Wed at Leisure by Sabrina Darby

Author:Sabrina Darby
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9780062304513
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2014-05-26T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

* * *

Kate seethed through the night. In part because of Peter and in part because she was seething over him. It was a stupid, pointless endeavor and she had guests. She had a potential husband with whom to fall in love.

And so the next day, during a picnic on the lawn punctuated by games of sport and the like, she turned her focus to Lord Lindley. Where it should have always been. After all, the entire event had been concocted for his benefit. Well, for her benefit in finding a husband.

“It is enlightening to see you in your natural habitat. Rustic suits you, Miss Mansfield.”

It suited her because she’d taken pains to make it so. Her sprigged muslin dress set against the expanse of green lawn was designed to be restful to the eye. To make a man feel at home and thus begin to imagine a home . . . with her. Not that Kate’s theories on attraction had any proof other than her six proposals, but she was confident in her instincts.

Maybe that was why she took little pleasure in his intended compliment. Of course, she also knew he was interested. He would not have accepted her invitation and left society and Miss Hightower’s charms for a week if he were not.

“Miss Mansfield, as I said, I like to win.”

“Yes, you did say that.” She offered him a brilliant smile. The sort they had exchanged flirtatiously again and again in London and Brighton.

“And oftentimes I win simply by knowing when I am destined to lose.”

“I don’t take your meaning.”

“Orland. I am not blind and I do not wish to continue a fruitless pursuit.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Clearly there is more between the duke and yourself.”

“That scene last night. You witnessed that? An old animosity. He likes to torment me.”

“Court you, more like.”

She laughed, aware too late that the sound was tinged with bitterness.

Despite his attention, Peter could have no interest in courting her. It wasn’t as if he were going to suddenly wake up one day and decide he cared for her. She remembered very well that day when she was seventeen and he had returned home from Waterloo. The whole town had considered him a hero. The dashing Earl of Bonhill who had gone to war. He may as well have been Wellington for all the acclaim he received. But he had been like no hero she had ever imagined. And a man who wished to court her would never have treated her the way he did then. She flushed with embarrassment as she pushed the memory far away. It was beyond embarrassing, even if no one else but the two of them would ever know. In fact, it continued to be embarrassing, because ever since then, Peter had been cruel. She had given him a chance to address that day, but he had said nothing.

“Appearances can be deceiving,” she said simply, deciding to forgo defending herself for a more offensive and thus stronger position. “But if he is, it can be of no interest to you.

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.