Read Her Master's Touch for Free Online

had barely left the room when Mara said
to Damon, "She not cook so why you employ her in first place?"
    Damon inhaled a long breath to clear his mind
of flashing eyes and a pair of moist lips begging to be kissed. "I
did not intend to, but when I was ready to make an offer on the
horse—"
    "My lord?" Eliza appeared in the doorway
again. "I couldn't help overhearing. Let me explain what happened
since it was because of me that you failed to purchase the horse.
You see, my lady, with Lord Ravencroft chasing me across the meadow
and tussling with me in the grass, he missed the chance to purchase
the horse. But he had fully intended to do so. Now, I must meet
with Mrs. Throckmorton." Turning quickly, she left.
    "So, she not what I think?" Mara seized a
book and hurled it at Damon, sending it crashing against the wall.
"I saw how you look at her." She seized another book.
    Damon rushed over and captured Mara's wrist.
"Enough! Either go back to the bungalow or back to your maharajah,
but don't come here telling me what I can and cannot do. I'll do
whatever I damn well please. Is that clear?"
    “Very clear. You also find cold bed in
bungalow!” Mara made a dramatic sweeping turn and stormed out of
the room.
    Damon started after her, set on having the
final say, but stopped short when he met Eliza in the hallway. "My,
but your lady rushed out hastily," she said. "I certainly didn't
mean to stir up a hornet's nest."
    "Didn't you though?" Damon gave her a
black-hearted smile. "Well, it might please you to know that I
don't entertain high hopes of salvaging the alliance."
    Eliza looked at him, mirth glimmering in her
eyes as she said, "I don’t know why you'd want to be entangled with
such an emotional women. I'd think you'd be glad to be rid of
her."
    "And I should thrash you for your
impertinence," Damon said.
    Smiling ruefully, Eliza replied, "With due
respect, my lord, I must remind you that I am merely a simple gypsy
girl with a limited knowledge of decorum."
    "That's pure rubbish," Damon said. "You may
be gypsy, but you're far from simple. And, I suspect you have a
damned good knowledge of decorum, though for the life of me I can't
figure out how you've come by it. Maybe you can fill me in."
    "I told you, I worked as a ladies maid."
    Damon saw her gaze falter. She was lying. She
also possessed schooling and finesse beyond that of an ordinary
Eurasian. He saw it in the graceful manner in which she held her
hands when she gestured, and in the way she stood straight and held
herself erect. Maybe she'd been trained as a courtesan. Maybe, as a
man's mistress. But he knew damned well she hadn't spent many years
roaming with gypsies. He was curious, though, as to why she'd taken
up with them at all, and he intended to root it out of her,
eventually.
    "As for your behavior," he said, "I suggest
you give careful thought to your conduct when in the presence of Begum Mara."
    " Begum Mara?" Eliza looked at him in
amusement. "She claims royalty?"
    Damon's jaw tightened. "That's no concern of
yours. But you will address her as Begum Mara. Is that
clear?"
    "Yes, my lord," she said, dutifully. "I will
strive to be more decorous and to speak with respect and reverence
to your precious little—" she stopped short.
    "My precious little what?" Damon asked. When
she didn't reply he said, "Go ahead. I insist. My precious little
what?"
    "Peagoose." Eliza patted a smile. "Forgive
me, my lord, but I find it difficult to consider with respect
someone who is—" she stopped short again.
    "Who is what?"
    "I don't believe you really want to
know."
    "Oh, but I do. Someone who is what?"
    "Very well. Someone who is..." she
paused.
    "Yes. Who is what?"
    "Nothing more than a commonplace
courtesan."
    Damon couldn't argue her point. He'd given a
valuable pigeon's blood ruby to a maharaja in return for releasing
Mara from the zenana . "And you are an impudent chit."
    "I'm sorry you feel that way," Eliza said,
"But you wanted to know what I was about to say and I