Free Unveiled by Colleen Quinn Page A

walk away from this. You have one chance at happiness, Katie, her father had told her. Just one life. Don’t be afraid to take risks, to laugh and to love….
    “I am free tomorrow,” she heard herself answering. “I will be glad to go.”
    “Fine,” he said. “I’ll call for you at seven, then.”
    He gave her a dazzling smile and Katie had the distinct impression that she was sinking into quicksand without a rope. Christopher Scott was a threat to her in every way possible.
    God help her.

S IX
     
    S he was perfect. Christopher couldn’t stop the contented smile on his face as he sat across from his aunt in the carriage heading home. Sharp-tongued and witty, sensual and pretty, Fan Pemberton was like a rich wine, heady and full of delightful contrasts.
    Her expression when she’d met him for dinner was priceless, especially after the stunt she’d pulled earlier. No other woman of his acquaintance would have dared such a thing as stealing his clothes. Most of the debutantes seemed notoriously ignorant of a man’s body, and often pretended that the human form stopped below the neck. Yet Fan’s earthy approach to the situation and her courage to play such a joke intrigued him more than all the simpering blushes in the world.
    And it wasn’t as if she was that experienced. There was a maidenly shyness about her that appeared at unexpected times that made him think she wasn’t the wanton that the scandal implied. He’d known women at the gambling halls who enjoyed lovemaking simply for the experience. They didn’t turn their head from him, nor did their eyes cloud in confusion when he smiled. They met his invitation head-on, aware of what he offered and willingly accepting. Fan wasn’t like that, yet from what he’d heard, she wasn’t totally ignorant of love either.
    He grinned when he recalled the conversation about painting and knew instinctively that she had been over her head. That didn’t surprise him; many of the girls he knew spent their educational time in other pursuits, such as gossip or playing. And most of the mothers and aunts exaggerated their daughters’ or nieces’ accomplishments. Fan apparently excelled at singing, but didn’t give a hoot about painting, which didn’t deter him in the slightest.
    No, life with Fan Pemberton would be anything but boring. And by the softening of her expression, he knew he was finally making some headway with his courtship. He would win her; he was determined to do that. He was smiling self-confidently when Eunice interrupted his thoughts.
    “Still mooning over that girl, I see.” Rapping him sharply with her cane, Eunice nodded when he glanced up in annoyance and rubbed his leg.
    “What are you talking about? I thought you wanted me to find a wife.”
    “I do. So you’ve settled on Miss Pemberton?” When Christopher nodded, she paused thoughtfully. “She’s a fine girl, intelligent and with backbone. I have a feeling she’ll need it.”
    “What’s that supposed to mean?” Christopher said indignantly.
    “Nothing at all, dear boy. I have looked into the financial implications of the matter, and they are promising. Fan is the favored niece of Ella Pemberton. Besides a dowry, she stands to receive a goodly inheritance from the woman. Not only will it solve your current problems, but will ensure your future as well.”
    Something about his aunt’s manner bothered him. Staring out the window at the rugged shoreline, he shrugged. “I’m glad, but do we have to be so practical about it? You make me sound like a kept man.”
    Eunice chuckled sharply and pounded her cane on the floor. “We have to be practical, dear boy. I’ve sold off the last of the Scott portraits, which will provide enough money to wine and dine Miss Pemberton through the summer. I cannot afford mistakes, however, or a change of heart. Are you certain this is the woman?”
    Christopher’s mind ran over all of the other debutantes he knew, then Fan. She was stunning, earthy