This Earl Is on Fire by Vivienne Lorret Read Free Book Online Page B

he Season Standard—the Daily Chronicle of Consequence
    Whispers of the illicit variety are still abounding over Lady F—’s infamous masquerade. While no single person claims to have attended, the names of supposed guests increase each day.
    It should come as no surprise, however, that the wolfish Earl of W— did indeed attend. One report even claims that he left his mask and cloak behind . . . and in the center of a garden maze! Scandalous!
    As the ton awaits the news of the Season’s Original , our readers know one name that will, most assuredly, not be on that list.
    Of course, no one can have greater anticipation than the Marquess of Th—and our resident goddess Lady G—. Their rivalry keeps us all spellbound and . . .
    A deline looked up from the newspaper, her heart racing. She had little doubt that the Earl of W was Wolford. After all, hadn’t he confessed to knowing a thing or two about scandal? Perhaps he knew a great deal more.
    This was just the news that would help Adeline be rid of him. And after this morning, she was growing desperate for his removal.
    She still did not understand how feeding a man porridge could have made her feel things she’d never felt before. But oh, sweet Lord in heaven, Wolford had a magnificent mouth. Even though the swelling had diminished, his lips were still full and broad and—if truth be told—wicked. They were the lips of a man who, she imagined, had great experience in indulging in activities of the illicit variety .
    The way it moved when he’d eaten the porridge earlier had left Adeline warm and tingly. Each time his lips had parted, his tongue undulated forward between the rows of his straight white teeth, welcoming the bowl of the spoon. Watching him, the muscles of his jaw flexing, his Adam’s apple rising, caused her own mouth to salivate. And when she slipped the silverware from his mouth, the slight tug of his lips caused a corresponding tug in the pit of her stomach.
    She wanted to know how his lips would feel against her own. What he tasted like . . .
    The carriage jostled, yanking Adeline away from her wanton musings. No more of those! she thought in a sharp self-reprimand. This was precisely why she needed him gone.
    â€œIt is a pity we could not find sturdier hairpins at any of the shops we visited,” Mother said from across the carriage, absently skimming a list she withdrew from her reticule. “Though as you know, I’ve always preferred your hair down.”
    Distracted, Adeline shifted in her seat, but her braid caught and tugged her head back. She’d used more pins than ever before, attempting a style with greater height, like those she’d seen in the ladies quarterly. Yet, they’d all come free before she’d made it to the second shop. So she’d ended up purchasing a length of lavender ribbon to tie the end.
    Adeline knew she would need to come up with a permanent solution before she attended her first party. “I noticed that there wasn’t a single other woman wearing her hair down in public.”
    â€œPerhaps when Hester arrives with the other servants, she will make friends with other lady’s maids who might know a trick or two,” Mother conceded after a moment of consideration. “Anything of note in the newspaper you were so determined to purchase?”
    Thankfully, the question brought Adeline back to her main focus—the removal of a certain earl from beneath their roof. The moment Mother learned of the news, she would send him away, if only for the purpose of protecting her daughter. Even though Adeline did not want to be cosseted any longer, in this particular instance, it should work to her advantage. “There is a fair amount of gossip.”
    Mother looked up from her list. Glancing at the Standard , she cleared her throat. “While your father and I frown upon the practice, I know it is the breadstuff of society.”
    Adeline nodded