The Unthinkable by Monica Mccarty Read Free Book Online Page A

he know that they could not possibly compare? Was it possible that beneath the charming, lighthearted exterior he was just as uncertain as she?
    “Not so crowded that I wouldn’t have welcomed you, my lord.”
    He beamed. “I shall call this very afternoon then. But first tell me something about you, Miss Prescott. Other than catch frogs, what do you like to do?”
    Her breath caught. Was he referring to himself? Genie felt like her dreams were unfolding right before her eyes. This was how falling in love was supposed to be: instant attraction, instant camaraderie, instant understanding with no cause to feign disinterest. “The usual pursuits, my lord: pianoforte, embroidery, and singing.”
    She glanced up to find him staring at her. His gaze intensified. She seemed to be caught in a whirlpool, drowning in the azure depths of those gorgeous eyes.
    “All fine pursuits for a young lady,” he dismissed. “But what do you really enjoy?”
    She warmed under his earnestness. He truly wanted to know more about her. The real her, not the accomplished young woman presented to society. Shyly, looking back and forth between him and her feet, she took a deep breath. “I’m afraid that I’m a simple country girl at heart. I’d rather be outside, walking, fishing, or riding than doing anything else.” She peeked again to gage his reaction. “I even, on occasion, hunt when I can persuade my brothers to let me accompany them.”
    “I knew it. A girl after my own heart. What else?”
    “I love children, my young cousins often visit. I read to them, sometimes we make up stories and act them out.”
    “A budding playwright?”
    She giggled. “I’m afraid nothing quite so formal, my lord. More like a displaced governess.” Had she really just said that? Her cheeks burned at the unfortunate slip of tongue. Good gracious, he probably thought her a silly country mouse. Fashionable young ladies did not compare themselves to governesses.
    “If I had been fortunate to have a governess like you, I’d venture to say that I would have been a very devoted pupil. And a much better student. Shall I let you in on a little secret?”
    Forgetting her embarrassment, Genie nodded.
    “I consider myself a displaced farmer.”
    She thought he was jesting, but he looked at her in earnest. “It’s true. I enjoy the labor, the sense of accomplishment. But promise not to tell anyone or I’ll be laughed out of Brooks and Whites.”
    Genie grinned. “I promise. My lips are sealed.”
    “Now that you know my deepest secret, I should like to hear some of your stories sometime.”
    “I couldn’t.”
    “Why not?”
    “I’d be too embarrassed.”
    He made a small wave with his hands. “Nonsense.” He stopped behind a tree where their sisters wouldn’t be able to see them, took her hand, and gazed into her eyes. “I have a feeling you and I, Miss Prescott, like our young sisters over there are going to get along famously.” He brought her hand to his mouth and pressed his lips against the thin leather of her glove. An improper gesture, but she would remember that later. Melting under the heat of his gaze, Genie felt a tide of warmth ripple through her body. He lowered his voice, a sultry whisper that sent chills down her spine. “Very close friends, indeed.”

CHAPTER FOUR
     
    “What shall it be tomorrow, my little princess? A ride around the countryside or a chance meeting in the park?” Lying on his side, perched up on one elbow, Hastings lazily tossed a small white flower into the water. The delicate bloom drifted gracefully along the surface for a long, deceptive moment before being dragged downstream by the indomitable flow of the river Severn.
    Lounging on the grassy bank of the secluded cove that she discovered with her brothers many years ago, Genie sighed with contentment. This is how it had been for four idyllic weeks: intense, heart-stopping courting interspersed with magical moments of stolen privacy. He’d pursued her