Read To Love, Honor, and Obey... (Fated for Love) for Free Online

beyond them. He felt it like a caress across his stomach. He pulled his hands back and folded them behind his back. “Take a sip.” She did, never taking her eyes from him. For some reason he found it highly erotic.
    “Obedience, my dear, why don’t you share Lord Willowton with the rest of us?”
    Obedience looked around Chance to find her mother staring at them with a wide smile and eyes as hard as marble. Chance turned with a flawless smile, somehow pulling Obedience to the group without even touching her. They made a half circle in front of the duke with Chance at his side. Judging from the way Patience had grabbed her elbow and left indents from her nails, it was Obedience’s turn to draw attention to Patience. She searched her mind for something positive to say as the awkward silence stretched.
    “Patience looks lovely in blue ,” she blurted.
    Everyone looked at Patience’s dress, which was white with a pink sash.
    “Blue is a pleasing color,” Chance responded politely. “You are all blessed with stunningly blue eyes, I must say. A family trait it seems. They remind me of the bright blue of the sky in summer when not a cloud dare touch it.”
    Lady Wickenham and Patience gushed over his words. Obedience stood still as a scarecrow, her cheeks flushed with pleasure. She took another sip of her sherry to hide it.
    Gable entered and announced that dinner was ready. Obedience heard the duke mumble ‘thank god’ and hid a smile. Chance took the duty of pushing his father’s chair, leaving the women to follow. They entered the dining room and took seats at a round table. Obedience could tell her mother was surprised by the informality. Lady Wickenham sat beside the duke, Obedience on his other side, with Chance sitting between Obedience and Patience. The footmen entered to serve them. There was silence while plates were filled.
    Her mother was the first to break the silence, asking Chance about events in London. Obedience looked down at her plate in longing. Everything looked delicious, the duck moist and steaming, the potatoes soft and dripping with sauce. Looking up to see her mother’s attention focused on Chance, she took a few quick bites. Looking up again, she caught her mother’s freezing glare before it melted and returned to Chance. Obedience sighed and set her fork down softly.
    “Is it not to your liking?” The duke’s voice halted all conversation and all eyes turned to her.
    “It’s delicious, sir ,” Obedience responded shyly.
    “I teach my daughters moderation in all things.” Lady Wickenham beamed at the duke.
    The duke ignored her completely. “I see you almost every day, Obedience. You will wither away to nothing if you keep this up. I want to see that plate cleared of everything.”
    Obedience froze and looked at her mother. Her mother nodded stoically. “I’m sure it’s just excitement chasing her appetite away. It’s been such a long time since Lord Willowton has been home.”
    The duke never took his eyes from Obedience. “Is that so?”
    Obedience nodded.
    “Be that as it may, I will take it as an insult if you do not eat everything on that plate.” The duke returned to his own plate and continued eating. Obedience looked back at her mother. Her color was high, but her attention was focused on stabbing insubordinate peas. Obedience sighed and turned her attention back to her own plate. She may as well eat all that she wished while she could.
    Chance struck up a conversation with Patience about the latest fashions about town, and that led to Patience describing every single one of her blue dresses lasting four courses of dinner. Obedience was both grateful and annoyed. She was now blissfully full and sipping her wine as Patience went on and on and on. Chance appeared to be giving her his rapt attention, and that was what Obedience found so annoying. He couldn’t possibly b e so interested in her wardrobe. The man she knew him to be would not… though the man she knew