A Regency Christmas Pact Collection Read Online Free Page B

girl?” Tessie pressed, hoping to distract her friend from the heartache that still plagued her.
    Miranda shrugged a bit. “Harry’s convinced it’s a boy.”
    What utter nonsense. Tessie couldn’t help but giggle. “Fairly certain fathers can’t determine such a thing. If they could, we’d all be boys.”
    Miranda laughed now too. “I said something very similar last week.”
    “What names are you thinking of then?”
    “Well, Harry’s mother was Beatrice.”
    “That’s a pretty name.” Tessie smiled.
    “But… Well, Berks was the closest to her since he’s the oldest, so…”
    “So you’re saving that name for him,” Tessie finished.
    Miranda squeezed Tessie’s arm as she led her into the drawing room. “I’ve been thinking about Theresa. What do you think?”
    Tessie stopped in her tracks, not paying attention in the least to the room’s other inhabitants. Truly touched, her hand fluttered to her chest. “Miranda, that’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.”
    “Well, you’re my dearest friend.” Miranda smiled.
    And Miranda was most certainly Tessie’s dearest friend. Even after knowing every terrible choice Tessie’d made, Miranda had stood by her side. “You are the most wonderful lady. Do you know that?”
    Miranda sniffed a bit.
    “Now don’t make her cry,” came a silky smooth voice near the hearth. Tessie’s head turned in the direction of the voice to find the devilishly handsome Lord St. Austell, leaning his large frame against the mantle. “Female tears will only strike fear in the heart of our host.”
    Miranda scoffed. “Don’t tease me, Jason. I’m not in the mood.”
    “I would never tease you, Miranda.” The earl pushed away from the wall, and a roguish smile tipped his lips. “But the oh-so-noble Lord Berkswell is not himself these days, if you haven’t noticed.”
    “He was gruff this afternoon.”
    St. Austell chuckled. “Only because he already figured out what you and Pippa were up to. He’s a smart man, Berkswell. You’d do well to keep that in mind.”
    What Miranda and Pippa were up to? Tessie cast her friend a sidelong glance. “What are you up to?”
    “You didn’t tell her?” The earl laughed even harder.
    “Tell me what?” Tessie asked.
    Miranda stubbornly shook her head. “I have no idea what he’s talking about.”
    “Don’t you?” St. Austell’s brow shot northward. “The late night discussions between you and my wife, all of your plotting to see the lonely marquess married off to Miss Birkin here?”
    Tessie was certain her face turned white as ash. “I-I beg your pardon?” Miranda had plotted to see Tessie married to that brusque Berkswell ? What in the world had she been thinking? He wasn’t at all the sort who would make Tessie happy. Besides, a man of his reputation and good standing would never look twice in Tessie’s direction. What a ridiculous, foolhardy—
    “It’s no wonder my husband can’t abide you,” Miranda ground out, glaring at the earl as though he was the lowest of the low.
    “Me?” A wicked glint flickered in the earl’s light blue eyes.
    “Miranda!” Tessie managed to breathe out. “Why would you do that? Why would you bring Uncle Martin and me here, just to humiliate me?”
    “Tess—” Miranda began, turning her gaze onto Tessie; but when someone cleared his throat from the threshold, her friend clamped her lips together.
    “Ah, Berkswell!” Lord St. Austell said, the wicked glint in his eyes flickering even more devilishly. “We were just talking about you.”
    Oh, heavens! What was the earl doing? Why would he say such a thing? Tessie’s breath caught in her throat.
    “Were you, indeed?” the marquess asked, and though Tessie couldn’t force herself to glance at the man, she could tell his eyes were on her, like two hot coals of condescension.
    Heavens! Had Miranda and Lady St. Austell said something to the marquess about her? What she wouldn’t give for the floor to open