Read With This Kiss for Free Online Page A

incredulity was plain in his voice.
    She drew her hands together, clenching them tightly against the pink satin of her gown in an effort to hide her nervousness. “The explanations — facts — are somewhat lengthy. Perhaps we would be more comfortable adjourning inside.”
    Silence greeted her words. Then, after what seemed an interminable pause, Morgan stood. Once again Julia was struck by how large he seemed. How overwhelmingly masculine. The awareness did little to ease her nerves.
    “By all means, princess, let us adjourn for tea.”
    She forced a tight, polite smile, feigning a complete ignorance of his patronizing tone. Turning away, she led him through the maze of crates to an oak door. She paused to light the small lamp that stood by the entrance, then ushered him forward with a polite wave of her hand. She followed behind him, taking a moment to light a few more lamps that were scattered at various points throughout the room. Unfortunately the mellow, golden glow they provided did nothing to soften the ugliness of the space.
    Julia glanced about the room, battling a surge of shame as she considered how it must appear to him. The quarters were little more than an empty corner that had been crudely partitioned off from the rest of the warehouse. The walls were bare, the floors nothing but wooden planks covered by rugs that had long since worn thin. The oversize furniture, once grand and elegant, looked ridiculously crowded and out of place, as did the damask drapery that covered the single window overlooking the docks. A thin film of grime, the result of constant exposure to a coal-burning furnace, covered everything.
    To make matters even worse, each item in the room, from the smallest porcelain serving dish to the huge mahogany armoire, was conspicuously marked with a ticket from Pindler and Sons, announcing the opening bid that would be requested once the items went up for auction — an event scheduled for next Tuesday afternoon. In her haste to meet with Morgan St. James, Julia had completely forgotten to remove the tags. Now they seemed to blaze out at her, further evidence of her family’s fall from grace.
    Unable to meet his eyes, she murmured an invitation for him to sit and bolted behind a bamboo screen that partitioned the kitchen from the rest of the quarters. Reveling in the temporary privacy, she hung her head and took a deep breath, battling the emotions that clogged her throat. If there had been a back door, she would have cowardly scooted out of it. Unfortunately, however, there wasn’t. She had no choice but to continue with her plan. With shaking hands she lifted a poker, stirred the oven ashes to spark a fire, and then went about the task of boiling water for tea.
    By the time she returned to the front room a few minutes later, she felt somewhat composed. She found Morgan standing beside a curtain used to provide a modicum of privacy for the small space that served as the bedchamber. Her gowns hung in a neat row inside, all ticketed for sale. Like everything else, they were victims of a bygone era in her life. The tag that had marked the pink satin she now wore lay waiting atop the dresser, ready to be replaced as soon as she removed the gown. Five pounds, sixpence.
    He turned at the sound of her setting down the tea tray, “You live here?” he asked curtly.
    “No. I live with my aunt and uncle. This building belonged to my father.”
    “What of your husband?”
    She stared at him blankly. “My what?”
    “Your husband. That elderly crane who accompanied you earlier tonight.”
    “Oh, you mean Mr. Randolph. He is — was — my father’s solicitor. Now he is in my employ. At my request, he was kind enough to escort me to the Devonshire House tonight.” She sat, and then gestured at the settee across from her. “Please.”
    She waited until he had made himself comfortable. “Sugar?”
    “Black is fine, Miss…”
    “Prentisse,” she supplied, passing him his tea. “Julia