as no surprise to her that Lord Tapscott featured in it. It was a small community and he appeared to have made an impression on most of it.
    It was from Gillie that Camille learned what a popular figure his lordship was in the town. So pleasant to talk to. Such nice manners, even to normal folk. There were no airs and graces with his lordship, not like some. Obviously, the impressionable Gillie had been impressed by the handsome Lord Tapscott and Camille could only shake her head at the man’s popularity.
    ‘Mind you,’ the girl said cheerfully as she sorted linen, ‘he’s a proper lord an’ a likely one at that. His manners…