Scandalous Weddings

Lizzie's gaze was glued to her face. "Except that what?" she whispered, her eyes wide and mirroring something close to horror.

A

"You what?"

"I seduced Braxton, Lizzie, it was not the other way around. Because I wanted to be ruined, so I would not have to marry Harold Talbot or some other idiot like him." A

Lizzie gaped at her.

A

Lizzie was crying again, but quietly. She hugged A

"I am telling the truth. He is not a cad." A

"But he is here," Lizzie said after a pause. "Braxton is here, and you were with him at the beach. A

"I have been thinking. The truth is, all I have done since he arrived yesterday was to think. Will you keep my secret?" A

Lizzie did not speak at first. "I could never betray you, you know that."

A

Chapter Nine

A

Her relief knew no bounds. It did not seem as if Melissa had overheard their conversation. Unfortunately, though, A

If Melissa knew that the subject of their conversation was Braxton, or that A

Lizzie shook her head. "Actually, I have a horrid headache and I must lie down." Not looking at A

"What is wrong with her?" Melissa turned wide eyes upon A

A

Melissa did not reply, but this time, from the look in her eyes, A

From across the dining room, Braxton smiled at her.

A

A

A

And would he make love to her in order to do so?

A

"You have no appetite, A

A

The countess leaned against him, regaling him with some tale or another. Her blond escort, Sir Linville, was openly a

Melissa turned and stared at the Rossini party. "How fascinated you are by the countess," she said. "Or is it that handsome Englishman she seems so enamored of?"

A

"I am fascinated by the countess," Lizzie interjected a bit too quickly. "Imagine being that beautiful, and having so many men falling all over themselves for your attention!" She shot A

"You are that beautiful, and your hardly need more than one man falling all over himself for your attention," Adam said. "And that man is myself."

Lizzie smiled at her husband. He smiled back at her. A

She reminded herself that he was going to burglarize the countess, and then he would be on his way. If he was not caught, that is.

And if he did escape, then she would never see him again.

And suddenly A

Unless she took her destiny into her own hands.

She lurked in the shadows at the end of the hall. It was close to two in the morning, and the last of the hotel's festive-minded guests had gone to bed-except for the countess and Braxton.

A

A

The countess was laughing huskily at something he had said. She could not seem to find her keys in her beaded purse, and she swayed a bit on her black satin high-heeled shoes.

"Allow me," he said with a smile. In a moment he had found her keys and opened the door to her suite.

She smiled at him, poised to enter her apartments.

"Good night, Guilia," he said.

A

"Pierce? Surely you wish to come in?" The countess was as surprised as A

He smiled again and tilted up her chin. "My darling lady, I have no wish to be dangled upon your strings like the other men you collect."

Her eyes widened, and then she smiled, rubbing his chest beneath his black di

"You do."

"Perhaps it would be so very enjoyable for both of us," she whispered, staring up at him.

"I imagine so, but in truth, Linville is smitten with you, Guilia, and you would be foolish to throw such a gentleman away. His intentions, I believe, are honorable. Unlike mine," he added wryly.