"Coulter, Catherine - Lord Harry" - читать интересную книгу автора (Coulter Catherine)

Lord Harry


Catherine Coulter






This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Lord Harry

A Topaz Book / published by arrangement with the author

All rights reserved.
Copyright 169 1995 by Catherine Coulter
This book may not be reproduced in whole or part, by mimeograph or any other means, without permission. Making or distributing electronic copies of this book constitutes copyright infringement and could subject the infringer to criminal and civil liability.
For information address:
The Berkley Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

The Penguin Putnam Inc. World Wide Web site address is http://www.penguinputnam.com

ISBN: 0-7865-3254-8


A TOPAZ BOOK
Topaz Books first published by The Topaz Publishing Group, a member of Penguin Putnam Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
TOPAZ and the "T" design are trademarks belonging to Penguin Putnam Inc.

First edition (electronic): July 2001


To my parents,
Charles and Elizabeth Coulter.
Thank you for being there for everyone. Here's to the second time around.



Chapter One


"Lord Harry? Lord Harry, are you ready yet? You've been an age and your friends are getting impatient." Pottson pressed his ear to the closed door to hear the reply, for he couldn't enter unless given permission.
Lord Harry gave his cravat a final twitch, decided enough was enough, and called out, "I'm ready, Pottson, you may come in now."
Although Mr. Scuddimore and Sir Harry Brandon were comfortably seated near the fireplace in the small parlor down the hall, Pottson looked back to make sure before he went into Lord Harry's bedchamber. He stood in the doorway, critically eyeing Lord Harry's appearance, as was his habit and duty. "By heavens, you've become an accomplished dandy," he said with a humorless grin after inspecting Lord Harry's shining black hessians, fawn breeches, and Weston coat of dark blue superfine. "And just what would that creation be called?" he asked, his eyes on the white starched cravat twined artfully about Lord Harry's neck.
"I call it A Clever Copy of Lord Alvaney, Pottson. I've been practicing for hours at home. It's three folds under and two over and then a few quick turns of the wrist. I don't think I've done too badly. I drew a quick sketch of his lordship's cravat at White's one afternoon. Hopefully, the gentleman in question didn't notice. And I've changed the style sufficiently so that he shouldn't recognize it as his own." Lord Harry followed Pottson's eyes as he looked at the hopelessly rumpled cravats Lord Harry had thrown aside, and grinned. "Come now, I only ruined seven cravats this time. I've heard it said that the Beau rarely achieved perfection before his twelfth try."