Only For Their Love by Christi Caldwell

Author:Christi Caldwell [Caldwell, Christi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Chick-Lit, Fiction, Love Stories, Regency, Romance, Women's Fiction
Amazon: B072LQYWJM
Publisher: Amazon
Published: 2016-11-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

She was bloody miserable.

Carol sat, suffering through another dinner with Theo’s guests. There was her morose partner to the left, whose smiles were as elusive as a falling star. And to her right, Lady Minerva’s ducal brother, with a roguish grin and a propensity of ogling Carol’s décolletage.

Though, it was not so much the company she’d been assigned a place next to, but the person she’d been seated away from.

She stole another peek at Gregory. Seated directly across from her with the flawlessly beautiful Lady Minerva occupying his side and Carol’s mother on the other, the message had clearly been conveyed through those arrangements—an impending match would be made between them.

And if she was being honest instead of miserable, which she forced herself to be in that moment, she’d admit that they struck a stunning vision. Gregory with his too-long midnight locks drawn at his nape and sharp chiseled features had the look of a carved Roman god. Lady Minerva, with her pale blonde hair and dainty lips and chin may as well have been the goddess at his side.

Carol gleefully knifed her piece of mutton. The irony was not lost on her. She’d spent years resenting and avoiding all hints of this very man and now sat here in bloody misery every time he flashed one of those carefree grins at his partner.

What did I believe? A stolen exchange and a walk through the snow merited more with the gentleman? She winced, hating that it should even matter. Hating that, as they’d walked side-by-side in from the cold, she’d allowed herself a brief moment of a dream where they could have been one of those happy couples.

“Take heart, Miss Cresswall,” a hushed whisper, teeming with amusement, sounded close to her ear. “The mutton is long since dead.” Her fork and knife clattered noisily against her plate, earning a series of curious stares.

Carol’s skin burned from the heat of Gregory’s gaze and then Lady Minerva said something, recalling his attention.

Swiveling her gaze to Mr. Rayne, she started. The ghost of a smile hovered on his lips. Since his public humiliation and broken heart, she’d not seen a glimpse of anything other than jaded sadness in the man. He leaned closer. “If it is any consolation, the gentleman has not taken his eyes from you the whole of the evening, Miss Cresswall,” he added.

She gasped and stole a glance about to confirm no one had heard his scandalous, if erroneous, pronouncement. “I don’t…” At the knowing glint in the gentleman’s eyes, the lie died on her lips.

“Smile at me,” he coaxed. “It will make him outrageously jealous.”

“I’ve no intention of wanting to make him jealous.” She smiled wryly.

Mr. Rayne collected his wine glass and took a sip. “That grin will do.” He gave a slight toast. “Even if it is more on the sardonic side.”

His words pulled a laugh from her and for the first time since Gregory had been ushered off and away from her that afternoon, she smiled.

Mr. Rayne lifted his glass once more.

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