French accent had become more pronounced. And he had called herchérie again. He was, she realized, moving on to the next, more dangerous stage of his game. She wondered briefly why he had chosen her. Because she was very, very wealthy, perhaps? Rakes were not notorious for exerting their charms on the very young without some such motive, were they?
"But you already have," she assured him, gazing up at him with deliberately large, innocent eyes.
"Ah," he said, "you fear that I am a big, bad wolf. My apologies, Lady Morgan Bedwyn. I would not press my attentions upon a young lady who is afraid of me."
Well, that did it, of course. Even though she knew very well that she was being jerked like a puppet on a string, she reacted as he expected her to react. She bristled.
"Afraid?"Her fingers found the fan that was dangling from one wrist, grasped and opened it, and fanned her face vigorously with it. "Afraid ofyou, Lord Rosthorn? Perhaps you do not understand what it means to be a Bedwyn. We fear no one, I assure you. Lead the way."
He grinned at her and she read appreciation in his eyes as they stepped into one of the lantern-lined avenues and were immediately caught up in the illusion of privacy and seclusion.
"Finally," he said, "I begin to enjoy the evening in precisely the way I imagined doing from the start."
"With me?" She fanned her face again and looked up at him, her expression haughty, even scornful. "You imagined enjoying itwith me ?"
"With you,chérie, " he said, his voice low.
"Allthis was for me?" she asked him. "This whole evening?"
"I thought it might amuse you," he said.
She stopped walking and closed and dropped her fan to dangle from her wrist again.
"Why on earth?" she asked him.
"Why did I believe it would amuse you?" he asked. "Because you are young,chérie, and the very young enjoy picnics and moonlight and music. Is it not so?"
"I meant," she said coldly, "why me, Lord Rosthorn? Why do something as lavishly extravagant as this for me when I am a total stranger to you? It was grossly presumptuous of you!"
"Ah,mais non, " he said, "not quite a stranger. We have been properly presented. We have waltzed together."
"But something as elaborate as this on the strength of an introduction and one dance?" she said, waving one arm imperiously in the direction of the picnic area. "I believe, Lord Rosthorn, you have singled me out for dalliance. Ibelieve your intentions are not honorable."
"Honorable." He laughed softly. "I am not about to drop to one knee and beg you to become my countess, if that is what you mean,chérie ." The swaying light of a lantern caught the laughter in his eyes. "But it seemed to me at the Cameron ball that I recognized in you a kindred spirit, one that chafes against the stuffiness of society's confines and longs for freedom and adventure. Was I wrong?"
"And any longing for freedom and adventure that I feel must necessarily lead me into dalliance withyou, Lord Rosthorn?" she asked him scornfully. "You presume too much."
"Do I?" He tipped his head to one side and observed her closely.
"What did you plan?" she demanded. "You have gone to extraordinary lengths to get me here. Now what are you planning to do with me? Steal a kiss?Seduce me?" She raised her eyebrows. Perversely, she realized that she was enjoying herself enormously. Two could play this game.
"Seduce?"He slapped a hand to his heart and looked mortally shocked. "Would I bring these hordes of people out here,chérie, including a whole regiment of military gentlemen, I daresay, if my intention was to ravish you almost publicly? I might end my picnic in spectacular fashion by being hanged from one of these trees-or run through by a dozen swords."
"But you cannot deny that you planned to steal a kiss?" she asked.
He leaned a little closer to her.
"I would quarrel with your use of the past tense," he told her.
Being the youngest of the Bedwyns-by far the youngest and female to boot-had always set her at an
"But you already have," she assured him, gazing up at him with deliberately large, innocent eyes.
"Ah," he said, "you fear that I am a big, bad wolf. My apologies, Lady Morgan Bedwyn. I would not press my attentions upon a young lady who is afraid of me."
Well, that did it, of course. Even though she knew very well that she was being jerked like a puppet on a string, she reacted as he expected her to react. She bristled.
"Afraid?"Her fingers found the fan that was dangling from one wrist, grasped and opened it, and fanned her face vigorously with it. "Afraid ofyou, Lord Rosthorn? Perhaps you do not understand what it means to be a Bedwyn. We fear no one, I assure you. Lead the way."
He grinned at her and she read appreciation in his eyes as they stepped into one of the lantern-lined avenues and were immediately caught up in the illusion of privacy and seclusion.
"Finally," he said, "I begin to enjoy the evening in precisely the way I imagined doing from the start."
"With me?" She fanned her face again and looked up at him, her expression haughty, even scornful. "You imagined enjoying itwith me ?"
"With you,chérie, " he said, his voice low.
"Allthis was for me?" she asked him. "This whole evening?"
"I thought it might amuse you," he said.
She stopped walking and closed and dropped her fan to dangle from her wrist again.
"Why on earth?" she asked him.
"Why did I believe it would amuse you?" he asked. "Because you are young,chérie, and the very young enjoy picnics and moonlight and music. Is it not so?"
"I meant," she said coldly, "why me, Lord Rosthorn? Why do something as lavishly extravagant as this for me when I am a total stranger to you? It was grossly presumptuous of you!"
"Ah,mais non, " he said, "not quite a stranger. We have been properly presented. We have waltzed together."
"But something as elaborate as this on the strength of an introduction and one dance?" she said, waving one arm imperiously in the direction of the picnic area. "I believe, Lord Rosthorn, you have singled me out for dalliance. Ibelieve your intentions are not honorable."
"Honorable." He laughed softly. "I am not about to drop to one knee and beg you to become my countess, if that is what you mean,chérie ." The swaying light of a lantern caught the laughter in his eyes. "But it seemed to me at the Cameron ball that I recognized in you a kindred spirit, one that chafes against the stuffiness of society's confines and longs for freedom and adventure. Was I wrong?"
"And any longing for freedom and adventure that I feel must necessarily lead me into dalliance withyou, Lord Rosthorn?" she asked him scornfully. "You presume too much."
"Do I?" He tipped his head to one side and observed her closely.
"What did you plan?" she demanded. "You have gone to extraordinary lengths to get me here. Now what are you planning to do with me? Steal a kiss?Seduce me?" She raised her eyebrows. Perversely, she realized that she was enjoying herself enormously. Two could play this game.
"Seduce?"He slapped a hand to his heart and looked mortally shocked. "Would I bring these hordes of people out here,chérie, including a whole regiment of military gentlemen, I daresay, if my intention was to ravish you almost publicly? I might end my picnic in spectacular fashion by being hanged from one of these trees-or run through by a dozen swords."
"But you cannot deny that you planned to steal a kiss?" she asked.
He leaned a little closer to her.
"I would quarrel with your use of the past tense," he told her.
Being the youngest of the Bedwyns-by far the youngest and female to boot-had always set her at an
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