Read Regency Christmas Pact 02 - A Gentlemen's Pact for Free Online Page A

you starve today.”
    Olivia threw her head back and closed her eyes as they exited the room. She’d have to come clean soon, but at least she didn’t have to do it right this minute. Perhaps a blizzard would come and prevent her from ever having to do it at all. One could only hope for catastrophic weather conditions.

After a dizzying afternoon playing his cousin’s parlor games, Rowan had just about had enough. He wanted to get Olivia alone again as soon as possible. Or at the very least, he wanted to be alone with his own bloody thoughts.
    This was all so new to him, and though he wanted Olivia to admit what he already knew was the truth, he also needed to figure out how he felt about the whole thing. Did he want to be a father? Did he want to be with Olivia?
    Marcus had cleared up the part about Mr. Edwards, so Rowan no longer had to worry about cuckolding her husband. He’d been gone for four years now, and by the looks of it, he’d left very little for Olivia and Marcus in the way of security and provisions.
    Rowan sat back in his chair and propped his feet up on the ottoman. Damn, what was happening to him? He was a confirmed bachelor—a playboy—he had no desire to change, and yet…here he was, hiding away in the library, thinking of what it would be like to have a wife, a child, a family.
    No . No, no, no, no, no. There had to be another way. He could provide for the boy, make sure they were taken care of. Promoting them to a better living standard wouldn’t make even a dent in his coffers. He didn’t have to go off and marry the woman to take care of her and the child.
    He took another drink of his brandy and then set the glass on the table. With a sigh, he let his head loll back until he was staring up at the ceiling above. Why couldn’t he get that night out of his head? Every time he thought of it, a certain part of his anatomy acted most indiscreetly, and he’d been damned uncomfortable ever since Olivia walked back into his life.
    The door creaked behind him. He sat up straight and craned his neck around the chair to see who had invaded his privacy. He’d expected it to be his cousin, but instead, Olivia and Marcus stood there awkwardly in the doorway.
    Rowan stood. “Hello,” he said, unsure of what else to say.
    “Sorry to disturb you,” Olivia said, her voice soft and apologetic. “But Marcus wanted to say goodbye.”
    “Oh, of course.” Rowan crossed the room and knelt down in front of the boy.
    “Will I see you again?” Marcus asked, and Rowan was certain his heart had never done what it did just then. It twisted and lurched and, damn it all, a lump rose to his throat.
    “Well, that’s up to your mother.” They both looked up at Olivia, who pursed her lips. Clearly, she wasn’t fond of the idea, but she’d seem cruel not to let Marcus see Rowan again.
    And if Rowan was being honest, he wanted to see Marcus again too. He’d been excellent company on the sleigh ride that morning, especially for a jaded, old man like Rowan was becoming. Seeing the snow-covered countryside through the eyes of a child was like seeing it for the very first time himself. A giddy feeling had stolen over him, and Rowan wanted to feel that again.
    “I suppose that would be all right,” Olivia finally acquiesced.
    Rowan smiled and turned back to Marcus. “Do you know how to ride, young man?”
    “Oh, please, no!”
    Rowan met with Olivia’s panicked blue eyes, and then turned back to Marcus, who was clearly blinking back tears.
    “Mama won’t let me,” he said, and then he leaned in to whisper, “That’s how my Papa died.”
    “Oh, I see.” Rowan stood up to his full height, feeling caddish. “I didn’t know.”
    Olivia shook her head. “How could you have?” She put her hands on Marcus’s shoulders. “But just the same, I’d like him to stay on the ground, if you don’t mind.”
    This wasn’t the time to argue with her, but the boy would have to learn sometime. It wouldn’t be fair