The Bridal Quest by Candace Camp

Author:Candace Camp [Candace Camp]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HQN
Published: 2008-09-05T07:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

IRENE WAS WISE ENOUGH to know that Lady Odelia was baiting her. She hoped, no doubt, to make Irene jealous with the mention of the other women and the suggestion that Lord Radbourne might choose one of them instead.

Irene, however, had no intention of being manipulated by Lady Odelia or anyone else. She reminded herself that it made no difference to her whether Gideon chose another woman for his wife, though she was honest enough to admit that she had felt a twinge of what she supposed might be jealousy at the thought of him marrying another. After all, over the course of the time she had been here, she had begun to like Gideon, and she could not help but think that if she were of a mind to marry, he might well be the man she would choose. And it was a rather heady sensation to be pursued by so eligible and attractive a man as Lord Radbourne.

But she was not going to marry, and she was not so weak as to allow her mind to be swayed by feelings of lust or pride. She sincerely hoped that she was not so ignoble as to wish for him not find happiness with some other woman if she herself would not marry him. So she was determined to ignore the little barbs that afflicted her now and then when she looked at Gideon and thought of him wooing another.

She stayed steadfast in her decision to quell the vanity that had inspired her to wear prettier dresses and arrange her hair in a soft, inviting style. There was no point in attracting Gideon’s attention; indeed, it worked against her wishes. Moreover, she felt that returning to her old style sent an overt message to him and the matchmakers that she had no intention of trying to catch his favor.

They continued with the dancing lessons, as well as the rather stilted conversations between the three of them that were meant to improve the earl’s social skills, but Irene made sure to maintain a correct distance between herself and Gideon, as well as a rather formal tone. She noticed a certain puzzlement in Francesca’s eyes and an irritating amusement in his, but she strove not to let his attitude bother her. No doubt he wanted to goad her into one of their arguments. However, she was as aware as he that their arguments always resulted in an upheaval of emotions and produced a sort of intimacy that her pleasant-but-distant attitude discouraged.

Over the course of the next few days they developed a loose schedule of working in the mornings, then stopping their lessons just before luncheon. In the afternoons Gideon disappeared into his office or on business about the estate, and Francesca and Irene were left on their own to do as they wished—at least sometimes. Francesca spent much of her time helping with the plans for the upcoming week, and as a consequence, Irene often found herself involved in the preparations, as well.

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