Read A Good Debutante's Guide to Ruin for Free Online Page B

heedless of her bare feet and untended hair. She was past caring what kind of impression she made on her stepbrother.
    She grabbed the door latch, freezing at the strangled shriek behind her.
    Startled, Rosalie tossed a look over her shoulder.
    Lady Merlton stretched out a hand as though she meant to grab hold of her. “You cannot mean to step out of this room looking like that ?”
    â€œMama, it’s not as though she’s stepping out of doors,” Aurelia offered dryly.
    Lady Merlton shot her daughter a quelling look. “The staff shall see—­they shall know.” Her voice dropped to a harsh whisper. “And heavens knows how they gossip with the staff of other households! It would not serve to have her gossiped about before she even makes her first appearance in Society.”
    Rosalie shook her head. It wasn’t to be borne. This discussion about her—­about her life, her very fate !—­she had not been consulted on any of it.
    Lady Merlton waved a hand wildly in her direction. “You c-­cannot go about thusly,” she sputtered.
    Rosalie didn’t even bother looking down at herself. She knew she looked a fright in her travel-­worn garments that had not been the height of fashion even when they were new and her hair a tangled nest. She simply did not care. She could not stand by as Dec—­ argh! —­the Duke of Banbury decided her fate as though it were his right. He was not her father. He wasn’t even her brother.
    The sound of laughter suddenly drew her attention to Lady Merlton’s daughter. She had dropped to sit on the edge of the bed. The cat took objection to sharing the bed with her and swiped a paw at the girl.
    Still laughing, she slapped back at the cat, the gesture automatic, as if it were normal byplay between them.
    She held her side as if her laughter actually hurt. “Oh, oh!” Aurelia gasped. “This is going to be brilliant.” She pointed to the door Rosalie was on the verge of escaping through. “If he’s still here, you’ll likely find my cousin down the hall. Take a right at the turn. His private study is near the top of the stairs. Hurry if you wish to catch him.”
    â€œAurelia!” Lady Merlton scolded. “You’re not helping.”
    Shaking her head at the odd girl, Rosalie charged from the room and down the corridor, following her directions.
    She didn’t bother knocking. She was too angry. Emotion ruled her. She’d never been quite this infuriated. Well, her mother managed to annoy her, but then, her mother was never around to face the brunt of her ire. Perhaps for the first time she would vent her spleen on the subject of her wrath.
    Wretched man! He’d said nothing of marrying her off last evening. Plan her future, would he? Marriage! Un-­bloody likely.
    She barged into his study to very nearly collide with him. His hands settled on her shoulders, steadying her. She stepped back quickly, severing the contact, relief coursing through her that he had not yet departed.
    â€œMiss Hughes,” he greeted evenly. “Forget to knock?”
    â€œI needed to speak with you,” she said breathlessly.
    His gaze scanned her, skipping down to her bare feet and back to her face, eyeing the mess of her hair. “It appears you forgot more than how to knock.” He arched a dark eyebrow at her, and that supercilious gesture only provoked her further.
    â€œI have forgotten nothing,” she snapped, propping one hand on her hip and fighting back her nervousness. Perhaps she should have composed herself before this confrontation. He looked unflappable. Tall and beautiful and . . .
    Perfect .
    She moistened her lips and reminded herself that no one was perfect. “It seems you , however, have forgotten something, Your Grace.”
    â€œIndeed?” The eyebrow winged even higher.
    â€œIndeed,” she echoed, mimicking his haughty tone, and that