Free The Seduction of Sara by Karen Hawkins

stopped when she saw Anna. “Miss Thraxton, how delightful to see you. Sara has received a letter from her brother.”
    Sara took the letter and stared at the seal. “It’s from Anthony.” She opened the letter quickly and scanned the contents.
    â€œWhat does it say?” Aunt Delphi asked, her head cocked to one side as she tried to read the missive from where she stood. “Is everyone well? Does he tell you the latest gossip from London? Was the Cowpers’ dinner party a shocking squeeze? I just know Maria Lockton wore that shocking pink stole to the opera. I asked him to relate all the details of the Oldenhams’ rout, too, but he hasn’t sent me a single missive.”
    Sara was trying to decipher his quick scrawl. Anthony had never been much of a correspondent, once sending her a letter mentioning a “trifling injury” that turned out to be a serious fall from a horse that had left him with a broken leg. “He says Marcus has been detained by business.” She raised her gaze to her aunt’s. “I don’t understand. Was Marcus coming here?”
    Aunt Delphi blinked rapidly and then glanced down at her shoes. “Ah. Yes. I do believe he was.”
    â€œWhy?” Sara asked bluntly.
    â€œTo visit you, of course. He is your brother, you know.”
    â€œHe was coming to bully me, wasn’t he?”
    Aunt Delphi looked uncomfortable. “Well, he did mention that he wanted to see how you were getting on in your new situation.”
    â€œNaturally,” Sara said dryly. “I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if he intended on parading me before every available vicar or lily-livered curate as a potential bride.”
    â€œOh, dear.” Aunt Delphi edged toward the door. “If we aren’t having any visitors quite yet, then I had better tell Cook to go ahead and serve that leg of lamb I’ve been saving.” Delphi fluttered from the room trailing silk and the scent of lavender, the picture of domestic bliss.
    Anna looked at the closed door with a mutinous expression. “Is she always like that?”
    â€œLike what?” Sara asked absently, staring at the letter in her hands.
    â€œFloating about as if she was a blasted fairy.”
    â€œYes, but only when she’s not showing an annoying tendency to worry over you and treat you as if you were a child of twelve.”
    Anna shuddered. “I’m glad I live with my grandfather. He may curse like a coal scuttler, but he doesn’t flit about in that disconcerting way. I don’t know how you stand it.”
    â€œShe has a good heart. I just repeat that to myself every five minutes.” Sara looked at the letter in her hand. Damn! She should have foreseen this. She jumped to her feet and began pacing rapidly.
    Anna watched her for a moment, then said, “What else does the letter say?”
    Sara stopped long enough to hand her friend the missive. “It says that if Marcus is unable to get away, another of my brothers will be joining me, but they have not yet decided who.”
    Anna whistled silently. “Determined to keep an eye on you, aren’t they?”
    â€œThey are far too involved in my business.” Sara crossed her arms over her chest and resumed pacing. “I don’t want any of my brothers hovering over my shoulder, making my life a misery. We have a week to find a husband, Anna. Maybe less.”
    â€œThen we will have to use every day to our advantage.” Anna handed the letter back to her friend. “Tomorrow morning we will ride in the park at precisely nine and meet Viscount Hewlette and see what is to be done.”
    Sara dropped back onto the settee, her heart heavy. She didn’t have time for delicacy. No, she would be very explicit—she’d put all of her cardson the table and hope that the viscount understood the need for urgency. Once she was wed, she was certain Marcus would make a handsome settlement.