Noble Destiny Read Online Free Page A

me.”
    â€œWell,” Caroline drawled the word out as she eyed her friend carefully. “I did hear that there was a gentleman in town who might suit, but he doesn’t attend many functions.”
    â€œAll the better.” Charlotte smiled, her dimples flashing. “He shan’t object to my making a splash in Society as is my due. What is his name?”
    â€œI’ve heard it said that he has a terrible temper, and Mama once told me that he fought a duel over a lightskirt.”
    â€œThat shows he has passion and an interest in matters of the bedchamber. I swear, it will be a nice change from Antonio. Who is this gentleman?”
    â€œBeing an earl, most of the mamas have him in their sights,” Caroline warned. “You will have heavy competition for his attention.”
    Charlotte’s dimples deepened. “Let me worry about that. Who is this charming earl?”
    Caroline hesitated, watching her friend warily. “It’s someone with whom your name was linked five years ago.”
    â€œReally?” Charlotte drummed her fingers on the arm of the love seat. “An earl? I don’t remember attaching an earl to my court before I met Antonio. Which earl?”
    â€œHe wasn’t in your court, as such,” Caroline replied carefully. “The attraction was more one-sided…”
    A face began to appear in the mists of Charlotte’s memory. A long, lean, rugged face, perhaps not handsome by conventional standards, but a face that had great character, a face that had haunted her dreams for the last five years.
    â€œâ€¦although some said you would do the impossible and he would make you an offer…”
    It was his eyes that she remembered the best. Deep, dark sapphire blue, almost indigo at times, with a distinctive black ring. Framed by two dark blond brows a few shades darker than her own hair, those eyes could pierce through even the most formidable appearances to see the soul.
    â€œâ€¦but then your cousin married and he returned to his estates in Scotland. I’m speaking, of course, of—”
    â€œAlasdair McGregor, Lord Carlisle.” Charlotte breathed the words as Caroline was about to pronounce them.
    â€œYes,” Caroline agreed, still watching her friend closely. “The only man you were interested in that Season.”
    â€œAlasdair,” Charlotte murmured, seeing again the face of the handsome Scot. “He was so very handsome, so dashing, so enigmatic. Everyone wanted to be seen on his arm, all the ladies fought to catch his eye.”
    â€œHe seemed fond of you,” Caroline said slowly.
    Charlotte closed her eyes, swaying a little as she remembered the pleasure of dancing with him, of having him next to her as he drove her through the park. Once she thought he was going to kiss her, but they were interrupted before she knew what it was to feel his lips upon hers. “Alasdair McGregor. He was everything I wanted in a man.”
    She opened her eyes to find Caroline’s knowing gaze on her. With a lift of her chin she rose and went to the window, staring blindly out at the garden as she played with the curtain tie. “And he still is.”

Two
    Alasdair McGregor was being hunted.
    It had been a familiar sensation the last few days since he’d arrived in London. Mornings brought with them chits who mysteriously twisted their ankles on the steps leading to his front door (whereupon the chits immediately pointed out the necessity of a lengthy recuperative period inside his house). Afternoons occasioned women he was riding past suddenly falling into the miscellaneous bodies of water found in London parks, resulting in them screaming and thrashing about and calling upon him for assistance. And evenings drew to a close as warm, scented bodies of unentangled widows insinuated themselves into his bed without regard to minor points of etiquette such as invitation or inclination.
    Dare had seen thirty-two