Wicked and Wonderful by Valerie King Read Free Book Online Page B

its efforts. There was a masterly organization to the endeavor that was visible in the careful arrangement of the tents, wagons, and horses that attended the troupe. These folk worked quite hard to earn their bread. He had no small admiration for them.
    His thoughts slipped to Judith. His heart was heavy with desire. She was an actress and used to a certain sort of attention and tonight he meant to be very attentive. But how clever of her to have incited his interest with all her protests of innocence, all her struggling in his arms.
    The kiss had betrayed her true nature, however. He chuckled thinking how she had puckered her lips, an actress’s trick, of course. He was intrigued, vastly so. The best part, though, was the incontrovertible truth that no lady attached to such a troupe could be innocent and he would have his amusement before his proposed bride-to-be arrived to change the course of his life forever.
    But what a beauty Judith Lovington was. Almost he could feel his arms around her, as they had been not so very long ago. Would she be shy tonight or as eager as he?
    His gaze was drawn away from the camp by movement to his left. The desire he was feeling sharpened for she was approaching. The moonlight revealed her shapely figure but she had covered her head modestly in a lace shawl. How very discreet.
    When she reached him, she extended her hand and he took it, kissing her fingers lightly. “Good evening, Miss Lovington,” he said politely.
    “And you,” she responded, drawling her words together
    Her voice sounded a little odd as though she was perhaps a trifle foxed. Better and better. Most of the actresses he had known enjoyed their wine very much.
    He did not release her fingers but gave a strong tug and drew her suddenly against him. She giggled, lifted her face and laughed a little more.
    The odor that followed, swirling over, around and through him nearly caused him to stumble backward. Good God. What had the child been eating? Rotten eels?
    For his own protection, he quickly caught her head to his shoulder and breathed in fresh air. “My dear Miss Lovington, I was not prepared... that is, I suppose you must be fond of certain vegetables.”
    She giggled some more and wrapped her arms about his waist. “Oy am...er...that is, my lord, I am very fond of onions.”
    Drunk, full of onions, and feigning her coarse accent once more.
    “Most gentl’men don’t mind.” She lifted her face.
    He held his breath lest he take another deadly whiff of the fire coming from her mouth and leaned to kiss her on the lips. But it was too much. He could not bear it.
    Releasing her, he backed away. “I am very sorry, my dear, but this will not do.”
    She slipped the lace shawl from off her curls and even in the moonlight he could see her hair was darker and curlier than it should be. He realized with a start that the lady he had held in his arms was not Judith at all.
    “What is the meaning of this?” he said, taking her chin, turning her toward the moonlight and staring into a lovely face but one which belonged to the actress who had played a milkmaid in the last farce. “What the deuce is going forward and what is your name?”
    “Betty, m’lord.” She dipped a curtsy, smiled and giggled a little more. “We was funning you, we was—Judy and me.” She then reached into her pocket and withdrew something that she popped into her mouth. Very soon the redolence of mint filled the air, thank the gods. “Judith, er, had the headache and sends her apologies, but she could not oblige ye. Now that ye are here, m’lord, why do ye not show me yer castle? Oy am very friendly and as it happens, Oy am very fond of castles.”
    She moved to slip her arm about his in a practiced manner. He decided to permit her to do so, though he had no intention of taking Betty to his house. Far from it. In fact, he had a completely different notion entirely.
    “In other circumstances, I should probably have agreed quite happily, your