“He… I—”
“Enough!” Latchett raised a hand. “I’ll deal with you later.”
Hawkesly swallowed against acid hate. “I believe it is I whom you should take to task, sir.” The man was a visible lecher and the manner in which he might prefer to deal with the girl took little imagination. “I fear I took a wrong turn coming here. This young woman was kind enough to set me on the right path.” Whatever happened, he must not lose his head and move a moment sooner than would accomplish his purpose.
Latchett drew himself up on spindly, yellow-clad legs. His considerable girth strained against a rose brocade waistcoat. Hawkesly knew the other’s age to be three and thirty. Excesses in living had made him appear many years older.
“Who did you want to see?” Latchett demanded.
“He rode the wrong way!” Berthe’s clear voice burst from her. She wrung her hands. “You know how easy it is to take the wrong path from Fowey and come here rather than the village. I’ll be glad to show him—”
“Silence!” Latchett’s chest puffed up even higher.
An overblown country dandy, Hawkesly thought. Weak, self-indulgent, greedy … and deadly. How appealing was the thought of squeezing the life from Latchett this very moment. Appealing, but entirely too quick and merciful.
Hawkesly smiled at Berthe, who shook visibly. “I’ll deal with this, my dear.” To Latchett he said, “There’s been somewhat of an error, sir. I assume you are Mr. Roger Latchett?”
With a sniff Latchett said, “I am.”
“As I thought. In that case I believe we have business to conduct.”
“Hush,” Hawkesly told Berthe quietly. “It will be all right, my dear. Mr. Latchett, I assume you received my letter.”
“Letter?”
“In which I expressed an interest in leasing Point Cottage—the property mentioned to me by my friends the Trevays of Mevagissey?” He heard Berthe’s intake of breath but didn’t look at her.
The stunned transformation of Latchett’s face brought Hawkesly considerable satisfaction. “Point Cottage,” he sputtered, taking a step backward. “Yes, yes, of course. Then you are…” His raised hand circled in a vague parody of a courtly flourish and he attempted a bow made difficult by his belly. “You are…”
“Viscount Hawkesly,” he supplied, and clasped his hands behind his back. The Trevays of Mevagissey were, in fact, Bertram Trevay, private investigator. Thanks to Trevay, Hawkesly knew enough to make this sorry peacock squirm when the time was right. “I hope the property in question is still available.”
“Ah… well, that is indeed a most desirable spot… my lord. But come, we’ll have refreshments and discuss the matter.” He fairly jiggled on the balls of his red-velvet-slippered feet. “Please, my lord, if you’ll honor me with your company in my library?”
Muscles in Hawkesly’s jaw cramped. “Of course.”
Latchett gestured toward the door and Hawkesly inclined his head but paused in the act of following the other man to smile at Berthe. She stood as if frozen, her eyes dark with distress.
In that instant Latchett also fastened his gaze on her. “This,” he announced, “is the Viscount Hawkesly of Hawkesly Place in Devon.”
Berthe’s regard shifted to the floor and she dropped another awkward curtsy.
“My lord,” Latchett intoned. “Allow me to present my stepsister, Miss Lindsay Granville.”
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About the Author
Stella Cameron
Stella Cameron is the New York Times best selling author of the acclaimed Court of Angels Series, the Bayou Books and many others. There are fourteen million copies of her books in circulation worldwide. She is the recipient of the Pacific Northwest Achievement Award for distinguished professional achievement and for enhancing the stature of the Northwest Literary community. She lives in Washington State.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Fascination Chapter 1
Fascination Chapter 2
Fascination Chapter 3
Fascination Chapter 4
Fascination Chapter 5
Fascination Chapter 6
Fascination Chapter 7
Fascination Chapter 8
Fascination Chapter 9
Fascination Chapter 10
Fascination Chapter 11
Fascination Chapter 12
Fascination Chapter 13
Fascination Chapter 14
Fascination Chapter 15
Fascination Chapter 16
Fascination Chapter 17
Fascination Chapter 18
Fascination Chapter 19
Fascination Chapter 20
Fascination Chapter 21
Fascination Chapter 22
Fascination Chapter 23
Fascination Chapter 24
Fascination Chapter 25
Fascination Chapter 26
Fascination Chapter 27
Fascination Epilogue
Charmed
Charmed Prologue
Charmed One
Charmed Two
Charmed Three
Charmed Four
Charmed Five
Charmed Six
Charmed Seven
Charmed Eight
Charmed Nine
Charmed Ten
Charmed Eleven
Charmed Twelve
Charmed Thirteen
Charmed Fourteen
Charmed Fifteen
Charmed Sixteen
Charmed Seventeen
Charmed Eighteen
Charmed Nineteen
Charmed Twenty
Charmed Twenty-One
Charmed Twenty-Two
Charmed Twenty-Three
Charmed Twenty-Four
Charmed Twenty-Five
Charmed Twenty-Six
Charmed Twenty-Seven
Charmed Twenty-Eight
Charmed Twenty-Nine
Charmed Thirty
Excerpt from His Magic Touch
Excerpt from Only by Your Touch
More from Stella Cameron
About the Author
Fascination -and- Charmed Page 77
