The Earl and the Reluctant Lady by Robyn DeHart

Author:Robyn DeHart
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Entangled, Scandalous, Regency, Victorian, player reformed, bodyguard, protector, forbidden love, unrequited love, woman in jeopardy, London, historical romance, hisrom, historical, romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
Published: 2018-10-17T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

The following afternoon Fletcher stood in the gardens of the Darby townhome waiting for Agnes to make her appearance. He didn’t know what the hell he was doing here. This entire scenario of him pretending to court Agnes was a disaster in the making. What had he been thinking? Having to be so close to her, holding her in his arms while they danced, smelling her lovely scent: rose water and lavender.

Then he recalled her expression when Lord Brindell had whispered into her ear. Fletcher would be a liar if he said it wasn’t partly self-serving. He wanted the excuse to spend time with her. The excuse to hold her in his arms. He knew that he could never have her, but if even for a little while, he could pretend. He could imagine what it would be like if Agnes were his. Then when he was abroad working on his new assignment, he’d look upon her with fondness, but nothing more.

When she’d asked him if he were offering to marry her himself, he’d wanted to tell her yes. Hell, what he’d really wanted to do was scoop her up in his arms and drive straight to Scotland and elope with her. Then what would her brother have to say about things? But then Agnes herself had acknowledged that he’d be a terrible husband. He refused to put her in a marriage that would make her miserable.

Last night at the ball when she’d found him with Celeste, he’d had to fight every urge that demanded he pull her close to him and soothe her worries. She’d been jealous. Agnes didn’t even recognize that in herself, but he knew that was the truth.

He sure as hell felt it. Envy ate at him every time he saw her in the presence of another man. Sullivan, whom she’d disappeared into the gardens with for a time, and any of the others she’d danced with.

So, while he had no notion of what he planned to tell her today, he knew he needed to see her, try and reconcile whatever had happened between them the night before.

She stepped out into the gardens and gave a tentative smile as she approached, or perhaps that was closer to a grimace. Yes, that was most assuredly a grimace. She was still angry with him.

“Lord Brindell found me again,” she said, her tone tart.

Anger surged through Fletcher. “I’ll kill him.”

“No need for that. He actually apologized. Said he didn’t know what had come over him and he should never have tarnished my lovely ears with his crude words.” She gave him a curt nod. “Thank you for speaking to him.”

He clenched and unclenched his fists as they rested on his knees. “I know you’re still angry with me, Agnes, but trust me when I say there is nothing between Celeste and me.”

She watched him for a moment, her cerulean eyes peering into his very soul. “But she would like there to be?”

“Yes, she would. She has been trying to get me back in her bed for years.

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