A Deal with Lord Devlin Read Online Free Page B

his thumb. “Enticing as she is, Lady Mallen isn’t the sort with whom you should be seen in public.”
    Charlotte felt her back straighten to the breaking point. How dare Andrew speak about her in such a way!
    “I disagree.” James kept his eyes on her the entire time. “I believe the ton would be very forgiving toward Lady Mallen after a dance with the host.”
    Suddenly Charlotte understood. James was offering her a deal, a very public dance with the Earl of Devlin in exchange for Andrew’s letter. It was terribly risky. After the news came out that Andrew had been courting her, Charlotte’s reputation might sink further into the gutter.
    But she no longer cared.
    Andrew and Lady Devlin represented everything she despised about London. The arrogance of a society that allowed men to behave like depraved animals while the ton turned a blind eye. Yet if a lady made a false step out of line she was deemed untouchable.
    For the first time since she’d left her husband, Charlotte refused to retreat in shame. The Earl of Devlin had invited her to dance, and she was going to accept.
    “It’s a deal,” she said.

Chapter Two
    “Do stop standing like that. Everyone is staring!”
    Charlotte ignored the whispered warning, continuing to shock young Lucy by standing on the tiptoes of her ivory satin slippers. “I must find your brother,” she said, craning her neck above the crowd. “And trust me, my posture isn’t the reason why everyone is staring.”
    Despite her cool tone, Charlotte felt terribly anxious. She hadn’t missed any of the scornful looks and rude remarks when she finally returned to the engagement ball. At least she looked well enough to be here. Lucy’s maid had done a splendid job of mending her dress. After a quick repinning of her hair, she was ready to meet James for her dance. Lord Devlin, call him Lord Devlin. The last thing she needed was anyone thinking she and the Earl were too familiar with one another.
    After all, they had a deal.
    Charlotte slipped one hand inside her silk reticule, Andrew’s letter securely tucked inside. A small voice told her she was foolish to give up such an intimate letter to the devilish Devlin, but she no longer cared. James— Lord Devlin —promised to help her get back into society, and Charlotte was nothing if not desperate. But was she desperate enough to trust the devil himself, even after he had done his best to seduce her in the Oriental drawing room? Feeling rather warm, Charlotte flipped open her light pink fan.
    “I should go soon. I’m supposed to dance with Lord Belman, and Mama’s swan sculpture has been leaking all over the best linens.”
    Charlotte grasped the girl’s arm. After being caught with James in such a precarious situation, she was determined to have someone chaperoning her at all times. “Stay just another moment,” she replied. “The swan looks just lovely to me.”
    Glancing over her left shoulder Charlotte nearly shrieked at the sight of Lady Devlin standing next to a giant fruit soup. Oh, Lud! What if James’s mother spotted her? Would she dare make a scene?
    Charlotte lifted her fan higher, hiding her face behind the painted silk. Why had she ever allowed James to kiss her? Or did she kiss him first? It was all so very complicated. Charlotte had spent the last half hour cringing and blushing over her wanton behavior with the Earl. Why, she’d practically attacked him! She had been so very surprised by his kiss, at first anyway, and then stunned by how much she enjoyed it. So very different from the duty-bound embraces with her husband, or that one afternoon in the gardens when Andrew violently leapt at her before tripping over his Hessians.
    Charlotte didn’t know how else to explain it except that she had simply lost her head. For the last hour she had continually found herself haunted by the memory of his lips pressing against hers, the feel of his tongue when she— Don’t start that again, she said to herself