Lord of Deceit (Heiress Games Book 2) by Sara Ramsey

conversing with her. And he would probably help her on her mad quest even if she couldn’t give him anything at all, merely because he was bored and would enjoy seeing whatever trouble she got up to. Not to mention the fact that it was the best chance he had to learn Somerville’s secrets.
    But enamored? Enchanted? The feeling that he could love her, and the belief that it would all come out all right?
    Rafe lived in the real world, not a fairy tale. And in the real world, passion faded and love didn’t last.
    But he could almost forget that knowledge as she smiled. For a moment, she wasn’t Madame Octavia. She wasn’t trained by circumstance to play a role, the perfect fantasy for any man.
    Her brown eyes sparkled over what they might accomplish together. Her lips parted, showing her teeth — a real smile, not the coy grin she’d used, unconsciously, when he had entered the room.
    She was mischievous, and excited, and so bloody happy .
    And so bloody young. And so bloody beautiful.
    And so bloody not for him.
    But she gathered herself together before she responded. He sensed wariness descend upon her. He wondered what she thought of love. Most women, when he hinted at such feelings, were only too happy to accept it at face value — to believe him, until he left them at the end of his mission.
    Octavia’s experience was different, though, despite her youth. Her smile faded a little as caution replaced some of her excitement, but she still looked determined. “I cannot thank you enough,” she said. “I’ve no idea how to gain entrance to the abbey without help. And you are quite perfect for the task.”
    The task . He could remember that. He could remember that it was a task, not anything more than that. He could remember that she had asked for his help.
    He could remember that he intended to use her for his own ends just as much as she intended to use him for hers.
    “What do you have in mind?” he asked.
    She looked over her shoulder to verify that no one was in earshot. They were safe, but she kept her voice low. “Lucy only does well when she is in control and everything is perfectly ordered. If I cause enough chaos at the party, she will break under the pressure. Then, when the suitors realize she’s more suited to hiding in her room than to entertaining them, they are likely to give up on her. It happened often during our debut season. She never received a single offer of marriage.”
    Rafe raised an eyebrow. “That’s not very kind.”
    “She deserves far worse,” Octavia said shortly. “I had thought of hiring a man to compromise her so that her reputation was as ruined as mine, but that was a step too far. Unless you think that’s a task you’d like to take on?”
    “Absolutely not,” Rafe said.
    “Then we must ruin the party. Lucy won’t win Maidenstone, but at least she’ll still have a future.”
    “If she doesn’t marry, what happens to the estate?”
    “There’s a chance that Callista will attend the party, but no one has seen her yet. That could be another payment for you — if Callista arrives, you should encourage one of your brothers to marry her while we remove Lucy from the race. I’d rather see her inherit than let Lucy win. But if it comes down to me and Lucy, and Lucy has proven herself unsuitable, Ferguson will be forced to reconsider my eligibility.”
    “How do you propose to ruin the party?” Rafe asked.
    “I had thought of poisoning the wells.”
    He wanted to laugh, but he was afraid that she might be serious. “I shall endeavor not to cross you, if poison is your first thought.”
    “Murder is a very Briarley occupation,” Octavia assured him earnestly. “If Ferguson had any sense, he would give the house to me. Many of my ancestors killed someone to guarantee their inheritance. My grandfather would be proud of me if I poisoned Lucy, I’m sure.”
    “Be sure to tell me when to stop drinking the water. I quite like my organs to function as they