Season for Temptation by Theresa Romain

is so fond of animals, he may think it an excellent choice for interior décor.”
    James smiled and kissed her hand again, to remind himself again that he was a betrothed man. Louisa pinkened again, and as he left her, he was pleased—and perhaps a bit relieved—that he could affect her despite her worries.
    Once outside the library, he leaned against the wall for a moment and shut his eyes. That conversation hadn’t gone at all the way he’d expected.
    True, his fiancée was going to visit his home, which he supposed was a good thing. But why the devil didn’t she want to get married yet? Did she hate London so much? And if so, why was she willing to go back again to help her sister?
    He opened his eyes, but shook his head in puzzlement. Louisa seemed to be offering him as much as she could, and it would be ungentlemanly of him to press her again right now. It would all work out eventually. They would be married, and with his wife at his side, he could help his sister and her young daughters.
    As for that idea about Julia coming to London with Louisa—well, it would probably turn out very well for the two sisters. But he obviously needed to check his reactions better. His attraction to Julia was far beyond what he should allow himself to feel as an engaged man. He was going to find himself baying at the moon every night at the rate he was going.
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    Left behind in the library, Louisa was even more unsettled than the viscount. She laid aside her book, but in case James stepped back into the room, she kept her face carefully smooth.
    It was an expression—or rather, a lack of expression—that she had developed during her time in London. There had been so many times her natural reserve had hindered her, it seemed small consolation that it also gave her the ability to keep her thoughts from her face.
    She could show no fear when she entered a room full of hundreds of strangers, who looked her over and openly dismissed her. She could show no disappointment when she was overlooked for dance after dance; show no pain when her host, out of pity, took her onto the ballroom floor and trod all over her feet; show no chagrin when her aunt, who was gracious enough to sponsor her, lamented loudly to all her friends about how no one was coming along to snap Louisa up.
    Truly, she was a talented young lady. The ton had had no idea just how talented.
    Compared to the agonies of a single London supper party, her conversation with James had been a breeze. But she was left with an uneasy feeling all the same. She knew that the very reason for his visit was to discuss their marriage. She knew, of course, that he planned for them to be married fairly soon, at which point she would be his viscountess.
    It was just that when he actually brought up the subject, she was terrified. Terrified of leaving her family again, of living in London, of always bearing the crushing loneliness she’d hardly even spoken of to Julia, her dear sister and closest friend.
    She knew eventually she would need to get married, and while she didn’t love James—after all, she had known him for such a short time—she certainly liked him very much. She knew, too, that a financially solvent viscount was really far beyond her touch. He could do much better than her, and she should be grateful. And she was grateful; there was no mistake about that. His proposal had offered her the chance to put a period to the loneliest, unhappiest time of her life.
    But she couldn’t help wanting to postpone the inevitable as long as possible. Fortunately, James was a kind man, and he’d been willing to accept her wishes even though they probably sounded lame to him. After all, how could she tell him—a man she hardly knew—that, despite everything he was offering her, she didn’t feel ready for marriage at all?
    She simply couldn’t. She’d have to say nothing, show no sign of her doubts, and hope her