Page 41 of Pining for Lord Lockhart
The duchess picked up her feet, and they hurried as quickly as she’d ever seen Her Grace move in the direction of the approaching lords.
When they were close enough, Charity stepped into their path and set her hand on Lord Wessex’s arm.
They all stopped immediately, bowing to the duchess and then to Charity.
Lord Wessex grinned in such a natural manner, Charity was tempted to reconsider her opinions of him. “And to what do I owe this sudden pleasure of your company?”
She laughed. “You have come at the perfect time. Her Grace and I were just bemoaning our lack of escort.” She stood closer and fluttered her eyelashes. Astounded at how easily the role of flirt was becoming, she laughed again when his eyebrow rose high on his head.
“Oh stop. I’m pleased to see you. Is that so unbelievable?”
“Not at all. I’ve been hoping for just such a boon.” He turned to the others. “Men, what say you? Are we man enough to escort women such as these?”
“We certainly are.” One of the younger lords held his arm out for the duchess. “If I may?”
“I would be most grateful. Thank you, young man.”
“And now we are off in the direction of…ices? The tea room?”
“Tea would be lovely.” Charity nodded.
“Quite right,” the duchess added from behind them.
“Tea room it is.” They began their walk again, and Lord Wessex put a hand over hers. “Perhaps you are beginning to see that we could be merry together.”
A loud giggle carried over to them from Lord Lockhart’s group. Charity stiffened. And Lord Wessex’s gaze sharpened. “Or perhaps you are merely tasting the spoils of a loss?” He shook his head. “We can’t have that.” Then he directed their steps toward Lord Lockhart.
“What are you doing?”
“I think a few comparisons are in order.”
“How so?”
“The kind that will show you that you are in finer company indeed.”
“That is not necessary. I don’t know why you think I should even care for other company than yours.”
“We shall see then, shall we?” They were almost close enough for Lord Lockhart to hear.
“Must we?” She felt her knees shake in a ridiculous fashion. Lord Lockhart’s gaze was locked on her.
“Just as I suspected. You are affected by him. And he has chosen another. You feel spurned which is utterly ridiculous being the exquisite creature that you are and him being…him. Yes, we must approach them. Now come, this shall be deliciously fun. You’ll see.”
She studied the situation. Lord Lockhart, his pregnant woman, her mother. And who was in Charity’s party? A rather large handful of lords and the Duchess of York. She stood taller. Yes, perhaps this would not be as painful as she’d predicted. She held her head a touch higher.
“There you go, now come, we must be having the most merry of times, and you must be more enamored.” He leaned in closer. “Perhaps if I should behave in a more tempting manner, you should feel more in the mood.” His mouth moved closer, almost brushing her skin, his breath a puff of a presence near her ear.
“Lord Wessex.” She stepped away.
“Come now, you enjoy it. I can see it on your skin, in your eyes, by the smile playing across your full mouth.”
“It’s not without its pleasures, but surely you are too bold, the situation too observed.”
“Ah yes. But no harm done, subtleties matter in situations such as these, and we’ve not even touched.”
He had a point. Perhaps a moot point—if the entire ton thought they were together, then it wouldn’t matter what arguments they brought to the table. And there was the obvious problem that she didn’t feel altogether comfortable with him so close, his lips so close.
The women had now noticed their approach, and she stood closer to Lord Lockhart. The possessive hand the younger woman placed on his arm was at last all the motivation Charity needed to step closer to Lord Wessex, to smile as though he were amusing and act as though she did not know she was walking closer and closer to Lord Lockhart, whose eyes had not diverted from staring right at her.
