An Unwilling Baroness by Harris Channing

Author:Harris Channing
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: regency romance baron baroness harris channing sweet, love story, historical
Publisher: Harris Channing
Published: 2011-06-02T18:25:40.243863+00:00

CHAPTER SIX

Fredrick seemed far too large for the carriage. His wide shoulders and long legs made his comfort an apparent impossibility. He smiled at Chloe from the far side of the enclosed compartment and shifted. "You appear somber today, Miss Pembridge. Are you ill?"

She opened her mouth to reply only to have her answer stolen by Dorothea. "She's quite well."

"If you say so, Ma’am," Chloe remarked. The carriage hit a rut and she fought to stay in her seat.

"You don’t know if you’re unwell?" Fredrick inserted, his blue eyes caressing her face with concern. Warmth touched her cheeks and she leaned to the left, trying to put as much distance between her stepmother and herself as possible.

"Of course, Baron. But of late I find that I am rather stifled and it's just easier to agree than to disagree."

He smoothed his mustache with the tip of his finger. "I see."

Dorothea emitted a low growl, her face turning red. That alone brought a small pinprick of joy. Bothering the woman was something she was determined to do until the day she wed.

She smiled and gazed upon this stranger, this man she was supposed to spend her life with and he returned the gesture. There was a smugness thinly hidden by the dark hairs of his mustache. Was it possible he knew her game?

"You know, that is what I’m forced to do from time to time too. Imagine, dear lady, not having to do that? Imagine a man willing to listen to you when you talk. A man who is more than happy to pay heed to your advice."

"Is there such a man?" Chloe asked, tilting her chin. "For if he does truly exist, he's a treasure and almost certainly spoken for."

Fredrick pursed his lips. "I know of one."

"Pray tell, who could that be?" Dorothea interjected.

"Yes, indeed," Chloe agreed, loathing the heavy sway of the carriage and wishing she sat facing forward. "For he's a rarity and should be placed in a museum so women can be assured of his existence."

Fredrick placed his hand upon his chest, the white linen of his shirt a stark contrast to his long, tanned fingers. "I, ladies, am such a man."

Chloe laughed, the sound so unexpected and joyful that she suddenly stopped. There was lightness about Fredrick, and for that she was grateful. "Yes, I do believe you may be telling the truth. You listen, not only with your ears, but with your observations"

Dorothea turned her head and stared at Chloe, her mouth agape, her surprise palpable. She was flirting, there, in front of her stepmother and God, and she was enjoying it. And as much as Chloe hated to admit it, she was beginning to see the value in marrying a man of Fredrick's caliber. If he could make her laugh when she despaired, there was hope for happiness yet.

Fredrick pinned Chloe to her seat with his gaze. The fire that flickered in his eyes heated her blood and the attraction she initially felt for him flared.

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