The Veiled Heart (The Velvet Basement Book 1) (23 page)

They were selling her. She, Miss Elspeth James, was the governess, she prepared the girls to be Painted Sisters, she didn’t become one. And what made it worse was that it was to him, the arrogant, cold and infuriating Mr. Blackburn. She would have walkout out if the girls weren’t in serious danger. There were whispers of secret bidding, astronomical prices for the beautifully tattooed skin minus the girl. If she accepted and became Mr Blackburn’s piece of living art, she would be wealthy enough to do something to protect the girls. That was worth doing the unimaginable for.

Mr Blackburn, was an enigma, where he came from and who he was … a total mystery. He was wealthy, had connections at every level of society and he wanted more. And having a Painted Sister would help him accomplish that. But Elspeth…. her vulnerability as she stood in front of him naked, painted to his specification, rippling with an intoxicating sensuality, made him hunger for something he had never wanted and never believed in. Could she love him? He’d go further than he anticipated to find out.