When Only a Rake Will Do by Jennifer McNare Read Free Book Online Page B

stood in the foyer and to the oblong silver salver that rested atop it.  As usual there were numerous calling cards and a sizeable pile of cream-colored envelopes stacked upon its flat surface.
    “Did you enjoy your ride, Lady Daphne?” Hughes asked as he entered the foyer from the opposite direction.
    “Yes, the park was lovely this morning.”  And the unexpected encounter with Brendon Leighton made it all the more enjoyable, she added silently.  Walking toward the table, she lifted the stack of envelopes and quickly thumbed through them.  One immediately stood out from the rest, for it bore the unmistakable crest of the Duke and Duchess of Sethe.  “Oh my,” she murmured in surprise.
    “Is something amiss, my lady?” Hughes asked, his wrinkled brow raised questioningly.
    She looked up from the cream-colored envelope, meeting his curious gaze.  “No, nothing at all,” she said, giving the aged butler a reassuring smile.  Holding onto the invitation, she set the remaining envelopes back onto the tray.  “I’ll see to the rest later,” she informed him.
    Hughes nodded his greying head.  “As you wish, my lady.”
    Still dressed in her blue-velvet riding habit and black leather boots, Daphne exited the foyer and walked down the hall to her brother’s study.  As she’d expected, the room was empty, for Thomas was surely still abed.  And so, walking over to his desk she sat down and reached for the ivory-handled letter opener that lay atop its smooth mahogany surface. Then, slicing through the wax seal she extracted the single piece of cardstock and read the elegant script.  It was an invitation to attend a dinner party at the duke and duchess’ London residence, she noted in astonishment.  In disbelief she read it a second time, but the wording remained unchanged. 
    Considering that she had met the duke and duchess, one of Society’s most powerful and influential couples only once before, the invitation was completely unexpected.  Thinking back to her brief introduction to the pair at the Chesterfield ball, she could only speculate as to what had prompted the invitation.  Could her friendship with the Warrene family have something to do with it, she wondered?  Surely that must be it, she surmised, for what other reason could there be.  Even so, to be invited to such an intimate gathering was an extraordinary accomplishment, for although the Hewitt family had always held a place in Society, the Leighton’s were in a class all their own, maintaining an elite position within the ton’s highest echelon.
    But even as she wondered at the remarkable circumstance, another thought soon superseded all others.  Would Brendon Leighton be in attendance at his brother and sister-in-law’s dinner party?  It was quite possible, she realized.  Oh my, perhaps she would meet the handsome lord again, she mused, and even sooner than she had anticipated.
    “Daphne, are you in here?” she heard, just before her sister’s angelic face appeared within the doorway.
    “Good morning, dearest,” she said, dropping the invitation onto the desktop and rising from the chair.  “I didn’t realize that you were up,” she continued, moving around the side of the desk.
    “Umm hmm,” Charlotte replied, bobbing her head as she walked into the room.  “Whiskers was scratching at the door and woke me.”
    Whiskers was Charlotte’s cat; and the grey, short-haired tabby’s favorite spot in the house was in the center of her sister’s bed. 
    “Have you been out riding?” Charlotte asked, eyeing Daphne’s velvet habit.
    “Yes, I awoke early this morning and rode through the park.”
    “Will you take me with you next time?” Charlotte asked, her wide-eyed expression hopeful.
    “Well, perhaps not the very next time,” Daphne replied.  “You’ll need a few more lessons with Mr. Dickens before we can take your pony to the park, I think.”
    Although Charlotte looked disappointed, she knew better than to