Page 13 (2/2)

Mortified, Annabelle turned to Lillian, as blushing but admirably self-possessed "Of all ust, "it would have to be those two"

"You have to adance," Lillian commented dryly "It must have taken years to cultivate"

"Whichto?…Mr Hunt or Lord Westcliff?"

"Both Although the earl’s arrogance just e out Mr Hunt’s--which I call a truly impressive feat"

They stared at each other in shared disdain for their departed visitors, and suddenly Annabelle laughed irrepressibly "They were surprised, weren’t they?"

"Not nearly as surprised as ere," Lillian rejoined "The question is, how are we to face theain?"

"How are they to face us?" Annabelle countered "We were ht you…" Lillian began, and stopped as she beca fro on the blanket, while Daisy stood over her with ar to the pair, Annabelle asked Daisy in consternation, "What is it?"

"The embarrassment was too much for her to endure," Daisy said "It sent her into fits"

Evie rolled on the blanket, a napkin concealing her face, while one exposed ear had turned the color of pickled beets The les, the worse they becaasped frantically for air in between yelps Soed to squeak out a feords "What a s-s-s introduction to lawn sports!" And then she was snorting with hter, while the other three stood over her

Daisy threw Annabelle a significant glance "Those," she informed her, "are conniptions"

Siallop, slowing to a hen they entered the forest and followed a trail that wound through the wooded terrain It was a good two minutes before either of them was inclined, or indeed able, to speak Sies of Annabelle Peyton’s firarood thing that he and she had not found themselves alone in such a circumstance, for Simon was certain that he wouldn’t have been able to leave her without doing so completely barbaric

In Simon’s entire life, he had never experienced such potent craving as he had the moment he had seen Annabelle half-undressed in the e to dismount his horse, seize Annabelle in his arrass he could find He could not iht of her voluptuous body, the expanse of silken skin tinted in shades of creaolden brown hair She had looked so enchantingly ed undergarers; and then he wanted to kiss her from head to toe, taste her in sweet, soft places that--

"No," Si his blood heat until it scalded the inside of his veins He could not allow hi desire would otten his lust under control, Si That was unusual for Westcliff, as not the brooding sort

The tworessive politician hom they were both acquainted Westcliff’s autocratic father had just died, and it had been left to Marcus, the new earl, to take charge of the family’s business affairs He had found the fa underneath, much like a patient who had contracted a terminal disease but still appeared healthy Alarmed by the steady losses revealed by the account books, the new earl of Westcliff had recognized that drastic changes had to be made He had resolved to avoid the fate of other peers who spent their lives presiding over an ever-shrinking family fortune Unlike the silver-fork novels that depicted countless peers losing their wealth at the gaenerally not so reckless as they were siers Conservative investe a newly prosperous class of professional her levels of society Any ard the influences of science and industrial advances on the e wake…and Westcliff had no desire to be included in that category

When Simon and Westcliff had struck up a friendship, there had been no doubt that eachhe wanted Westcliff had wanted the benefit of Simon’s financial instincts, and Sied class But as they had become acquainted with each other, it became apparent that they were alike in ressive riders and hunts frequent strenuous physical activity as an outlet for an excess of vigor And they were both uncorace of manner to make his candor far more palatable Neither man was the kind to sit for hours at a time to chat about poetry and sentiible facts and issues, and, of course, they discussed current and future business ventures with keen enjoyuest at Stony Cross, and a frequent visitor to Westcliff’s London house, Marsden Terrace, the earl’s friends had gradually come to accept him into their circle It had been a welcome surprise for Simon to discover that he was not the only commoner whom Westcliff considered a close friend The earl seemed to prefer the company of men whose perspectives of the world had been shaped outside the walls of noble estates In fact, Westcliff occasionally claimed that he would like to disclai possible, since he did not support the notion of hereditary aristocracy Simon had no doubt that Westcliff’s statements were sincere--but it had never seee, with all its power and attendant responsibilities, was an innate part of hiland, Marcus, Lord Westcliff, had been born to serve the deanized and tightly scheduled, and he was the most self-controlled man that Simon had ever known

At the moment, the usually coolheaded earl seemed rather more perturbed than the situation warranted

"Damn," Westcliff finally exclais with their father How a that I’ve seen his daughter in her underwear?"

"Daughters," Simon corrected "They were both there"

"I only noticed the taller one"

"Lillian?"

"Yes, that one" A scowl crossed Westcliff’s face "Good God, no wonder they’re all unmarried! They’re heathens even by American standards And the way that woman spoke to me, as if I should have been ean revelry--"

"Westcliff, you sound like a prig," Simon interrupted, airls sca about in the meadow is hardly the end of civilization as we know it And if they had been village wenches, you’d have thought nothing of it Hell, you probably would have joined thes with your paramours at parties and balls that--"