To Marry an Heiress by Lorraine Heath Read Free Book Online

She appeared to be a solitary soul, and that notion appealed to him immensely.
    She was unfashionably tall and slender. Her skin was dark, almost weathered, as though she’d spent a good deal of time in the sun without benefit of a parasol. Her reddish-brown hair was beginning to droop, as though a lover had repeatedly tunneled his fingers through it. But he hadn’t seen her saunter away for a secret assignation.
    Her clothing was garish beyond measure. He did not as a rule take notice of women’s fashions, but he was fairly certain hers was not in vogue. However, a reputable seamstress could change that.
    Convincing her that he found her beautiful and had fallen in love with her would be no easy task. It would take precious time he did not have the luxury of wasting.
    He doubted he would ever consider her beautiful, and he knew beyond any doubt that he would never fall in love with her. Yet he was pleasantly surprised to discover that she did indeed intrigue him.
    He caught sight of her slipping through the glass doors leading into the garden. He supposed if he was going to make his intent to court her known, she’d provided him with the perfect opportunity. As unobtrusively as possible, he followed her outside.
    He found her standing at the edge of the porch, gripping the wrought-iron railing. He wondered if she was as disappointed in the evening as Margaret would have been had she garnered so little attention.
    Men had fluttered around Margaret as thoughthey were bees hoping for a sip of nectar, even after he and she were married. Their constant attention had led him to the discovery of a jealous streak that caused him to see red. He doubted it would ever surface with Miss Pierce as his wife, and that notion caused him a great deal of relief.
    He did not consider her hideous. Only unattractive. Yet as he neared her, he realized she wasn’t truly plain. She simply possessed no feature that stood out and grabbed one’s attention. Limned by moonlight with the forgiving night shadows cast around her, she appeared almost…lovely. In a lonely sort of way.
    Like any woman, she deserved a man who appreciated what she had to offer, not a man whose claim of interest was sparked by the coins jingling in her father’s pockets.
    For the length of a heartbeat, he debated the cruelty she might one day accuse him of if she ever learned the truth. He would simply have to bury it deeply and cover the lies with false glitter.
    “The beauty of the moon pales when compared with your loveliness.” He cringed. Devil be damned. That was the most awful thing he’d ever murmured to a woman.
    It had been years since he’d played the courtship game, and he’d grown unaccountably sloppy. All he’d needed was one little lie, one tiny flirtatious comment, and he’d have had her nestled within his palm. The problem was that he didn’t truly want her in his palm. He only wanted his fist around her father’s money.
    He was fairly certain she’d never had a compliment thrown her way. Otherwise, why would her father be willing to purchase what she had yet to obtain? Why had he insisted that he convince her that she was beautiful? Why pretend to love her unless she had no experience with being loved?
    He had expected her to turn to him with adoring eyes. Instead she continued to look at the lawn shadowed by the moon.
    “Consider me plain, my lord. Consider me dull. But never, never consider me stupid.”
    She faced him then, one eyebrow arched, daring him to deny her accusation, daring him to give her another compliment. He could do no more than wish a great gaping hole would suddenly appear and the earth would swallow him up. She gave a small nod, as though his silence confirmed her suspicions, and turned her gaze back to the lawn.
    “You must be a desperate man,” she said quietly. “What did my father offer you?”
    So much for keeping his promise to her father that she would never know of the arrangement. But if he did not uphold his