Free The Redemption of Lord Rawlings by Rachel Van Dyken Page A

replaced by that of more sexual tension than he had ever experienced. Abigail smiled sweetly and then winked. The minx winked. He should strangle her.
    “ Yes, Father. But it isn’t at all proper to talk of such things here. After all, some of the things that were ruined were personal effects. Most of the materials were fine silks and smooth materials that feel cool as they drape across my delicate skin.”
    Ah, perfect. How does one punish the girl he’s supposed to be protecting? And in front of her father no less? It was just his luck the idea of scolding the girl turned more erotic by the second, and if the blasted innocent didn’t stop twirling that silky tendril with her fingers he was going to go mad.
    She stopped, just enough to gain his attention, for he was fixated on the piece of hair that continued to fall out of place. Like cat and mouse, he was hypnotized.
    And then she put the blessed piece of hair in her mouth.
    Consequently, it was at that precise moment that Phillip made an oath to cut her hair and be done with the whole obsession here and now.
    Lord Gates gave him a peculiar look and he snapped to attention. “Sorry, woolgathering. You were saying?”
    “ Nothing of consequence.” Lord Gates gave a doting smile to his daughter. “It appears my daughter is to go shopping this afternoon for new…” His face turned slightly red as he lifted his hand in the air as if to grab the correct word from nothingness.
    “ Dresses,” Phillip finished for him. “Splendid. Well, I do have a dinner to prepare for, so if you’ll excuse me? Winifred will see you both out.” They didn’t need to know he had a good three hours before he was expected. His nerves had taken enough.
    Once Phillip heard the door close, he swore profusely, making men everywhere proud for his creative usage, and slammed the door to his study. One thing was for sure, the girl would either ruin him or he would ruin her before the Season’s end. There was no other option—no other choice. Ruination, it seemed, would always be his destiny.
     
    ****
     
    Next to sadness guilt was the second worst emotion for Abigail. Fighting with her conflicting emotions, she continued to smile and go through the motions as she stopped at the modiste on Bond Street. She hated taking such desperate measures to get Rawlings to notice her, but what else could she do? At every turn he refused to see her as a woman of equal standing, as a peer. He saw her as vexing and innocent.
    It was up to her, and only her, to prove him wrong. It would only be a matter of time before he saw what was right in front of him. Unfortunately, her father had worded it to sound more brotherly than she would have liked, but still. Rawlings made a promise to watch over her, which meant he would be forced to dance with her and stay close to her to make sure she wasn’t in any sort of trouble. She had no intention of telling her father they had shared a kiss.
    No, the kiss was done on purpose to ignite his passion. Instead it seemed to only fan a flame of fury. Was it her fault Rawlings thought she was blackmailing him? It had pricked her pride when he had made fun of her innocence. But after watching her parents interact with one another, and seeing how Emma and Sebastian got along, she realized a love match, even if it was one-sided, was more agreeable than being with someone you despised.
    Abigail ran a gloved hand over the dress boxes on the seat beside her. So she had told a white lie about her dresses being ruined. Her parents could afford it; they had agreed to some new chemises and a few ball gowns, which is all she needed in order to gain Rawlings’ attention. A gown of deep blue satin was the only one she was able to take away from the shop on such short notice, the rest would arrive before the next ball was to commence.
    Now to ready herself for a most important night—the night she would secure Rawlings as her betrothed.
    Her mood brightened dramatically as she walked