A Lord's Chance by Anthea Lawson

Author:Anthea Lawson
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781680130744
Publisher: Fiddlehead Press

Gavin was not certain what it was that drew him the most to Miss Isabelle Strathmore. Her self-assurance, certainly. Her wry humor, which matched his own. Her expressive mouth, which he found himself wishing to drop kisses upon . . .

Not that he had any business doing so.

“Would you like to take a turn about the deck?” he asked, curiously unwilling to let her out of his arms.

She glanced up at him, hesitating, and he cursed the unknown fellow who had, if he was not mistaken, broken her heart. The wounded look in her eyes when she spoke of the botanical expedition had roused a strangely protective feeling in him. Most unexpected, and he was not entirely sure he welcomed the sensation.

“Very well,” she finally said. “A short stroll.”

He tucked her arm beneath his own, and they promenaded toward the bow of the boat, passing Miss Taylor and Lord Weston. Will gave him an open wink, which Gavin ignored. His friend had already spent the hour before the ball laughing at him.

“To think—you were convinced that Miss Strathmore was yet another fortune hunter. Now you’ve developed an interest in her, and it seems she does not return the feeling. The irony!”

“It’s not amusing,” Gavin had said, though he had to admit it was a bit of a contradiction.

He’d selected a freshly pressed dress shirt, glad to see that the valet he and Will were sharing was skilled at his job. Not only were all of the clothes correctly pressed, their shoes had been freshly polished and their neckties starched to perfection.

“Are you going to pursue her?” Will cocked one eyebrow at him. “Do you even know how to do anything except run away?”

“Stop it, or I’ll throw my shoe at you.” Gavin brandished his left dress shoe. “You know my aim is excellent, and you’ll have a mark on your forehead all night. That should put the ladies off.”

Will sobered. “Look, Gav, it’s just a bit unusual for you. Are you certain you’re not attracted to Miss Strathmore because of her disinterest?”

“I’ve considered it, and no. I’ve never felt the need to pursue young ladies who aren’t falling at my feet, just to prove a point. In fact, Miss Strathmore’s reticence only demonstrates that she’s not on the hunt for a husband. Given my recent past, that is a quality I do find appealing—but that is not her primary attraction.”

“An excellent speech!” Will applauded. “One cannot help notice that Miss Strathmore is quite pretty.”

“Some people value more than appearances.” Gavin gave his friend an exasperated look.

“Well, yes.” Will grinned. “But you wouldn’t want to marry an ugly girl now, would you?”

“I’d like to think that if I were sufficiently drawn to a woman’s character, her beauty or lack thereof wouldn’t be a concern.”

“But it doesn’t hurt to have a lovely face to go along with her attractive personality. Though personally, I find Miss Strathmore too forthright for my tastes.”

“She is rather self-assured,” Gavin agreed. “I like her confidence, and her

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