Free How To Build The Perfect Rake by Kate Harper Page A

titillate them into an even greater desperation by not
appearing for several days. Give them a little, especially to begin
with, but not too much.’
    With that in mind, turning up for a morning
call on the morrow might be construed as too much. His eagerness
could be his undoing but patience was jolly hard to come by when he
was keen to pursue his heart’s desire. He found that his admiration
of Miss Houghton’s fortitude was enhanced by her patience with the
proceedings. Why, she did not even look bored, which seemed
extraordinarily brave to Luc.
    After what seemed an eternity Endymion’s
droning voice trickled into blessed silence. Luc only knew that the
torture had come to an end because there was a polite round of
applause. He did not join in. Some things simply should not be
encouraged. Beside him he heard Carisse sigh and assumed it was
with relief. She surprised him, however.
    ‘Wasn’t that divine?’
    Luc searched her face, looking for some
indication that she was jesting with him. On his other side Ollie
murmured in his ear.
    ‘She is deadly serious. Just agree.’
    Serious? She was seriously serious? ‘Indeed
it was,’ he murmured, rising to his feet, ‘clearly our host feels
very strongly about his subject.’
    ‘He must do if he believes sheep faint at
the sight of our Miss Houghton,’ Olympia said cheerfully. ‘I am
parched. Could you please fetch us drinks, Mr. St James?’
    Carisse was looking pensive but she gave a
blindingly lovely smile at this. ‘Oh yes… please do. I would very
much like some lemonade.’
    ‘Lemonade,’ he repeated, wishing that
Olympia might accompany him so he could have a word in private.
Fortunately Mrs. Houghton hove into view, along with the poet who
was quivering with anxiety to see how his offering had been
received. Luc stepped back, drawing Olympia with him. ‘Come and
help me carry.’
    When safely out of earshot, she cast him a
wicked look. ‘I am uplifted!’
    ‘I am nauseated! What a lot of rot.’
    ‘Carisse liked it.’
    ‘Yes, well… do you think she really did or
was she being kind?’
    This solicited a very unladylike snort from
his companion. ‘Of course she liked it. Endless pages about how
deliriously gorgeous she is. She lapped up every word.’
    ‘But it was drivel.’
    ‘We both know that but I think she assumed
it to be gospel truth.’ They moved across to the well-laden buffet
that had been set up. Luc noticed with relief that the food had not
been stinted on at that there appeared to be quantities of claret
to be had. He poured himself a glass and took a mouthful.
    ‘Ah!’
    ‘Not too many of them, if you please,’
Olympia said severely, as he also poured a glass of lemonade. ‘You
need to keep your wits about you. Don’t drop your persona now. And
I will not have lemonade, thank you very much. I would prefer a
glass of Madeira.’
    ‘Nice young ladies do not quaff wine,’ but
he poured her a glass anyway.
    ‘Of course they do. And if they have enough
there is a fair chance they will become a great deal nicer. That
poetry was…was…’
    ‘Utterly bilious?’
    ‘Yes,’ she sighed, ‘but at least it got the
job done. Our Carisse has seen you in an entirely new light.’ She
took a plate and began to put some food on it. Pastries and some
bread and butter, along with a scoop of salmon mousse. ‘You’d
better go back with her lemonade.’
    ‘But I’m frightfully hungry,’ he said,
eyeing some slices of beef.
    ‘Deliver first, eat after.
It’s for Carisse .’
    He sighed. ‘Are you coming?’
    ‘No,’ she said, taking several slivers of
roast chicken, ‘I need to feed my soul after such suffering. I
shall find a nice quiet place to have my supper and try to pretend
that the past half hour never happened. I do wish that our Endymion
would take up poetry in the style of the limerick. It would be so
much more amusing.’
    Luc grinned. ‘And a great deal shorter.
Don’t forget, you’re supposed to be hanging on my