Page 17 of Making of a Scandal
Then, they were alone, with no sound but the pop and snap of the fire interrupting the quiet.
Mr. Burke cleared his throat, leaning his hip against the side of the sofa. “Calliope, I—”
“Please, I would prefer it if you called me Miss Barrington, even in private. Such familiarity is unseemly.”
The man furrowed his brow as if he found her request utterly ridiculous, but he shrugged. “Very well … Miss Barrington. I wanted to apologize for our misunderstanding this morning.”
“Only for the misunderstanding? You aren’t sorry for taking liberties with my person, or … or the things you said?”
That infuriating smile of his was back, half his mouth turning up. “I cannot pretend to be anything other than what I am. I am a courtesan, and I thought a goddess had come to be seduced, so I acted accordingly.”
She blinked. “Goddess?”
“Calliope … Greek goddess, chief muse of poetry, music, and song. It seemed apropos. You certainly live up to the beauty of such a moniker. Do you happen to possess a talent for singing as well? Or perhaps you are a poet?”
Calliope squared her shoulders and steeled herself against his flattery. Flowery words were something she could handle. What she didn’t know how to grapple with were the coarser words he’d used with her this morning.
Fucking Christ, you’re gorgeous.
What had he expected her to say to such a thing?
“That is hardly relevant. Allow me to assure you that compliments and flattery are not a necessary part of our arrangement.”
Instead of being cowed by her iciness, he simply slouched against the sofa, looking far too comfortable in someone else’s drawing room. She had a feeling this man made himself at home in every space. He seemed to suck all the air out of the chamber and dominate it with his presence.
His mouth quirked with mirth. “They are if anyone is to believe I am enamored with you. That is what you require, isn’t it—for me to make your suitor jealous?”
“Well, that isn’t exactly what I am about. I only want him to … to see me as marriageable. Being on the arm of another man seems like a good way to go about it.”
“Call it whatever you like to make yourself feel better. The fact is, if this fellow cares anything about you, seeing you with me will make him green with envy.”
Calliope swallowed, but she couldn’t rid herself of the bitter taste in her mouth. She didn’t like the blunt terms he used to describe her objective, but couldn’t deny that he was right. Deep down, she realized that provoking Mr. Lewes’s jealousy was the perfect way to urge him to declare himself.
“Yes, well … I suppose you are right, but perhaps you could hold back in your displays of affection until we’ve been seen together long enough to warrant such behavior. I will not risk anyone thinking our association is improper.”
“Understood. So, tell me about this suitor. How long have you known him? Has he ever given you reason to believe he is interested in you in a romantic sense?”
Calliope could stand still no longer, bearing his close scrutiny. The way he looked at her only heightened her agitation.
Pacing to the nearest window, she gazed out at the street. “Mr. Martin Lewes … do you know of him?”
“His brother and I attended university together. I believe Lewes was a few years ahead of us. Our families are acquainted. Upstanding fellow.”
“Yes,” she replied, relaxing as she thought of the handsome man who had stolen her heart. “He is a friend of Hastings, but we were only acquaintances up until recently. We’d been introduced, danced together at a few balls. It was all very innocuous.”
“Until?”
“Until a few weeks ago, when I …”
She felt his gaze, hot on her back as he waited for her to continue. Calliope couldn’t understand why speaking of her feelings aloud to Mr. Burke should discomfit her so. She’d only just met him, but he had come here knowing she was pursuing someone for marriage. What did it matter if he knew that she’d developed atendrefor Martin Lewes?
“We’ve become friends. He is considerate and kind. Unlike the other men who have courted me in the past, he seems to genuinely listen to me when I talk. He does like me, I think. But, perhaps his friendship with Hastings has made him reticent, or—”
“Trust me, if the man wanted you badly enough, the fact that he is friends with Hastings wouldn’t stop him.”
“Oh.”
Her heart sank at his words. If Mr. Lewes felt the same way she did, he ought not care who her brother-in-law was. As well, he couldn’t be blind to the fact that Hastings and Diana had been playing matchmakers.
