so you can put that notion right out of your head,' he seethed. Damn, but he hoped her distress was not an indication she was seriously considering fleeing from him!
Though he could see she was scared as hell of him right now. And no wonder. She had entrusted him with her entire future, and all he could do was berate her over the trifling matter of the fit of a ring!
'Come, now,' he said in a rallying tone. 'We struck an honest bargain this morning. It is in both our interests to stick with it.' He took her hands between his own and gave them what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze. 'We are in this together.'
Yes. She sighed. And so was Felice. He would never be able to keep from comparing her, and unfavourably. Just look at the way he was coaxing her out of the sulks in that patronising tone, as though she were a petulant child.
'It is easier for you,' she began. He was used to disguising his feelings behind that glacial mask he wore in public. But she had never been any good at dissembling.
'Why do you suppose that?' he said harshly.
'Because I won't know what to say to people!' she snapped. Had he forgotten already that she had told him she was hopeless at telling lies?
'Oh, come,' he scoffed. 'You ran on like a rattle in my drawing room this morning!'
'That was entirely different,' she protested. 'It does not matter what you think.' They were co-conspirators. She had no need to convince him she was anything other than herself.
Charles swiftly repressed the sharp stab of hurt these words inflicted. Why should he be bothered if she did not care what he thought of her? It was not as if she meant anything to him, either. He must just accept that playing the role of his fiancee was not going to be easy for her.
'Very well,' he nodded, 'you need not attempt to speak. I will do all the talking for us both. Providing — ' he fixed her with a stern eye ' — you make an attempt to look as though you are enjoying yourself tonight.'
'Oh, I am sure I shall — in my own way,' she assured him.
She loved studying how people behaved in social situations. Their posturing and jostling both amused and inspired her with ideas that went straight into her sketchbook the minute she got home.
A vague recollection of her sitting alone at a table littered with empty glasses, a rapt expression on her face as she observed the boisterous crowd at the guingette that Felice had dared him to take her to, sprang to Charles' mind. He began to feel a little calmer. The theatre was the best place he could have chosen for their first outing together a deux. She would be content to sit quietly and watch the performance.
Then she alarmed him all over again by saying mournfully, 'It was a stupid idea. I wish I had never mentioned it. Nobody looking at the two of us together will ever believe you wish at all to marry me.'
'Well, they will not if you carry on like this!' It was bad enough that Felice had jilted him; now Heloise was exhibiting clear signs of wanting to hedge off. What was wrong with the Bergeron sisters? He knew of half a dozen women who would give their eye teeth to be in their position. Why, he had been fending off females who wished to become his countess since his first foray into society!
'You came up with this plan, not I. And I expect you to play your part now you have wheedled me into it!'
'Wheedled?' she gasped, desperately hurt. She had not wheedled. She had put her proposition rationally and calmly...well, perhaps not calmly, for she had been very nervous. But he was making it sound as though she had put unfair pressure on him in some way.
'If that is what you think — ' she began, sliding the ring from her finger.
His hand grabbed hers, thrusting the ring back down her finger.
'No, mademoiselle ,' he said sternly, holding her hands captive between his own, his steely fingers keeping the ring firmly in place.
She took a breath, her brow furrowing in preparation for another round of
Though he could see she was scared as hell of him right now. And no wonder. She had entrusted him with her entire future, and all he could do was berate her over the trifling matter of the fit of a ring!
'Come, now,' he said in a rallying tone. 'We struck an honest bargain this morning. It is in both our interests to stick with it.' He took her hands between his own and gave them what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze. 'We are in this together.'
Yes. She sighed. And so was Felice. He would never be able to keep from comparing her, and unfavourably. Just look at the way he was coaxing her out of the sulks in that patronising tone, as though she were a petulant child.
'It is easier for you,' she began. He was used to disguising his feelings behind that glacial mask he wore in public. But she had never been any good at dissembling.
'Why do you suppose that?' he said harshly.
'Because I won't know what to say to people!' she snapped. Had he forgotten already that she had told him she was hopeless at telling lies?
'Oh, come,' he scoffed. 'You ran on like a rattle in my drawing room this morning!'
'That was entirely different,' she protested. 'It does not matter what you think.' They were co-conspirators. She had no need to convince him she was anything other than herself.
Charles swiftly repressed the sharp stab of hurt these words inflicted. Why should he be bothered if she did not care what he thought of her? It was not as if she meant anything to him, either. He must just accept that playing the role of his fiancee was not going to be easy for her.
'Very well,' he nodded, 'you need not attempt to speak. I will do all the talking for us both. Providing — ' he fixed her with a stern eye ' — you make an attempt to look as though you are enjoying yourself tonight.'
'Oh, I am sure I shall — in my own way,' she assured him.
She loved studying how people behaved in social situations. Their posturing and jostling both amused and inspired her with ideas that went straight into her sketchbook the minute she got home.
A vague recollection of her sitting alone at a table littered with empty glasses, a rapt expression on her face as she observed the boisterous crowd at the guingette that Felice had dared him to take her to, sprang to Charles' mind. He began to feel a little calmer. The theatre was the best place he could have chosen for their first outing together a deux. She would be content to sit quietly and watch the performance.
Then she alarmed him all over again by saying mournfully, 'It was a stupid idea. I wish I had never mentioned it. Nobody looking at the two of us together will ever believe you wish at all to marry me.'
'Well, they will not if you carry on like this!' It was bad enough that Felice had jilted him; now Heloise was exhibiting clear signs of wanting to hedge off. What was wrong with the Bergeron sisters? He knew of half a dozen women who would give their eye teeth to be in their position. Why, he had been fending off females who wished to become his countess since his first foray into society!
'You came up with this plan, not I. And I expect you to play your part now you have wheedled me into it!'
'Wheedled?' she gasped, desperately hurt. She had not wheedled. She had put her proposition rationally and calmly...well, perhaps not calmly, for she had been very nervous. But he was making it sound as though she had put unfair pressure on him in some way.
'If that is what you think — ' she began, sliding the ring from her finger.
His hand grabbed hers, thrusting the ring back down her finger.
'No, mademoiselle ,' he said sternly, holding her hands captive between his own, his steely fingers keeping the ring firmly in place.
She took a breath, her brow furrowing in preparation for another round of
Similar Books
