Free His Courtesan Bride (Brides of Mayfair 3) by Michelle McMaster

it her?”
    “I think I see Lady Devlyn’s landau over there. Do you see it? It’s being pulled by a team of greys. And sitting ever so prettily beside Lady D is the woman in question, Miss Serena Ransom.”
    Darius scanned the crowd quickly, then he felt his mood darken considerably—for the landau Serena sat in was surrounded by a throng of gentlemen, all vying for her attention.
    “Lady Devlyn was right,” Havelock said. “Serena is causing quite the sensation, as are all three of her protégée’s. Though I can see that the ladies of the ton don’t share their husbands’ enthusiasm for the Courtesan Club.”
    Serena and her lady-friends were indeed causing quite a stir among members of the ton . For however excited the faces of the gentlemen were to see them, their ladies’ faces were equally as sour. However, because they dared not argue with their husbands in public, the wives were being forced to watch as their spouses fawned openly over the beautiful courtesans in Lady Devlyn’s luxurious landau.
    And beautiful they were. Each one seemed to possess a confidence and ease of being that eluded their admirers’ wives. Serena and her friends’ promenade dresses looked to be exquisitely tailored, and made of expensive French fabrics and trims which were not available in London.
    The gossip was that Lady Devlyn employed the best seamstress in Paris, who was under contract to guarantee all of her most exclusive fabrics to Lady Devlyn and Lady Devlyn alone. If the Courtesan Club was trying to make an enemy out of every woman in London, they had done so merely by their enviable wardrobes.
    Darius felt a primal reaction when he gazed upon Serena, as she favored each admirer with a dazzling smile, granting each thrilled gentleman a few precious moments of her undivided attention.
    The truth of the matter was, the ladies of London could not compete with the Courtesan Club. The trio were celebrities now, and they could have their pick of London’s richest and most powerful men.
    Darius wanted to applaud them for daring to thumb their noses at convention, for making their own rules, and for refusing to bow to society’s staid opinions. These women promised more than unforgettable passion. They were a breath of fresh air in an aristocracy that desperately needed shaking up.
    Which was why everyone wanted to be in their company.
    These women were unafraid of life, of love, of passion.
    Darius pulled the phaeton as close to the throng as he safely could, watching as Serena graciously accepted yet another compliment from a dazzled onlooker.
    “I say, Lady Sterling is quite fetching, isn’t she?” Havelock said, wistfully. “If only I was as rich as you, Dare, I might make her an offer when the time comes.”
    But Darius was completely focused on Serena. He pulled the horses to a stop, standing up in the phaeton, legs wide in order to keep his balance. Serena caught the movement, and turned to look at the new admirer who had arrived to pay tribute.
    Everyone in the crowd craned their necks to see what could have captured the beautiful courtesan’s attention.
    “My Lord Kane,” she said coolly. “You are looking well.”
    “Thank you, Miss Ransom,” he replied. “As are you. You remember Major Price?”
    “Of course.” Serena inclined her head with all the majesty of a queen. “Major.”
    The group exchanged more pleasantries and introductions, all under the curious gaze of the watching crowd.
    Darius had to be very careful regarding his next move, for it might backfire in his face.
    “Miss Ransom, have you ever ridden in a phaeton before?” Darius asked, keeping his eyes trained on Serena’s.
    “I have not,” she said. “Why do you ask?
    “I should very much enjoy giving you a ride ,” he said, his voice layered with meaning. “Unless of course, you are afraid of a little excitement.”
    Serena’s eyes narrowed ever so slightly.
    Darius stared back calmly and waited for her to take the bait.
    “Am