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e47d146
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Eger kanit yoksa supheli olmak hic bir sey ifade etmez...
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matthew-farell
meredith
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Judith McNaught |
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4675bb2
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At the end of the lane Elizabeth put down her side of the trunk and sank down wearily beside Lucinda upon its hard top, emotionally exhausted. A wayward chuckle bubbled up inside her, brought on by exhaustion, fright, defeat, and the last remnants of triumph over having gotten just a little of her own back from the man who'd ruined her life. The only possible explanation for Ian Thornton's behavior today was that he was a complete madman. W..
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Judith McNaught |
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4a3cd19
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What's your favorite sport, Zack?" Zack tipped her chin up. "My favorite sport," he said in an aching, husky voice he scarcely recognized as his own, "is making love to you." Her eyes darkened with a love she wasn't trying to conceal from him anymore. "What's your favorite food?" she asked shakily. In answer, Zack bent his head and touched her lips in a soft kiss. "You are."
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Judith McNaught |
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874bf53
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No longer was she an heiress from another world; she was the woman he had wanted to possess the moment he saw her, and she was sitting beside him, her hair cascading over his arm like a thick satin waterfall
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Judith McNaught |
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c94b3e7
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Would you be willing to tell me how the ladies came to be here? I mean, who are they?" Ian drew a long, impatient breath, tipped his head back, and absently massaged the muscles at the back of his neck. "I met Elizabeth a year and a half ago at a party. She'd just made her debut, was already betrothed to some unfortunate nobleman, and was eager to test her wiles on me." "Test her wiles on you? I thought you said she was engaged to another."..
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Judith McNaught |
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2cfc4de
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That's the Thornton place up there atop yon hill," the farmer said, pointing. Lucinda gazed in mounting anger at the large, but unimpressive cottage that was barely visible through the thick trees, then she turned the full force of her authority on the hapless farmer. "You're mistaken, my good man," she said stoutly. "No gentleman of consequence or sense would live in such a godforsaken place as this. Kindly turn this decrepit vehicle aroun..
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Judith McNaught |
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bd3fac7
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Now his grandfather's actions were adding to his unwanted notoriety. The death of Ian's father had evidently caused the old duke to feel some belated request for the estrangement, and for the last twelve years he'd been writing to Ian periodically. At first he had pleaded with Ian to come and visit him at Stanhope. When Ian ignored his letters, he'd tried bribing him with promises to name Ian his legitimate heir. Those letters had gone unan..
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Judith McNaught |
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675fd13
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I have come, my lovely," Roddy said with his usual sardonic grin as he swept her a deep bow, "in answer to your urgent summons-and, I might add,-" he continued, " I presented myself at the Willingtons', exactly as your message instructed." At 5'10", Roddy Carstairs was a slender man of athletic build with thinning brown hair and light blue eyes. In fact, his only distinguishing characteristics were his fastidiously tailored clothes, a much..
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Judith McNaught |
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b7beb86
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He bowed politely to Hortense, who tipped her head toward the elderly gray-haired lady beside her, who seemed to be dozing, her head drooping slightly forward. "And this person, you may recall, is my sister Charity, your other great-aunt, who has again dozed off as she so often does. It's her age, you understand." The little gray head snapped up, and blue eyes popped open, leveling on Hortense in wounded affront. "I'm only little years ol..
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Judith McNaught |
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f142869
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I understand felicitations are in order." Ian started. His betrothal to Christina, which was about to be broken, was not yet common knowledge. "Christina Taylor is a lovely young woman. I knew her grandfather and her uncles, and, of course, her father, the Earl of Melbourne. She'll make you a fine wife, Ian." "Inasmuch as bigamy is a crime in this country, I find that unlikely." Startled by the discovery that his information was apparently ..
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Judith McNaught |
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2a9afb7
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The last shot wasn't bad," he said, dropping the subject of the duel. "However, the target is the twig, not the leaves. The of the twig," he added. "You must have missed the twig yourself," she pointed out, lifting the gun and aiming it carefully, "since it's still there." "True, but it's shorter than it was when I started." Elizabeth momentarily forgot what she was doing as she stared at him in disbelief and amazement. "Do you mean you'v..
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Judith McNaught |
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78675ce
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What I want to know is whether or not I can expect a repetition of it, if I were to agree with what Alexandra wants." Drowning in angry mortification, Elizabeth nevertheless managed not to flinch or drop her gaze, and although her voice shook slightly, she managed to say calmly and clearly, "I have no control over wagging tongues, your grace. If I had, I would not have been the topic of scandal two years ago. However, have no desire whate..
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Judith McNaught |
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f210a4c
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I wish you'd stop acting as if-as if everything is normal!" "What would you have me do?" he replied, getting up and walking over to the tray of liquor. He poured some Scotch into two glasses and handed one to Jordan. "If you're waiting for me to rant and weep, you're wasting your time." "No, at the moment I'm glad you're not given to the masculine version of hysterics. I have news, as I said, and though you aren't going to find it pleasant ..
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Judith McNaught |
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315a4ee
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Now calm down, missus," Mr. Hogan said with gentle firmness. "You know you shouldn't have read that paper. Just like yer husband said, it got ye all upset." "My is on trial for murder," Elizabeth argued desperately. "Yer husband is down at the port, seein' 'bout a ship to take ye off explorin' the world." "No, that is my " "He were yer husband this afternoon," Mr. Hogan reminded her. "He was my husband, he was my brother," Elizabeth ..
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Judith McNaught |
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703f40a
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You," she said, bending an icy eye on Elizabeth, "come with me. You have much to explain, madam, and you can do it while Faulkner attends to your appearance." "I am " Elizabeth said in a burst of frustrated anger, "going to think of my appearance at a time like this." The duchess's brows shot into her hairline. "Have you come to persuade them that your husband is innocent?" "Well, of course I have. I-" "Then don't shame him more than you a..
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Judith McNaught |
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f5bd701
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The only reason she could have had for marrying him, other than love, was to save Havenhurst. In order to believe that, Ian had first to believe that he'd been fooled by her every kiss, every touch, every word, and he could not accept. He no longer trusted his heart, but he trusted his intellect. His intellect warned him that of all the women in the world, no one suited him better in every way than Elizabeth. Only Elizabeth would have dar..
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Judith McNaught |
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fe0f79b
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In fact, the only rash, ill-advised thing of any import he'd done in recent years was his behavior the weekend he'd met Elizabeth Cameron.
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Judith McNaught |
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24c14ae
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To her complete bafflement, instead of continuing his attack, Ian Thornton turned around and met her stormy eyes, an odd expression on his handsome face. "I apologize, Elizabeth," he said grimly. "My remarks were uncalled for." And on that amazing note he strode off, saying that he intended to spend the day hunting. Elizabeth tore her startled gaze from his departing back, but the vicar continued staring after him for several long moments. ..
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Judith McNaught |
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8d0363e
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I found this in the same box where the sketches were," she added, putting it in his outstretched palm. "My father gave it to me when I was a boy," he said in an offhand voice. His long fingers closed around it, and he slipped it into his pocket. "I think it may be very valuable," Elizabeth said, imagining the sorts of improvements he could make to his home and lands if he chose to sell the ring. "As a matter of fact," Ian drawled blandly, "..
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Judith McNaught |
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05e673d
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A husband is the only possible solution to your problems." "Don't you dare suggest a man as the solution for my troubles," she cried. "You're all the cause of them! My father gambled away the entire family fortune and left me in debt; my brother disappeared after getting me deeper in debt; you kissed me and destroyed my reputation; my fiance left me at the first breath of a scandal caused; and my uncle is trying to sell me! As far as I'm ..
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Judith McNaught |
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8baac14
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There now," she said to the flowers in an encouraging tone, "you have food and air. You'll be very happy and pretty in no time." "Are you talking to the " Ian asked from behind her. Elizabeth started and turned around on an embarrassed laugh. "They like it when I talk to them." Knowing how peculiar that sounded, she reinforced it by adding, "Our gardener used to say all living things need affection, and that includes flowers." Turning back..
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Judith McNaught |
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1a6ac4c
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That miserable son of a bitch!" he bit out between clenched teeth. "After eleven years he's going to have it his way. And all because I couldn't keep my hands off her." The vicar could scarcely conceal his joyous relief. "There are worse things than having to marry a wonderful young woman who also had the excellent judgment to fall in love with " he pointed out. Ian almost, but not quite, smiled at that. The impulse passed in an instant, h..
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Judith McNaught |
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aebb9d9
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But before you do that, inform your master that we have arrived." "His master," said a biting voice from a rear doorway, "is aware of that." Elizabeth swung around at the scathing tone of Ian's voice, and her fantasy of seeing him fall to his knees in remorse the moment he set eyes on her collapsed the instant she saw his face; it was as hard and forbidding as a granite sculpture. He did not bother to come forward but instead remained where..
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Judith McNaught |
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0ab8566
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When she was turning the bacon, he came up behind her, his hands settling on her waist as he peered over her shoulder. "That looks awfully edible," he teased. "I was rather counting on our 'traditional' breakfast." She smiled and let him turn her around. "When do we have to return?" she asked, thinking whimsically of how cozy it was up here with him. "How does two months sound?" "It sounds wonderful, but are you certain you won't be bored-o..
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Judith McNaught |
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fabfe71
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At the moment Ormsley looked on the verge of tears as his damp, faded blue eyes roved almost lovingly over Ian's face. "Good afternoon, my lord," he intoned formally, but the ecstatic expression on his face gaze Ian the impression the servant was restraining himself from wrapping his arms around him. "And-and may I say-" The elderly man stopped, his voice hoarse with emotion, and cleared his throat. "And may I say how very-how very very i..
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Judith McNaught |
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4af939f
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How much did he charge you?" he asked, intending to add that amount to her allowance. "Originally he wanted $1,000 whether he finds news of Robert or not. But I offered to pay him twice his fee if he's successful." "And if he isn't?" "Oh, in case I didn't think it was fair that he receive anything," she said. "I persuaded him I was right." Ian's shout of laughter was still ringing in the hall when they entered the drawing room to greet t..
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Judith McNaught |
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2630d36
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Blissfully unaware of all that, Elizabeth continued to love him without reservation or guile, and as she grew more certain of his love, she became more confident and more enchanting to Ian. On those occasions when she saw his expression become inexplicably grim, she teased him or kissed him, and, if those ploys failed, she presented him with little gifts-a flower arrangement from Havenhurst's gardens, a single rose that she stuck behind his..
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Judith McNaught |
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0dca75b
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Lady Thornton, how very of you to find the time to pay us a social call! Would it be too pushing of me to inquire as to your whereabouts during the last six weeks?" At that moment Elizabeth's only thought was that if Ian's barrister felt this way about her, how much more hatred she would face when she confronted Ian himself. "I-I can imagine what you must be thinking," she began in a conciliatory manner. He interrupted sarcastically, "Oh,..
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Judith McNaught |
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ef2841d
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She had not wanted to come, and now that she was there, she was still praying for deliverance. "Aunt Berta!" she said forcefully as the front door of the great, rambling house was swung open. The butler stepped aside, and footmen hurried forward. "Aunt Berta!" she said urgently, and in desperation Elizabeth reached for the maid's tightly clenched eyelid. She pried it open and looked straight into a frightened brown orb. "Please do not do th..
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Judith McNaught |
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9285b80
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The last encounter was one Ian enjoyed, because Elizabeth was with him after they'd had their second-and last permissible-dance. Viscount Mondevale had approached them with Valerie hanging on his arm, and the rest of their group fanned around them. The sight of the young woman who'd caused them both so much pain evoked almost as much ire in Ian as the sight of Mondevale watching Elizabeth like a lovelorn swain. "Mondevale," Ian had said cur..
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Judith McNaught |
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8c96467
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Who taught you to shoot?" he asked when she was standing beside him. "Our coachman." "Better the coachman than your brother," Ian mocked, handing her the loaded gun. "The target's that bare twig over there--the one with the leaf hanging off the middle of it." Elizabeth flinched at his sarcastic reference to his duel with Robert. "I'm truly sorry about that duel," she said, then she concentrated all her attention for the moment on the small ..
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Judith McNaught |
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a13229c
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Ian's method of dealing with Sir Francis Belhaven--who, his grandfather had discovered, was boasting that Elizabeth had spent several days with him--was less subtle and even more effective. "Belhaven," Ian said after spending a half hour searching for the repulsive knight. The stout man had whirled around in surprise, leaving his acquaintances straining to hear Ian's low conversation with him. "I find your presence repugnant," Ian had said ..
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Judith McNaught |
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7f726b4
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And then come and join us in a toast. I'm about to whisk Lauren off to Las Vegas to get married. The plane is being refueled and checked out right now." "Does Lauren know about this?" Mary said, frowning. "She's downstairs in Jim's office, hard at work." "I'll convince her of the wisdom of the plan." "When the plane is airborne and she has no choice," Ericka put in with a knowing smile. "Exactly." Nick grinned in high good spirits. He had ..
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Judith McNaught |
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73bc0e6
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Elizabeth," he said, trying not to laugh. "At a wedding reception, the guests cannot leave until the bride and groom retire. If you look over there, you'll notice my great-aunts are already nodding in their chairs." "Oh!" she exclaimed, instantly contrite. "I didn't know. Why didn't you tell me earlier?" "Because," he said, taking her elbow and beginning to guide her from the ballroom, "I wanted you to enjoy every minute of our ball, even i..
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Judith McNaught |
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7f16a44
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Before their chaise drew to a complete halt in front of the house a door was already being flung open, and a tall, stocky man was bouncing down the steps. "It would appear that our greeting here is going to be far more enthusiastic than the one we received at our last stop," Elizabeth said in a resolute voice that still shook with nerves as she drew on her gloves, bravely preparing to meet and defy the next obstacle to her happiness and ind..
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Judith McNaught |
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7b45210
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Lucinda," Elizabeth said for the third time in an hour, "I cannot tell you how sorry I am about this." Five days ago, Lucinda had arrived at the inn at the Scottish border where she joined Elizabeth for the journey to Ian Thornton's house. This morning, their hired coach broke an axle, and they were now ignominiously ensconced on the back of a hay wagon belonging to a farmer, their trunks and valises tipping precariously to and fro along th..
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Judith McNaught |
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f2a89a7
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I wanted to tell you," Elizabeth began in a rush, "how very sorry I am to have dragged you here and subjected you to such humiliation. Mr. Thornton's behavior was inexcusable, unforgivable." "I daresay he was...surprised by our unexpected arrival." " " Elizabeth repeated, gaping at her. "He was I know you must think-must be wondering what could have led me to have anything at all to do with him before," she began, "and I cannot honestly t..
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Judith McNaught |
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8d586c9
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I would rather face the devil himself than that man," Elizabeth said with a repressed shudder. "I daresay," Lucinda agreed, clutching her umbrella with one hand and the side of the cart with her other. The nearer the time came, the more angry and confused Elizabeth became about this meeting. For the first four days of their journey, her tension had been greatly allayed by the scenic grandeur of Scotland with its rolling hills and deep vall..
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Judith McNaught |
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acb8c06
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How 'bout some coffee?" Jake said as he hurried over to the coffee pot on the stove and filled a mug with the remainder of the steaming brew. When he got to the table with it, however, he stopped and looked helplessly from Lucinda to Elizabeth, obviously not certain who ought properly to be served first. "Coffee," Lucinda informed him dampeningly when he took a step toward her, "is a heathen brew, unfit for civilized people. I prefer tea." ..
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Judith McNaught |
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85f2247
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If it will reassure you that I'm not a coward, I suppose I could rearrange his face." Quietly he added, "The music has ended," and for the first time Elizabeth realized they were no longer waltzing but were only swaying lightly together. With no other excuse to stand in his arms, Elizabeth tried to ignore her disappointment and step back, but just then the musicians began another melody, and their bodies began to move together in perfect ti..
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Judith McNaught |
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5757762
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Why should he treat Elizabeth as if he harbored any feelings for her, including anger? Elizabeth sensed that he was wavering a little, and she pressed home her advantage, using calm reason: "Surely nothing that happened between us should make us behave badly to each other now. I mean, when you think on it, it was noting to us but a harmless weekend flirtation, wasn't it?" "Obviously." "Neither of us was hurt, were we?" "No." "Well then, the..
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Judith McNaught |
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1240dcd
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In the weeks that followed, Elizabeth discovered to her pleasure that she could ask Ian any question about any subject and that he would answer her as fully as she wished. Not once did he ever patronize her when he replied, or fend her off by pointing out that, as a woman, the matter was truly none of her concern-or worse-that the answer would be beyond any female's ability to understand. Elizabeth found his respect for her intelligence eno..
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Judith McNaught |
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67e0ea6
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I have an-odd ability-to read very quickly." "Oh," Elizabeth replied, "how lucky you are. I never heard of a talent like that." A lazy glamorous smile swept across his face, and he squeezed her hand. "It's not nearly as uncommon as your eyes," he said. Elizabeth thought it must be a great deal more uncommon, but she wasn't completely certain and she let it pass. The following day, that discovery was completely eclipsed by another one. At I..
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Judith McNaught |
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8dd2ae3
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Elizabeth?" Ian said in a clipped voice. She whirled around, her heart slamming against her ribs, her hand flying to her throat, her knees turning to jelly. "What's wrong?" he asked. "You-you startled me," she said as he strolled up to her, his expression oddly impassive. "I didn't expect you to come here," she added nervously. "Really?" he mocked. "Whom did you expect after that note-the Prince of Wales?" The note! Crazily, her first thoug..
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Judith McNaught |