Read For Love Alone for Free Online

extremely handsome and personable youth. His title and fortune only added to his appeal, and Sophy was just a little concerned about his current infatuation. She wanted to assure herself that the young lady was suitable. Not that she cared about fortune or breeding. What Sophy worried about was that the young lady’s affections were for Marcus —not his title and wealth.
    This was Sophy’s first trip to London since her husband had died and she had gone to live with Marcus and Phoebe at Gatewood, the Grayson family estate in Cornwall. In the years since Marlowe’s death, they had lived very quietly in the country, as much because it was their choice as the fact that their uncle continued to make inroads into the family’s wealth. Despite the enormity of the Grayson fortune, funds had not been flowing with any regularity or generosity.
    Fortunately, Sophy’s monies were hers to command, and she had seen to it that they all three lived comfortably at Gatewood. A season in London was an expensive proposition, and she had not wanted to spend much-needed gold on something so frivolous when there was still so much to be done at Gatewood. But this year, Lord Scoville had experienced a particularly good run of luck. Prompted as much by Sophy’s increasingly angry demands for what was due her siblings, as by a sudden prickle of conscience, Baron Scoville had handed over a lavish amount of money for their use.
    Marcus, restless and eager to see London, was determined to gain some “town bronze” and join his friends in the city. He had begged that they come to London. Phoebe, only weeks away from turning fifteen, had unexpectedly added her entreaties. Her big golden brown eyes full of pleading, she had breathed, “Oh, please, Sophy. Do let us go! I would ever so much like to go to Hookham’s Lending Library and Hatchard’s bookstore. My friend, Amanda, says that they have a simply vast selection of books.”
    â€œBooks!” Marcus had exclaimed with great disgust. “I swear, Phoebe, all you care about is books. I want to go to Weston’s to buy some really fashionable garments. And to Manton’s to shoot. And Tattersall’s, to look at horses. And—”
    â€œYes, yes, I understand,” Sophy had interrupted with a twinkle in her eyes. “You wish to make a dash.” She smiled lovingly at Phoebe’s young face. “And you wish to bury your nose in as many books as you can find. Very well, if you both want to go, we shall!”
    â€œAnd you, Sophy? What will you do while we are in London?” asked Phoebe.
    â€œI shall go to the British Museum and perhaps Westminster Abbey,” Sophy stated calmly. The look Marcus and Phoebe exchanged made her laugh aloud.
    The decision made, it did not take the siblings very long to set their plans in motion. They had arrived in London in March and had been settling very nicely into the Grayson town house on Berkeley Square. Marcus had already paid several visits to Weston’s for his new wardrobe; Phoebe had been transported with delight over the number of books to be found at Hatchard’s; and Sophy had found the British Museum positively fascinating. There were, of course, other entertainments that they had attended, either together or separately, and all three were feeling rather pleased with this first sojourn in London.
    Despite her preference for quieter entertainment, Sophy had attended a few routs and balls during the past weeks and, to her astonishment, had thoroughly enjoyed herself. It was true that her path occasionally crossed that of her uncle and that there had been stiff, uncomfortable exchanges between them. There had also been unavoidable meetings with several of her late husband’s friends, and the rumors about her part in Simon’s death continued to be whispered about behind her back now and then. But all in all, she thought the trip to London had been a success; the ton