The Only One For Me.doc

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1、The Only One For MeKaren HawkinsChapter 1One cannot help but notice that one of societys most devoted couples of late is Lady Easterly and Mr. Riddleton. This would be a lovely pairing, as both are of fine form and similar mind, except that Lady Easterly is . . . how can This Author put it delicatel

2、y . . . married.Or is she?Very well, of course she is. She married Viscount Easterly nearly a dozen years ago, and such a union is sure to hold up in any church or courthouse. But mere months into the marriage, the viscount abandoned her and fled to the Continent following an extremely nasty scandal

3、 involving a card game.Which left Lady Easterly quite on her own. Her reputation is spotless and her behavior quite unexceptional, but one can only wonder. . . . What if the lady should fall in love? What then?LADY WHISTLEDOWNS SOCIETY PAPERS, 23 MAY 1816It shall be murder, then. Lady Sophia Throckm

4、orton Hampton, Viscountess Easterly, glanced around to be sure none of Lady Neeleys other guests had overheard her. Fortunately, almost everyone was on the other side of the room, admiring their hostesss new bracelet. I will skewer him through the breastbone with the fireplace poker, and then you ca

5、n roast him over a candle.Sophias brother, John Throckmorton, the Earl of Standwick, eyed their victim doubtfully. How long should I cook him?Not more than a few minutes, Id think. Lady Neeleys pet isnt very large.True. Lord Afton has a parrot twice as big. Pity we cant roast that one instead. John

6、tilted his head to one side. I wager it will taste just like chicken.Sophia pressed a hand to her stomach. I do wish Lady Neeley would take us down to dinnerweve been waiting an hour. If she doesnt do something soon, someone other than us will think to cook her bird, and they wont be funning about i

7、t.Richard would have done it, and well, too, John said, a wistful note in his voice.Richard had been their younger brother as well as a scoundrel, a scamp, and a charming reprobate. Last year, while deep in his cups, hed taken a wild ride on a spirited horse. Frightened at Richards unsteady handling

8、, the horse had balked at a fence and Richard had taken a horrid fall. Hed died the next day.Sophia cleared her throat. Richard was a master of useless knowledge.Johns answering smile was as unsteady as her own. Though it has been a year, it is difficult to believe he wont be walking through the doo

9、r at any minute, full of mischief. The smile slipped a notch. He would be alive today had I kept him from that blasted horse.Sophia touched her brothers arm. He would not have listened. He was not always the best of men, but he never failed to be the best of brothers.John hesitated, his troubled gaz

10、e meeting hers. Except once.Sophias chest contracted. Though everyone had been deeply saddened by Richards death, it had surprised no one. He had been living a dangerous life for years, but it wasnt until his confession on his deathbed that theyd all realized whyhed been consumed with guilt. Years b

11、efore, he had cheated at cards and let Sophias then new husband take the blame.That one card game had devastated her life. The months following the incident and Maxs subsequent departure was a time she preferred not to think abouta horrible, black stretch of endless days, sleepless nights, and painf

12、ul scandal, all covered with the heavy stench of false pity.She shook her head. That was long ago.Not long enough. He sold his honor and drove a wedge between you and your husband. I cannot condone such behavior.Had Max and I been truly in love, neither Richard nor anyone else could have torn us apa

13、rt.I suppose, though I always thought you and Max John shook his head, his mouth thinned. No matter. It was cowardly of Richard to allow Max to take the blame for cheating.At least Richard made a clean breast of it before he died. Come, dont mar the rest of the evening. Were both hungry and beset wi

14、th ill temper. Lets talk of something more pleasant.He sighed. Of course. What shall we discuss? The weather? Lady Neeleys blasted jewels? He placed a hand on his grumbling stomach and looked around the room. I wonder if she has any other pets for our roasting plans. A poodle would not be amiss.Bird

15、s are one thing, but lapdogs are another altogether.Johns blue eyes rested on her face. Speaking of lap-dogs, where is your friend, Mr. Thomas Riddleton? I thought you never went anywhere without him walking alongside to hold your parcels. Rather like a large, cravat-embossed reticule.If you must kn

16、ow, he is in the country, visiting his mother.No doubt garnering a blessing for his upcoming nuptials.Nuptials?Rumor has it that your friend Thomas has decided to marry. In fact, according to the latest on dit, he has decided to marry you.Sophias heart sank. You read too much in his attendance. We a

17、re merely friends.Johns gaze grew solemn. You should have a care, Sophia. Though I know your feelings, people are quick to assume more.I dont encourage such talk. At least, not intentionally. Sophia bit back a sigh. Perhaps she had been spending too much time with Thomas. He was handsome, well infor

18、med, and rather awkwardly gallant, not at all threatening in demeanor or action. And lately, she had been so lonely. Still, she would rather be alone than with the wrong person. I will speak with Mr. Riddleton as soon as he returns.Good. John hesitated, then added, I was afraid you were beginning to

19、 care for him.She raised her brows. I thought you liked Thomas?Of all the pompous asses I know, he is my favorite. John crossed his long arms and rocked back on his heels, a habit hed adopted as a youth that had never quite gone away. All I know is that you had better dismiss Riddleton before Max re

20、turns.Max will not return.You wrote him asking for an annulment. He will not take that kindly.He will be relieved to see me go. I want this sham of a marriage over, and Im certain he feels the same way. He was never the sort of man to waste his time and energies on the impossible.He could have chang

21、ed, Sophia. You have.For the better, I hope. And yes, I suppose Max has changed as well. It has been twelve years, after all. She was silent a moment, mulling this over. I wonder if he still paints. He had true talent and What was she doing? Whatever Max did now, it was no longer her concern.Ive onl

22、y seen one of his paintings, John mused, but I hear they are all quite good.Saw? Where?John blinked. Oh. I dont know. When you first married, I suppose. Before she could answer, he added, When will Max receive your letter?Any day now. In another two weeks, we will have his answer and by late summer,

23、 I will be a free woman. If, of course, her plan worked. In the years since Maxs abrupt departure, she had had ample time to lay awake at night and analyze all the aspects of her missing husbands character. And what drove Maxwell Hampton was not emotion, but pride. Pure, unalloyed pride. It was that

24、 pride that would make him agree to her request for an annulment, her letter would see to that. She smiled at the thought.Sophia? John said, his brow lowered. That smile . I dont trust it. What did you do?Nothing really . I just told Max that if he did not grant the annulment forthwith, I would publ

25、icly auction off his Uncle Theodores diary.Startled, John straightened. Max left the diary with you?He forgot it in his haste to leave town. Ive kept it all this time, thinking it might come in handy. And so it has.Sophia, no! Do you know what a scandal that will cause? Theodore slept with half the

26、women of the ton!She smiled smugly. Let us just say that there is indeed a reason the Earl of Bessington has the Easterly nose.Bloody hell, Soph! Max will be furious.His pride will be pricked, she agreed far more calmly than she felt.Yes, but. . . John raked a hand through his hair, oblivious of the

27、 fact that he was mussing it. Max never answers your missives.No, he doesnt. But this time he will be forced to. I wont take a note from the solicitor in answer to this question. Sad as it was, that was how Sophia and her erstwhile husband communicated: She wrote whenever an issue involving their jo

28、int property aroseusually about business matters and the sale of land or the return on some investment and the such and he never answered. Each and every time she was at the point of taking matters into her own hands, she would receive word from Mr. Prichard saying that the issue, whatever it was, h

29、ad been seen to.Sophias stomach rumbled yet again. Where is our hostess? Im famished.John lifted his head and looked across the room. Lady Neeleys by the door, speaking to Lady Mathilda. And- His brows snapped down and he leaned forward, blinking rapidly, as if trying to clear his eyes.What is it? s

30、he asked.His brows slowly climbed to their normal height as he turned a serious look her way. Bdamn, your missive worked, and all too well. Hes here, Sophia. Max has returned.Sophias mouth opened, then closed, then opened again, though no sound rang out. Everything around her faded into nothing as b

31、lood rushed to her head, her heart galloping as if she were running uphill and not standing in a drawing room in the best part of town. She simply could not credit it. Her mind whirled around the thought, skittered toward it, but refused to touch it.John placed his hands on her shoulders, bending to

32、 look into her eyes. Sophie? Did you hearYes, she gasped, placing a trembling hand on her forehead. Max. Here. Good God. Buthow? He w-would have only gotten the letterI dont know, John said. He looked over her head in the direction hed seen Max, then gave her shoulders a squeeze before releasing her

33、. You had better collect yourself. Hes coming this way.Sophia turned and lookedand then forgot about being hungry, forgot that her brother stood at her side, forgot that her new shoes pinched and her feet hurt from standing so long. All she knew was that Maxthe man shed thought shed loved; the man w

34、ho had promised never to leave her, but had; the man who had been her husband for two wonderful months and then walked out without a wordMax was across the room, making his way toward her.He was so tall and broad shouldered, his thick hair still as dark as night, his eyes the same cutting silver tha

35、t she still saw in her dreams. Emotion flooded through her, clutching her throat painfully.In all the times shed imagined this moment, shed never thought shed have to deal with such an overwhelming swell of sentiment. It is just the shock, she told herself desperately. Yes, thats what it isshock. On

36、ce Im able to grasp that he is really here, really walking toward me, I will be able to act correctly.John touched her arm. Are you well?Using every ounce of strength she possessed, she wrenched her gaze from Max. I am fine. She glanced around the room and realized with a sinking heart that she was

37、not the only one who had noticed Max. Several other people had seen him and were now pointing in his direction and whispering. Sophia knew what would come nextall those people would remember that she was also here, and once again shed have to face a maelstrom of rumors and innuendo. I wish we could

38、leave.We can. No one would fault you for refusing to be in the same room as your husbSophia sliced a virulent glare at her brother. Do not call Maxwell Hampton my husband. He was never my husband, though at first, I believed he lov Raw emotion clutched her once again, and this time tears dampened he

39、r eyes.Blast it! She had no wish to appear weepy when she spoke to Max, especially not with so many people watching. Anger would protect her from tears. She forced herself to remember all those years ago, when Max had walked out. She remembered the talking, the pitying glances, and the hollow feelin

40、g of being alone, sleeping alone, awaking alone, eating breakfast alone, going to church alone. All of the things shed been forced to do because her husband, in a fit of pique, had walked out of their house and never returned. Warm, familiar anger stirred in her veins.Hello, Standwick. Maxs deep voi

41、ce seemed to fill the air and heat it.John nodded briefly. Easterly. How are you?So polite, so formal. Which was a good thing, as several people had edged closer, hoping to hear their conversation. Everything said would be repeated, discussed, and analyzed. Taking a deep breath, Sophia forced hersel

42、f to meet Maxs gray gazeand immediately wished she hadnt.From a distance, he had appeared much the same. But up close, she could see that his face was harder now; the slash of cheekbones more arrogant, if that was possible. Strands of silver were threaded through his hair at the temple, which gave h

43、im a slightly saturnine appearance. He was leaner, and somehow larger, at the same time, as if hed grown in presence somehow. But it was more than thatbeneath his urbane gaze was a streak of red-hot anger. It seared through her, heating her skin like a roaring fire.Max, she managed to say through su

44、ddenly dry lips. H-How nice to see you.He nodded once, his gaze traveling slowly over her, touching on her hair, her eyes, her lips. A jolt of recognition flickered through her, a rampant fire that made her shiver and melted her resolve to appear unmoved. She had to fight the impulse to take a step

45、forward, toward the man who had left her so callously, toward the man who would, if she gave him the chance, reject her yet again so swiftly, so certainly, that her heart would finally break.The realization lit her ire and fanned her irritation back to its normal heights. Damn him. It was all she co

46、uld do to force her mouth into a false smile and say through lips suddenly stiff, It has been a long time.He nodded curtly. So it has.Just the sound of his voice sent a tremble through her.He reached out and took her limp hand from her side. Then he bowed and brushed his lips over the back of her gl

47、ove. To her utter dismay, a jolt of lust hit her, fanning over her skin, tightening her breasts, her nipples beading as if in anticipation.She closed her eyes and let the wave channel through her. How could she have forgotten this? There had always been something raw and physical between them. A connection of the basest kind, she realized as she fought to control her traito