Belle of the Ball by Pam McCutcheon

Author:Pam McCutcheon [McCutcheon, Pam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781941528037
Published: 2014-05-13T14:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

Belle wasn’t given any time to wonder if Papa had believed her because Charisma and Grace buttonholed her as soon as she left the study and whisked Belle off to her room to interrogate her.

Grace tripped over the rug again but managed to land on the bed without breaking anything. “What did Papa want?”

“And why was Mr. Stanhope there?” Charisma asked. “Did he come to offer for you?”

Belle felt herself color. “No, of course not. You know that’s only Mama’s wishful thinking. Papa figured out that I hired Kit and wanted to know why. I explained I hired him to make me beautiful.”

“Oh,” Charisma said, looking disappointed. “I thought maybe that was how you were getting back at Mr. Stanhope—by having him ask Papa for your hand.”

Belle hadn’t realized that was how it would appear to her sisters. “No, I don’t think he’s quite to that point yet.” But she had hopes. . . .

“So who are you going to get revenge on next?” Grace asked eagerly.

“George Winthrop,” Belle said without hesitation.

Charisma nodded sagely. “I thought as much.”

“What do you mean?” Belle asked. Charisma looked entirely too smug, as if she thought she knew something. Which she didn’t, of course. Belle had been very careful to keep her thoughts and feelings to herself of late. It was odd for her to keep so many secrets from her sisters, but there were just some things too . . . private, too special, to share.

“Well, ever since you gave Harold his comeuppance, it’s been nothing but Mr. Stanhope this and Kit that. Why, one would think you had a liking for the man,” Charisma drawled.

“You have spoken of him quite a bit,” Grace said, looking uncertain.

Belle turned her eyes away from Charisma’s too-perceptive gaze. “Nonsense. It’s just that I’ve been in his company so much and learning so much from him, that I’ve naturally mentioned him a time or two.”

Charisma snorted. “A time or two? More like a thousand times or two.”

Belle gave her sister a haughty look. “Don’t exaggerate. It isn’t ladylike. Besides, I’m sure I’ve mentioned Madame Aglaia and Miss Keithley just as often.”

Charisma raised an eyebrow, somehow managing to look disbelieving and challenging all at the same time. “Not quite. Why, I don’t think you intend to get revenge on him at all.”

‘That’s not true,” Belle protested, though it was weaker than she would have liked.

And though Grace continued to look uncertain, she said, “Belle always keeps her word. You know that.”

“Prove it,” Charisma said baldly. “Do him next.”

“No.” Belle felt herself color. “I—I can’t.”

“Why not?” her outspoken sister demanded.

“Because . . . because . . . I need him to escort me to the Founders’ Day Ball,” Belle concluded triumphantly.

Charisma frowned. “That’s true. All right then, you have a point.”

Since Charisma gave a little, Belle did, too. “Besides, he’ll be harder than George.”

“Harder how?” Grace wanted to know.

“It’ll be a lot more difficult to make him fall at my feet—he knows me too well. As the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.