Скачать книгу

I tried to avoid imagining you at all.’

      ‘For fear you wouldn’t be able to abide me? It’s fine, you can admit it,’ Eloise said with a rueful smile, ‘for I confess, that I was—I was steeling myself for the worst.’

      ‘And would you be here now, if I had lived down to your expectations?’

      ‘Would the vast sum I will earn compensate for a stoop or spectacles or bad breath?’ Eloise grimaced. ‘The truth is, when I saw you I was vastly relieved, but—well, we are being brutally honest, aren’t we? Then I will tell you that you could have been an Adonis, but if I had taken you in dislike, and felt I could not overcome my reservations, then I wouldn’t be sitting here with you.’ She smiled shyly. ‘The fact that you do resemble a Greek god—a fact that I am sure cannot come as a surprise to you—well, the female population at least will not find it too difficult to believe that I fell in love with your face and not your fortune. Not that I mean to imply that all females are so shallow as to fall in love only with handsome men, but...’

      ‘No, but I fear that the majority of men are indeed that shallow,’ Alexander interrupted wryly. ‘My cousin will find it much harder to question the validity of our marriage when he sets eyes on you.’

      ‘When you meet Phoebe and Estelle, you will realise why I am known as the clever sister.’

      ‘Clever and beautiful. I am fortunate indeed,’ Alexander said, thinking, as she blushed charmingly, that he was in fact beyond fortunate.

      ‘Clever enough to recognise that you have not answered my original question.’

      ‘I think we are all shallow creatures as far as first impressions go. I would like to think that I’d have overcome any reservations by getting to know you. I am certain that, having come to know you a little, I’d want to know more, and I can also say, as you did, that if I’d taken you in dislike, I would have put an end to the matter. But I am relieved—I can say now, hugely relieved—to discover that while your exterior is extremely attractive, it is what lies beneath that makes me think we will suit.’ He cast a worried look up at the sky. ‘We should get back inside, it looks like it’s threatening to rain.’

      Eloise stood up. ‘Do you realise we’ve been talking all this while as if the decision has already been made?’

      Alexander considered this. He felt odd. Not afraid, but it was that feeling he often had, at the culmination of a mission, when everything was finally coming together but there was still the danger that it could all go wrong, the thrill of the unknown. He felt as Eloise had described, perched at the top of a tree. ‘Have I been presumptive?’ he asked.

      ‘Do you really think our natures are complementary?’

      ‘Yes,’ he replied, surprising himself with his certainty. ‘I think—I really do think that we will suit very well. And you?’

      Eloise bit her lip, frowning. Her smile dawned slowly. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I think—I think if opposites attract, then we are an excellent match.’

      He took her hands in his. ‘Miss Brannagh, will you do me the honour of marrying me?’

      ‘Lord Fearnoch, I do believe I will.’

      And then she smiled up at him. And Alexander gave in to the temptation to kiss her. Delightfully, and far too briefly, on the lips.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4SX2RXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgABwESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUAAAABAAAAYgEbAAUAAAABAAAA agEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAeAAAAcgEyAAIAAAAUAAAAkIdpAAQAAAABAAAApAAAANAALcbA AAAnEAAtxsAAACcQQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTNS4xIFdpbmRvd3MAMjAxOTowMzowMSAxNjo0 MDoxOQAAA6ABAAMAAAABAAEAAKACAAQAAAABAAAGWaADAAQAAAABAAAKKAAAAAAAAAAGAQMAAwAA AAEABgAAARoABQAAAAEAAAEeARsABQAAAAEAAAEmASgAAwAAAAEAAgAAAgEABAAAAAEAAAEuAgIA BAAAAAEAACTAAAAAAAAAAEgAAAABAAAASAAAAAH/2P/iDFhJQ0NfUFJPRklMRQABAQAADEhMaW5v AhAAAG1udHJSR0IgWFlaIAfOAAIACQAGADEAAGFjc3BNU0ZUAAAAAElFQyBzUkdCAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAD21gABAAAAANMtSFAgIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAEWNwcnQAAAFQAAAAM2Rlc2MAAAGEAAAAbHd0cHQAAAHwAAAAFGJrcHQAAAIEAAAA FHJYWVoAAAIYAAAAFGdYWVoAAAIsAAAAFGJYWVoAAAJAAAAAFGRtbmQAAAJUAAAAcGRtZGQAAALE AAAAiHZ1ZWQAAANMAAAAhnZpZXcAAAPUAAAAJGx1bWkAAAP4AAAAFG1lYXMAAAQMAAAAJHRlY2gA AAQwAAAADHJUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDGdUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDGJUUkMAAAQ8AAAIDHRleHQAAAAAQ29weXJp Z2h0IChjKSAxOTk4IEhld2xldHQtUGFja2FyZCBDb21wYW55AABkZXNjAAAAAAAAABJzUkdCIElF QzYxOTY2LTIuMQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEnNSR0IgSUVDNjE5NjYtMi4xAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABYWVogAAAAAAAA81EAAQAAAAEWzFhZWiAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWFlaIAAAAAAAAG+iAAA49QAAA5BYWVogAAAAAAAAYpkAALeFAAAY2lhZ WiAAAAAAAAAkoAAAD4QAALbPZGVzYwAAAAAAAAAWSUVDIGh0dHA6Ly93d3cuaWVjLmNoAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAWSUVDIGh0dHA6Ly93d3cuaWVjLmNoAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGRlc2MAAAAAAAAALklFQyA2MTk2Ni0yLjEgRGVmYXVsdCBSR0IgY29s b3VyIHNwYWNlIC0gc1JHQgAAAAAAAAAAAAAALklFQyA2MTk2Ni0yLjEgRGVmYXVsdCBSR0IgY29s b3VyIHNwYWNlIC0gc1JHQgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABkZXNjAAAAAAAAACxSZWZlcmVu Y2UgVmlld2luZyBDb25kaXRpb24gaW4gSUVDNjE5NjYtMi4xAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAsUmVmZXJlbmNl IFZpZXdpbmcgQ29uZGl0aW9uIGluIElFQzYxOTY2LTIuMQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AAAAdmlldwAAAAAAE6T+ABRfLgAQzxQAA+3MAAQTCwADXJ4AAAABWFlaIAAAAAAATAlWAFAAAABX H+dtZWFzAAAAAAAAAAEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACjwAAAAJzaWcgAAAAAENSVCBjdXJ2AAAA AAAABAAAAAAFAAoADwAUABkAHgAjACgALQAyADcAOwBAAEUASgBPAFQAWQBeAGMAaABtAHIAdwB8 AIEAhgCLAJAAlQCaAJ8ApACpAK4AsgC3ALwAwQDGAMsA0ADVANsA4ADlAOsA8AD2APsBAQEHAQ0B EwEZAR8BJQErATIBOAE+AUUBTAFSAVkBYAFnAW4BdQF8AYMBiwGSAZoBoQGpAbEBuQHBAckB0QHZ AeEB6QHyAfoCAwIMAhQCHQImAi8COAJBAksCVAJdAmcCcQJ6AoQCjgKYAqICrAK2AsECywLVAuAC 6wL1AwADCwMWAyEDLQM4A0MDTwNaA2YDcgN+A4oDlgOiA64DugPHA9MD4APsA/kEBgQTBCAELQQ7 BEgEVQRjBHEEfgSMBJoEqAS2BMQE0wThBPAE/gUNBRwFKwU6BUkFWAVnBXcFhgWWBaYFtQXFBdUF 5QX2BgYGFgYnBjcGSAZZBmoGewaMBp0GrwbABtEG4wb1BwcHGQcrBz0HTwdhB3QHhgeZB6wHvwfS B+UH+AgLCB8IMghGCFoIbgiCCJYIqgi+CNII5wj7CRAJJQk6CU8JZAl5CY8JpAm6Cc8J5Qn7ChEK Jwo9ClQKagqBCpgKrgrFCtwK8wsLCyILOQtRC2kLgAuYC7ALyAvhC/kMEgwqDEMMXAx1DI4MpwzA DNkM8w0NDSYNQA1aDXQNjg2pDcMN3g34DhMOLg5JDmQOfw6bDrYO0g7uDwkPJQ9BD14Peg+WD7MP zw/sEAkQJhBDEGEQfhCbELkQ1xD1ERMRMRFPEW0RjBGqEckR6BIHEiYSRRJkEoQSoxLDEuMTAxMj E0MTYxODE6QTxRPlFAYUJxRJFGoUixStFM4U8BUSFTQVVhV4FZsVvRXgFgMWJhZJFmwWjxayFtYW +hcdF0EXZReJF64X0hf3GBsYQBhlGIoYrxjVGPoZIBlFGWsZkRm3Gd0aBBoqGlEadxqeGsUa7BsU GzsbYxuKG7Ib2hwCHCocUhx7HKMczBz1HR4dRx1wHZkdwx3sHhYeQB5qHpQevh7pHxMfPh9pH5Qf vx/qIBUgQSBsIJggxCDwIRwhSCF1IaEhziH7IiciVSKCIq8i3SMKIzgjZiOUI8Ij8CQfJE0kfCSr JNolCSU4JWgllyXHJfcmJyZXJocmtyboJxgnSSd6J6sn3CgNKD8ocSiiKNQpBik4KWspnSnQKgIq NSpoKpsqzysCKzYraSudK9EsBSw5LG4soizXLQwtQS12Last4S4WLkwugi63Lu4vJC9aL5Evxy/+ MDUwbDCkMNsxEjFKMYIxujHyMioyYzKbMtQzDTNGM38zuDPxNCs0ZTSeNNg1EzVNN

Скачать книгу