Christmas Cinderellas by unknow

Author:unknow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers
Published: 2020-09-07T22:01:11+00:00

Chapter Six

All Marcus had wanted was five minutes at breakfast to get to know Miss Harkstead better. When that had failed miserably, thanks to everyone else, he had hoped he might be able to grab some time for a quiet chat during the interminable shopping trip to the village, but he had been thwarted at every turn by every other young lady present, all of whom were now determined to do whatever it took to outshine her, or to scupper his attempts even to exchange a few mere pleasantries with her without a vast audience.

A similarly frustrating evening of the dreaded wassailing loomed before him, and already he was at his wits’ end. The herd of duke-snaring husband-hunters now circled him on the driveaway and there was still no sign of the object of his fascination.

But her aunt Penelope was there. Front and centre with her daughter in tow, practically glued to his side and doing her utmost to convince him that her child was the woman of his dreams.

‘Oh, you really must hear her sing, Your Grace. My Honoria has the voice of a nightingale. Many people have commented upon it. Perhaps tonight, if we place her next to you during the carolling, you will hear her. She has such a talent for—’

‘Sorry to interrupt. Urgent estate business...’

Julius grabbed his arm and pulled him away, striding from the suffocating crowd at speed towards the stables.

‘Thank you! I owe you. Again.’

‘You most certainly do.’

His relief at being saved was temporary. ‘That doesn’t mean I am not still peeved at you for this morning.’

‘I cannot think what for,’ Julius said.

How to put it without sounding pathetic and jealous? ‘For having so much fun at my expense over breakfast and for flirting outrageously with all the ladies throughout it. The latter was quite unnecessary, Julius, and frankly a bit unseemly so early in the day.’

‘As I recall, I only flirted with Miss Harkstead during breakfast.’ Clearly on a mission, Julius was striding across the lawn, but not so fast that Marcus didn’t see his smug grin. ‘You can hardly blame me—she is uncommonly pretty. And, for the record, I thoroughly intend to flirt with her some more tonight.’

The temptation to grab him and punch him on the nose was overwhelming.

‘I don’t think she would appreciate it.’

‘Surely you mean that you wouldn’t appreciate it, big brother?’

Marcus opened his mouth to speak and then promptly shut it until he could temper his words. Silently he fumed, only to watch his brother’s smug grin being replaced by a bark of laughter.

‘I knew it!’ He waved his finger too close to Marcus’s face. ‘Your blatant jealousy has revealed the truth. You are smitten with her! Admit it.’

‘I am not smitten.’

Yes, he was. And the fact that he was, so soon, was ridiculously rash, when he was never rash.

‘I hardly know her.’

But he desperately wanted to. Everything. Every last fascinating minute detail.

‘We have exchanged a few pleasantries over two meals. That is all. And during one of

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