by Lynne Barron
“But how can that be possible? She is a young woman, what, five and twenty perhaps? My father began collecting B. Morgan’s works nearly ten years ago, before the portraits, when they were landscapes. I remember the first one he brought home, a beautiful painting of an old fountain overgrown with bright red and yellow flowers. He gave it to my mother for Christmas. Yes, ten, maybe eleven years ago.”
The carriage came to stop and Henry sat up once more. “She must have started quite young as she is six and twenty. She’ll be seven and twenty next month.”
“You know a lot about her considering you told me not half an hour ago that you know very little about her.”
“She mentioned it to me once. She dreads the month of June and her birthday in particular as her father died just before her eighteenth birthday.”
“Who was her father?”
“I’ve no idea. I haven’t asked and she hasn’t offered. Nor do I know who her mother is. But I suspect they were Mr. and Mrs. Morgan, minor gentry or perhaps well-to-do merchants, as she is clearly well-educated. Better educated, really, than any woman I have ever known.” The carriage door opened and Henry stepped down onto the street before his town house. He leaned back in long enough to say, “She is a beautiful woman, and amusing and intelligent. I enjoy her company and believe she enjoys mine. She isn’t trying to trap me into marriage, Simon. It was one time, years ago, and I learned my lesson.”
“So well that you kissed Miss Morgan on the terrace outside a crowded ballroom for the entire world to see?”
Henry slammed the carriage door and bolted up the steps, his raucous laughter fading away as he entered the front door to his home.
Simon watched his cousin as he disappeared through the door. It was not marriage Simon worried the lovely Miss Morgan was after. Even a woman who claimed to live outside Society must know that was impossible.
Henry had been correct when he said he knew little about Miss Beatrice Morgan. All Simon had learned was that she moved about in a world in which the Earl of Hastings had no business visiting.
Who was she?
Portrait of Passion is available now on Amazon
About Lynne Barron
Lynne Barron always wanted to be a writer, if only she could decide what to write. Everyone told her write about what you know. It wasn’t until she married her wonderfully romantic husband that she was able to follow the advice. Lynne lives in Florida with her husband, son and a menagerie of rescued pets.
Lynne enjoys hearing from her readers. Please feel free to contact her at her website lynnebarron.com.
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Books by Lynne Barron
Idyllwild Series
Portrait of Passion
Widow’s Wicked Wish
Unraveling the Earl
Dunaway’s Daughters Series
Taming Beauty
Courting Chaos
Pretty Poison
My Darling Gunslinger
Courting Chaos
ISBN 978-0-9863663-8-3
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Courting Chaos Copyright © 2017 Lynne Barron
Edited by Brandi Salazar
Cover design by Melody Mulvey
Electronic book publication February 2017
This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are creations of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark ownership of all trademarks, service marks and word marks mentioned in this book.
With the exception of quotes used in reviews, this book may not be reproduced or used in whole or in part by any means without written permission from Lynne Barron
Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal and punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000. http://www.fbi.gov/i