Page 43 of The Trouble with Anna

“I want my independence, Julian,” she said in a small voice.

“Really?” His eyes blazed down at her. “Is that all you want?”

Julian looped her hands around his shoulders and his mouth moved over hers, soft and piercingly sweet. Anna allowed herselfto melt against him, savoring the glowing trails that his hands made as they moved over her body, pulling her closer, drawing her ever deeper.

The little ember inside Anna’s chest glowed like a fat stack of coal.

CHAPTER18

ACOURIER CAME FOR JULIANat the Dowager’s house a few evenings later, thundering down the corridor with urgent news for his lordship. Julian locked himself in the Dowager’s study, and soon a series of couriers were striding in and striding out again into the cold slap of the darkening night. Julian only emerged once, so grim-faced that Anna had to stop herself from running to him.

The three women were on the point of retiring for the night when Levy, the Dowager’s butler, pushed open the door to the drawing room. “Lady Anna, his lordship requests an audience in the study.”

The Dowager put down her papers.

“In the study? Alone again? As Lady Anna’s chaperone, I must say this is all getting to be a bit—” She yelped. “Charlotte, whatdidyou just do to my foot?”

“How clumsy of me. But, Gran, I’ve wondered all night what is happening. Shall we not send Anna in to find out?”

The Dowager gave a frosty shake of the lace at her wrists. “I suppose that would be acceptable. Though if that brutish assault on my toes was meant to warn me away from my duties as a chaperone, you’ve sorely mistaken my character.”

“I’ve always thought a chaperone’s highest duty was to knowwhen to turn a blind eye,” said Charlotte. “Besides, Julian’s been sneaking around alone with Anna for weeks, or have you been too buried in your plants to notice?”

Anna went red to her hairline. “I don’t require a chaperone with Lord Ramsay!”

Charlotte pounced on the point. “See! She likes being alone with him!”

“I only meant that Lord Ramsay’s intentions toward me are entirely honorable!”

That silenced both the ladies of the house. Their heads turned to Anna in unison, like two hungry cats that had just spotted a mouse.

“He’s offered for you again, hasn’t he?” Charlotte demanded.

“I didn’t say that! I simply meant he has no designs on me.”

“So hehasn’toffered again?” The Dowager leaned so far forward she was in danger of falling out of her chair.

“I’d better go see what he wants.”

Anna stood up, put her mouse tail between her legs, and skittered out of the room.

Light spilled from under the study door and onto the thick burgundy carpet in the hall, illuminating Anna’s slippers as she stood outside the study preparing to knock. Why had he summoned her?

She swallowed. The problem was, she knew. He was going to repeat his offer, she could feel it in her bones.

Butwhydid he want to marry her? For Chatham? For pity? Because by some miracle he’d fallen as hard for her as she’d fallen for…

Anna’s stomach flipped. She couldn’t guess his intentions and she was beginning to think they didn’t matter much anymore. Adark magic was building between them, so powerful they couldn’t turn away.

Still, as with all magic, there was the cost to consider. Her old life was dead, she carried the truth of that like an ache. Whether she married Julian or not, she was no longer Anna Reston of Chatham, Lord Barton’s odd little granddaughter.

But could she be Countess Ramsay instead?Julian’sCountess?

It seemed so scary, as if it might erase everything she knew about herself.

Oh, Grandfather, what have you done?

No answer came, of course, and somehow that made her saddest of all.

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