Authors: Grace Burrowes

Beckman: Lord of Sins (30 page)

BOOK: Beckman: Lord of Sins

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“Because I’m wealthy,” she concluded, stepping away from the portrait. “I need him because I’m wealthy. Tell me about my first commission.”

Safer ground, and he hadn’t even had to maneuver her onto it. “It’s at Hesketh, which is only about a day’s ride from Three Springs, and thus close to Allie.”

Polly turned velvety brown eyes on him, and Tremaine couldn’t help reaching out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. “For letting me start out near Allie, Sara, and Beck, thank you.”

“I put Hesketh at the front of the line for another reason.” Besides the need to put some distance between himself and his talented client. “Aaron Wendover is a damned good-looking devil. You won’t have to flatter or artistically interpret his features to create something of significant aesthetic appeal.”

Polly resumed studying the picture of mother and child. “And his lady?”

“Also lovely, to the eye.”

She shot him a peevish look. “Tell me the rest. An artist must capture more than a pretty face and a pretty gown.”

Tremaine wished, not for the first time, that he had artistic talent himself, though it wasn’t some titled ninnyhammer he’d try to render on canvas.

“You’re a scandalmonger, Polly Hunt. As bad as Beck’s grandmother, who sent all her wealthy friends to your showing, by the way.”

“Then we must call on her when you take me up to Town to meet that solicitor,” Polly said. “I’ll write her a note as soon as I’ve choked down the miserable fare your cook inflicts on you. I swear, Tremaine, how you keep meat on those enormous bones of yours defies science.”

“I am sated on the beauty of my female relations.”

Polly smiled at that twaddle, clearly not at all impressed with supercilious flattery, and no doubt telling herself Tremaine was, after all, half-French.

About the Author

New
York
Times
and
USA
Today
bestselling author Grace Burrowes hit the bestseller lists with both her debut,
The
Heir
, and her second book in The Duke’s Obsession trilogy,
The
Soldier.
Both books received extensive praise and starred reviews from
Publishers
Weekly
and
Booklist
.
The
Heir
was also named a
Publishers
Weekly
Best Book of The Year, and
The
Soldier
was named a
Publishers
Weekly
Best Spring Romance. Her first story in the Windham sisters series—
Lady
Sophie’s Christmas Wish
—received the
RT
Reviewer’s Choice award for historical romance, and was nominated for a RITA in the Regency category. She is hard at work on more stories for the Windham sisters, and the Lonely Lords, and has started a trilogy of Scottish Victorian romances, the first of which,
The
Bridegroom
Wore
Plaid,
was named a
Publishers Weekly
Best Book for 2012.

Grace lives in rural Maryland and is a practicing attorney. She loves to hear from her readers and can be reached through her website at
graceburrowes.com.