Free His to Keep (Regency Scoundrels Book 2) by Marly Mathews

telling me that he is all bark and no bite, and that as wretched as he could be with my mama, that he did love her in his own way. He said that it was she who had betrayed him. I don’t know what to believe, but I do know that my mother was terribly unhappy, and rued the day that she ever married my father. I won’t allow you to follow in her footsteps.” Elizabeth released her hand and walked to the door. “Now, come with me, Gemma.”
    “Pray, give me five minutes, Elizabeth.”
    “You shall have them,” Elizabeth said softly. “Take heart, Gemma. Your future will happen whether you like it or not, and with so many people campaigning against Lord Duxford, I do not think he shall ever have your hand in marriage.”
    “I wouldn’t bet on that,” Gemma muttered beneath her breath.
    “Oh, you shall find, my dear, that when it comes to gambling, I never lose.” She winked at her and with that, she quietly shut the door behind her, leaving Gemma with a slowly breaking heart. 
     

Chapter Six
     
    “Did you have any luck with Gemma?” Mallory asked.
    Archie looked for any sign of Gemma behind Elizabeth.
    “Actually, I have a fair feeling that she shall be arriving shortly in the grand style that she so favors. She certainly does like to make an unforgettable entrance.”
    “Excellent. We shall have a merry game of chase tonight.” Archie smiled thinking of all of the ways he would work on breaking past Gemma’s icy exterior.
    His mother would tell him that she was a spoiled chit not worth the time or energy he was using to woo her into his arms, but he couldn’t help himself. He loved to rescue damsels, and though she wasn’t exactly in distress, she still needed to be rescued.
    His breath caught in his throat when he wandered out of the music room to see a vision in sapphire floating down the marble staircase. The dress was inlaid with some sort of material that made it sparkle beneath the large chandeliers that filled the Great Hall. Her glorious blonde hair had been swept up into an elaborate hairdo. Fortunately, she only had some ribbon in her hair. He had seen some ladies adorn their hair with live animals and he didn’t particularly care for that look. Quite simply put, she was stunning.
    Her eyes met and held his. He winked at her, and she let out a sigh that was a little too loud, and looked away. Color touched her cheeks, and he was glad to see that he had such an effect on her. He caught the barest glimmer of her slim ankles clad in fine silk stockings, and her slippers had been dyed to match her dress, and they had some sort of pattern embroidered on them. Her feet were small in comparison to the rest of her body. But then, her hands were small for a woman as well.
    “I should have known you would be here, waiting for me like a wolf stalking its prey. You look--d-a-s-h-i-n-g.” She forced the compliment out of her mouth as if it pained her to do so. “No doubt Mallory loaned you an outfit of his.”
    “No, actually, these duds belong to me.”
    The look of complete shock that came across her face, made him smile. “Ah, I see, you’ve saved up your wages that Mallory has paid you and you bought yourself some suitable clothing. Though, I must confess, I recognize that look…you must go to the same fine tailor my brother uses. Are you a dandy, sir?”
    “Not like some, but aye, I do like my clothes. Oh, yes, only the best for me when it comes to clothing. I am not a beau-nasty like your Lord Duxford though.”
    She remained silent. He wondered if he’d struck her speechless. If he had, he expected that was an achievement few had accomplished.
    He offered her his arm. “Allow me to escort you into the music room. I hear the evening meal will be in about fifteen minutes.”
    “It won’t come soon enough.” She eyed his arm warily. “I do think I can walk into the music room on my own, thank you.” She stepped forward. He blocked her path.
    “I must insist, my lady.”
    She pursed her