Reckless - By Anne Stuart Page 0,28

gentlemen," Meggie said, unchastened. "And there's no one around here to romp with—you know you're safe as houses with Lord M. And your parson isn't going to give you a tumble. Mark my words, he's got a wife and seven children coming after him on the stage."

"If he does it's no wonder he looks so grim," Lina said, breaking apart a light croissant and slathering it with totally unnecessary butter. She was hungry, actually ravenous, yet she'd done nothing to work up an appetite. She finished the croissant in three greedy bites and went to work on the fresh strawberries. She would have happily done with a full breakfast, with eggs and fat sausages and fried toast and mushrooms, when usually such heavy stuff made her faintly nauseous.

-You've never been one for a roll in the mud," Meggie continued critically, "so it's not likely you'll find one of Lord M.'s very handsome footmen in your bed, either. Lord, that man!" She seemed suddenly forgetful of her lecturing mood. "Every single man in this place is bloody gorgeous. From the gardener's boy and the underchef up through the majordomo himself. He certainly liked to surround himself with pretty men. It quite gives a girl pause."

“Likes,” Lina corrected quickly. "Likes. Present tense. At least I assume…”

"I'm not up with your fancy literary terms, my lady, but if you mean is he still alive, then yes. Mr.

Pagett is with him now."

"Oh, Lord," Lina said. 'That's all he needs when he's feeling wretched. Get my clothes. Quickly."

"And what clothes might those be?" Meggie said. "The nun's habit again? Or something more transparent?"

"It's never good to educate the lower classes" Lina grumbled. "You shouldn't even know that word."

Meggie grinned, unrepentant. "I listen well, my lady. You were the one to use that word in the first place. I asked Miss Charlotte what that meant, and I was some disappointed to find that it didn't mean something obscene. Just see-through."

"Well, see-through can be quite obscene, depending on what is on the other side." She slid out of bed. spilling her tea on the tray. "The green dress will do."

Meggie's shock was overplayed but nonetheless genuine. "The green dress that you were going to give to Miss Charlotte?"

"Well, I can't very well give it to her now, can I? She's half a foot taller than I am—the hem would be above her ankles."

"It's no dress for an orgy," Meggie pointed out sagely. "The neckline's too high, the cut too refined.

What about your red dress?"

"Do you see any orgies around me, Meggie?" she inquired. 'Til be spending the next few days, perhaps longer, looking after Lord Montague. As you sagely pointed out, seductive clothes would be wasted on him, and that prude of a vicar as well. The green dress proves even I can be demure."

"The green dress proves even you can have a sense of humor."

In fact, Lina had ordered the dress from her modiste on a whim. The cut and line of the garment was simple, charming, but most definitely unalluring. It had reminded her of a gown she had worn before she was married, when everything was new and fresh and she still believed in happy endings.

Henry had cured her of that particular notion. He'd been a full forty years older than she was—

fifty-eight to her eighteen—but so enormously wealthy her father had been aux anges. Henry had already buried three wives and two stillborn heirs, but he hadn't given up hope. A young, nubile beauty should have been just the thing to stoke his fires, he used to tell her, filled with disgust at her ineptitude. His efforts had been desultory, more often spilling his seed outside her in his inability to get hard enough for penetration.

It was a great deal too bad that he accidentally discovered the cure for his affliction. His frustration and contempt for his young wife grew until one night he'd slapped her, so hard she'd fallen against the bed. temporarily seeing stars.

His excitement was immediate and powerful, and the next thing she knew, he was on her like a wild dog, puffing and sweating, hurting her so that she cried out in pain. When she did, his excitement reached a fever pitch, and he spilled his seed deep inside her.

He'd been so rough she'd bled the next day, and he'd been furious, thinking her menses had started early. It had been a blessing. Henry had been a fastidious man and never liked to come near her during her courses.

But