Bradley Corsair?
“I may have said something that I shouldn’t have,” I admitted, not able to look into his eyes. Instead I watched his jaw tighten and his lips thin.
“What did you tell him Alex,” he asked, his voice low and dangerous.
“I told him I was seeing someone,” I said, finally looking up into his eyes.
Said eyes widened in surprise and the tension that a minute ago had tightened his body, melted away. He raised his eyebrows, “Really?”
“It was a mistake,” I rushed on, “It was a stupid thing to say and it was like waving a red rag in front of a bull. I may have been able to get him to leave if I’d shown complete disinterest in him, but now that he thinks there’s someone else, he’ll take it as a challenge.”
Freddie smiled a predatory smile at me and sipped his drink. I had to swallow and wet my suddenly dry lips at his look.
“And who were you going to tell him was your ‘someone’?” he asked. His voice was casual, but his gaze was anything but.
“I—I, uh, wasn’t going to name names,” I stuttered, suddenly flustered by him.
He placed his glass on a side table and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and causing me to flinch with his abrupt movement.
“I have a proposition for you Lady Alexandra.”
The jump to formal address surprised me.
“And what is that Lord Frédéric?” I asked, pulling myself back from the brink of melting into a puddle.
“I think we should date.”
I jumped to my feet, “What!”
He settled back in his chair and wove his hands together, making a steeple with his index fingers and resting them on his lips as he watched me thoughtfully.
“It’s not that hideous a concept is it Alex?” he asked, amused by my reaction.
“N-n-no,” I stammered, sinking back down onto my chair and taking a fortifying sip of my brandy.
“It has the benefit of killing two birds with one stone,” he went on.
“Oh?” I asked, slowing regaining my composure, “And how is that?”
“My mother,” he grimaced, “Has taken it upon herself to find me a wife.” He pulled a piece of paper from the inside pocket of his jacket and unfolded it. “She gave me a list of suitable mates and you’re on it.”
“I’m not going to marry you Freddie,” I said.
He chuckled. “I’m not asking you to,” he said, “I’m simply proposing a mutually beneficial arrangement. We become a couple and it will satisfy my mother at the same time as keeping Bradley away.”
“Don’t be so sure,” I said, swirling the last of the Armagnac in my glass and watching as the soft light sparkled on the amber liquid. “Bradley will look upon you as a worthy opponent and will try his level best to win me from you. It might actually make my situation worse.”
“I can be very convincing,” he said and I had to suppress a shiver.
I watched Freddie as he stared confidently back at me. It would help to have him as a buffer between Bradley and I as long as he didn’t inflame the situation.
“It would need to be kept relatively quiet,” I said, “The last thing I need is for my name to be splashed across the front page of the Calanais Chronicle.”
“You disappoint me Alex,” he said, “Do you really think being in a relationship with me will be able to be kept quiet? And besides, you want it splashed across the front pages so that Bradley will get the hint. It does neither of us any good to keep it a secret.”
He was right, but I didn’t want to acknowledge it. The very last thing I wanted was media attention, but I couldn’t see another way around it. It was either be linked with Freddie or have my disastrous wedding day the subject of local gossip because I knew Brad would stoop to that if he had to to get my attention.
“Let me sleep on it,” I finally said and Freddie smiled and nodded in acknowledgement.
He drained his glass and stood and I followed suit. He stepped up close to me and
“I may have said something that I shouldn’t have,” I admitted, not able to look into his eyes. Instead I watched his jaw tighten and his lips thin.
“What did you tell him Alex,” he asked, his voice low and dangerous.
“I told him I was seeing someone,” I said, finally looking up into his eyes.
Said eyes widened in surprise and the tension that a minute ago had tightened his body, melted away. He raised his eyebrows, “Really?”
“It was a mistake,” I rushed on, “It was a stupid thing to say and it was like waving a red rag in front of a bull. I may have been able to get him to leave if I’d shown complete disinterest in him, but now that he thinks there’s someone else, he’ll take it as a challenge.”
Freddie smiled a predatory smile at me and sipped his drink. I had to swallow and wet my suddenly dry lips at his look.
“And who were you going to tell him was your ‘someone’?” he asked. His voice was casual, but his gaze was anything but.
“I—I, uh, wasn’t going to name names,” I stuttered, suddenly flustered by him.
He placed his glass on a side table and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and causing me to flinch with his abrupt movement.
“I have a proposition for you Lady Alexandra.”
The jump to formal address surprised me.
“And what is that Lord Frédéric?” I asked, pulling myself back from the brink of melting into a puddle.
“I think we should date.”
I jumped to my feet, “What!”
He settled back in his chair and wove his hands together, making a steeple with his index fingers and resting them on his lips as he watched me thoughtfully.
“It’s not that hideous a concept is it Alex?” he asked, amused by my reaction.
“N-n-no,” I stammered, sinking back down onto my chair and taking a fortifying sip of my brandy.
“It has the benefit of killing two birds with one stone,” he went on.
“Oh?” I asked, slowing regaining my composure, “And how is that?”
“My mother,” he grimaced, “Has taken it upon herself to find me a wife.” He pulled a piece of paper from the inside pocket of his jacket and unfolded it. “She gave me a list of suitable mates and you’re on it.”
“I’m not going to marry you Freddie,” I said.
He chuckled. “I’m not asking you to,” he said, “I’m simply proposing a mutually beneficial arrangement. We become a couple and it will satisfy my mother at the same time as keeping Bradley away.”
“Don’t be so sure,” I said, swirling the last of the Armagnac in my glass and watching as the soft light sparkled on the amber liquid. “Bradley will look upon you as a worthy opponent and will try his level best to win me from you. It might actually make my situation worse.”
“I can be very convincing,” he said and I had to suppress a shiver.
I watched Freddie as he stared confidently back at me. It would help to have him as a buffer between Bradley and I as long as he didn’t inflame the situation.
“It would need to be kept relatively quiet,” I said, “The last thing I need is for my name to be splashed across the front page of the Calanais Chronicle.”
“You disappoint me Alex,” he said, “Do you really think being in a relationship with me will be able to be kept quiet? And besides, you want it splashed across the front pages so that Bradley will get the hint. It does neither of us any good to keep it a secret.”
He was right, but I didn’t want to acknowledge it. The very last thing I wanted was media attention, but I couldn’t see another way around it. It was either be linked with Freddie or have my disastrous wedding day the subject of local gossip because I knew Brad would stoop to that if he had to to get my attention.
“Let me sleep on it,” I finally said and Freddie smiled and nodded in acknowledgement.
He drained his glass and stood and I followed suit. He stepped up close to me and
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