Page 31 of The Trouble with Anna

“Except the most obvious possibility.”

“Really? What?”

“Marry my brother, you idiot!” Charlotte shouted. She waited for Anna to stop choking. “Or at least let yourself consider it. He’s offered for you, hasn’t he?”

Anna, poor thing, never found it easy to lie. Charlotte watchedher struggle, but it was no use. “He has,” Anna confessed in a small voice, “but only because of that repulsive will.”

“Do you know what else is repulsive? The thought of you without any horses.”

Anna paced back and forth across the Aubusson. “I couldn’t stand to be your brother’s unwanted wife! How could I do that, Charlotte, to either of us?”

Ah. Charlotte had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. So that was the problem. It was obvious to her that Julian was more intrigued with Anna every day, but of course it wasn’t a bit obvious to Anna. She never valued herself as she ought, and being buried in the country with that awful old man hadn’t helped.

Good thing Charlotte was around to set things on their proper course.

“I never said you should race down the aisle. But you’re both pigheaded, sharp-tongued, and disgustingly honorable. The truth is, I begin to suspect you’re well-suited.”

Anna gave a squawk, sounding just like an outraged chicken. “Well-suited! Imagine me, in front of your brother’s fine London friends.”

“I can imagine it easily. Please recall that I’ve invited you to London any number of times.”

“You know how strange and awkward I get in company!”

Charlotte wrinkled her nose. “Is that your true plan? To visit London… awkwardly?”

“No! My true plan is just as I said! I need to find buyers for my horses. If I happen to be a disaster in town and your brother happens to notice, so much the better.”

It sounded convoluted and desperate, which pleased Charlotte immensely. If Anna was this unhinged already, things were going well indeed.

“Well, I doubt it will work if the goal is to shake off Julian.” Charlotte gave a casual shrug and lobbed a bomb. “The truth is, I believe my brother’s more than half-smitten with you already.”

Anna collapsed into a settee as if her legs had gone wobbly, only to pop back up again. “That couldn’t… That isn’t… Oh, blast it, I’ll ruin myself right in front of him if I have to!”

Charlotte gave a shout of laughter. “Do you know what being ruined actually means?”

Anna lowered her voice to a whisper. “It’s kissing a man in public, isn’t it?”

“You haven’t got that quite—”

“Never mind! Forget about London. I’ll sell the horses from Chatham instead.”

“Certainly not! If you intend to kiss another man in front of my brother, by all means, let’s go to London!”

Charlotte sat back, beaming.

Her work, for today at least, was done.

CHAPTER14

IT WASN’T DIFFICULT FOR CHARLOTTEto convince Julian and the Dowager to return to town, especially given that the Dowager longed to get back to her orangerie and catch up on the latest developments at the Horticultural Society of London. The household packed up over the next few days, and Julian used the time to concentrate on Anna, joining her for morning gallops and then exploring Mayne and Chatham, though Anna noticed that what he liked exploring most was her mouth and neck, her sensitive earlobes, and the curve of her…

Anna’s cheeks caught fire, yet again. She spent half her time melting, and half her time squirming with embarrassment. She felt like frozen ground, in the process of a painful thawing and unsure what spring would bring.

Probably lots of mud and violent rainstorms.

And yet it was true thatsomethinghad changed. She’d become the first person Julian looked for when he walked into a room. Only once their gazes connected would he go about his business, whether that was consulting with Gran, or needling Charlotte, or, increasingly, ignoring both of them to come sit down by her with mischief in mind.

Don’t be an idiot! He told you he was courting you, and it’s only because of that horrid will.

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