The Earl's Complete Surrender by Sophie Barnes

Author:Sophie Barnes
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2015-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chloe feared she might have to claim a headache and excuse herself for the evening. Never in her life had she felt as rotten as she had the moment she’d realized that Lord Woodford had been standing right behind her as she’d proclaimed to have no interest in him, that she hardly considered him a friend and that they had nothing in common.

Oh dear God, what was she to do? Her apology had sounded pathetic to her own ears—­not nearly enough to repair the damage she’d done to her growing relationship with the earl in the space of only a few seconds. But the remarks from Charlotte and Ophelia, and then from Laura, had propelled her to denounce any possibility for a blooming romance between them because . . . She knew the reason and had almost confessed it to him. Foolish woman.

For once, Mrs. Green’s arrival had come as a blessing, preventing Chloe from revealing the true contents of her heart—­a heart that she’d sworn to guard with vigilance. Today, out of guilt, she’d almost offered a piece of it to the Earl of Woodford.

Seated next to him at a small round table with Lord Hainsworth at her left and Mrs. Green opposite, Chloe tried not to notice how charged the air seemed to be between her and the earl. He had not yet forgiven her, indeed it was possible that he never would, and this knowledge that all was not right between them set her on edge, preventing her from concentrating properly on the conversation happening around her. She decided therefore to focus on her food—­a delicious cream of asparagus soup.

“Wouldn’t you agree?” Mrs. Green suddenly asked.

Raising her gaze, Chloe saw that everyone looked at her with expectancy, though she couldn’t determine Woodford’s expression since she refused to look directly at him. She felt so very ashamed. “I beg your pardon?” she asked, realizing that she was meant to respond to a question that she had not heard.

“Marriage,” Mrs. Green said. “I was just trying to dissuade these gentlemen from venturing into it.”

Setting down her spoon, Chloe forced a smile. Of all the topics in the world, why did it have to be this? “Marriages of convenience can certainly lead to some unhappiness,” Chloe said, “but love matches are not unheard of either, not even among our set. And while I’m sure many gentlemen in particular are reluctant to relinquish their freedom in favor of one woman, they recognize that their duty toward their lineage comes before their own wants and desires.”

“How eloquently put,” Mrs. Green said, taking a sip of her champagne while Chloe, with a polite nod, picked up her spoon and continued eating. “However, one needn’t marry in order to have children—­”

Chloe choked. She was shocked that anyone would have the courage to say such a thing, and at a ball of all places!

“I believe Mrs. Green is trying to make a technical point as opposed to a socially acceptable one,” Lord Woodford said dryly.

“In a sense she’s quite correct,” Hainsworth said.

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