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Beatrice wished she hadn’t reacted to his touch the way she had. But the unpleasant memory of Lansdowne squeezing her breasts had popped into her mind, and her body recoiled. It wouldn’t have been the same with Adam, she knew. And perhaps it would’ve led to more…
It still could.
If he had wanted to kiss her once, it was possible to persuade him to kiss her again.
She took a deep breath and walked toward her journal. She leafed through it and stopped at the torn page. She smoothed the frayed edges and ran a finger over the last item, the one she didn’t want to show him:
To fall in love.
She had two weeks to complete all the items on her list. And while she doubted that she would be able to fall in love in that short span of time, she could certainly find another way to avoid marrying Lansdowne.
She took a quill, dipped it into the inkwell, and inhaled deeply. With a steady hand, she added item number ten:
To trap Adam into marriage.
Chapter 12
When the carriage rolled to Beatrice’s doorstep the next day, she was a ball of excitement. She’d spent all night thinking about the ways she would try to seduce Adam, but her mind kept drifting off into memories and fantasies of them kissing. Suffice it to say, she didn’t have a plan of action ready. Nor had she had a good night’s sleep.
However, she knew that she just needed to spend more time in his company and then perhaps… Perhaps she wouldn’t need to do anything at all. Perhaps he would fall in love with her sparkling personality, her love for reading, and her curiosity toward life… everything in her that so far he had seemed to despise.
She balled her fists at her sides and rushed downstairs. The more she thought about it, the more nervous she became. And the more nervous she was, the more likely she was to do something entirely too foolish.
She was so caught up in her thoughts and worries that she hadn’t noticed that she’d made her way all the way to the door. She schooled her features and tugged at her day gown as she stood before the entrance. The moment the knocker fell, she tugged the door open with a smile that froze on her face.
Instead of Adam, there stood his sister, the Marchioness of Vane. A few steps below her was her daughter Millie with a giant dog by her side, whom Beatrice had briefly met at the marchioness’s house party.
“My Lady,” Beatrice gasped after a moment of stunned silence. “I didn’t expect… Ah… pardon me.” She stumbled into a curtsy, forgetting all her manners from shock.
“Good morning, Beatrice. And I told you to call me Isabel.” Lady Vane turned to her daughter, and she dipped into a curtsy.
“Please, come inside,” Beatrice finally said, gathering her wits. She craned her neck this way and that, she even stepped outside briefly when her guests entered the house to see if perhaps Adam was hiding somewhere behind the bushes or was sitting inside the carriage, to no avail. He was nowhere to be found. Annoyed but determined not to show her disappointment, she closed the door and faced her guests. “Please, let me show you to the drawing room.”
“I apologize for coming unannounced,” Lady Vane said as they followed Beatrice into a small but cozy room.
“There is absolutely no need to apologize,” Beatrice said as the giant dog galloped past her, almost knocking her down.
Isabel caught Beatrice, and she smiled nervously, her spectacles askew. She pushed them up the bridge of her nose, while the dog leapt toward the window and started barking at the passing conveyances.
“Button, sit!” Millie commanded confidently, and the large pup obeyed, his tail wagging furiously.
Impressed, Beatrice clapped her hands. “Bravo! I wouldn’t think such a beast would listen to a little girl.”
Millie raised her chin proudly. “He does tricks, too.” Then she added with a grimace, “Sometimes.”
Beatrice turned toward the marchioness. “Would you like some tea?” She had already moved toward the servants’ bell when Lady Vane stopped her.
“Actually, we were hoping you would join us instead.”
Beatrice turned with a questioning gaze while complex feelings warred inside her. “Join you?”
Of course, Beatrice was more than happy to accompany the marchioness and her little daughter wherever they were about to propose. She was slightly terrified of the huge dog, but it seemed quite friendly. And if little Millie could control it, surely there was nothing to fear for Beatrice.
But one thing was holding her back. What if while she was out, Adam came to call? She didn’t want to miss him. What if he came now while his sister sat in her drawing room? What would Lady Vane think of her bachelor brother visiting an unwed—albeit betrothed—young lady?
“Yes, we were going for a stroll, and I thought that perhaps you would like the company. You said last night that you didn’t have a lot of friends. And our families have been friendly in the past. I would love to resume our friendship if possible.”
How kind!
