An Heiress at Heart by Jennifer Delamere

Author:Jennifer Delamere [DELAMERE, JENNIFER]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Romance, Historical, C429, Kat, Extratorrents, Inspirational
ISBN: 9781455519958
Publisher: Forever
Published: 2012-10-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

Aunt, you are giving a dinner party next week, are you not?” James looked over the sandwiches on the tea tray while he awaited Lady Thornborough’s answer.

“I am. And you cannot back out this time. I promised Lady Shaw you would be there.”

James turned his eyes heavenward and said, “Please do not tell me that she will have her daughter in tow.”

“For some reason I cannot fathom, Miss Shaw has taken a fancy to you. Even more wondrously, her parents do not object.”

James sighed theatrically. “Miss Shaw is unforgivably bland and dull and—”

“And she has a very large dowry,” Lady Thornborough interrupted. “She has good breeding and all the right connections. You must start thinking seriously of settling down, James. You cannot live your whole life between here and the club.”

James did his best to look contrite. “Very well, Aunt. I shall do my utmost to entertain Miss Shaw. I merely meant to enquire whether you might invite Mr. Freddie Hightower to the dinner.”

Lizzie’s teacup paused halfway to her lips. Her mood was dark, despite the sunlight pouring through the parlor windows. The course of action she’d decided on last night seemed utterly impossible today. Here was the first proof of it. She had planned to avoid Freddie as much as she could—but he would push just as hard to get into her presence.

“Why would I invite Mr. Hightower?” Lady Thornborough asked.

“Because he wants to know Ria better.”

“Me?” Lizzie did her best to act surprised.

“He has taken an enormous interest in you. In fact, after you left last night, he questioned me about you in such detail that—forgive me, dear cousin—I grew deadly bored with the subject.”

Lady Thornborough’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean, he questioned you in detail?”

James shrugged. “He wanted to know the precise date Ria and Edward eloped and how long she’s been away.” His eyes shone with merriment. “He even asked if I was certain you had really been to Australia!”

“Indeed?” Lizzie did her best to look as though she was as amused as James. “And how did you respond?”

“I told him you declared yourself to have been in Australia, and we have every reason to believe you.” He dropped another sugar cube into his tea. “However, I did ask myself why he should concern himself so closely with your history. There is only one answer, of course.”

“And what, pray tell, would that be?” Lady Thornborough asked.

“Why, he plans to court Ria, of course.”

Lizzie set down her cup with shaking hands. Courting was far too polite a term for what Freddie planned to do. Courting was something Geoffrey might do, she thought, as he had in that extraordinary moment when he had kissed her hand. What woman could resist such a powerful combination of ardor and respect? Lizzie had no doubts that Freddie had something quite different in mind. Freddie was going to court her the way a cat courts a mouse.

She had no need to voice an objection, however. Lady Thornborough was already doing it.

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