Page 3 of Trapped with the Earl of Sin

Susanna forced a smile on her face and tried to greet these people with the same enthusiasm as her sister, but it was as if her breath had caught in her throat and she could not utter a single word.

“Good evening, Lady Mary, Lady Susanna,” Abigail replied with a warm and inviting smile. “How lovely it is to meet you at last.”

Luckily, as they took their seats, Mary continued to talk, keeping the conversation flowing with Abigail, because Susanna needed a little while longer to take all of this in.

Although, strangely, she mostly found herself looking at the man she was sitting across from at the table. Martin Rayment.

He was taller, with a cheeky smile that made his dimples pop. She was also intrigued by his hazel eyes. Susanna had never seen eyes that color before, nor had she ever been in the presence of this man, despite all the Society events that she was forced to attend.

How had she never met him before?

Who on earth was he?

“Nice to meet you,” Martin declared smilingly. “I am sure you are thoroughly excited to see your sister get married. It will be a lot of fun.”

“Fun?” Susanna furrowed her brow, confused by this statement.

“Oh yes. Weddings are always glorious events.”

Susanna did not know what to say to that. She had never been to a wedding before. She did not like being made to look like a fool, which seemed what Martin wanted to do to her for reasons she could not understand.

They did not know one another, so why would he want to make her blush so brightly?

“Well, I am sure it will be lovely,” she replied with a one-shouldered shrug, trying to end this conversation before she felt even more foolish.

Martin narrowed his eyes on Susanna, which made her very uncomfortable, but in a strange way. In a way she oddly did not mind. The way that his eyes studied her while the rest of the table continued to talk happily, all having fun and getting along well, was unusually exciting.

“You do not seem like you are the most thrilled. Are you one of those women who do not like marriage?”

Susanna clutched her hand to her chest in shock and horror. “I am not against marriage. I am not saying anything like that…”

“But youaresaying something,” he teased. “And I am interested to know what.”

A heat burned in Susanna’s cheeks, and it made it even more humiliating that she knew Martin could see it. He wasnotthe sort of distraction that she needed while staying at Standen Abbey. Not when she had to examine Luke, to check that he was right for her sister. She did not have time for teasing and banter, she did not have time for a man like Martin, she had a very important job to do.

“I am saying nothing,” she shot back. “You do not know what you are talking about.”

But that only made Martin laugh. He seemed to see right through her in ways she was not ready for. As he leaned back in his seat, still looking at her, Susanna realized that he was going to be an issue that she had not planned for. Especially if he kept challenging everything that she said.

What on earth was she going to do?

“I see. And do youalwayssay nothing?” he demanded. “Because I have met plenty of well-bred ladies who like to say nothing…”

He was trying to get a reaction out of her, Susanna was certain of that. It was almost as if he needed her to be his entertainment.

She did not wish to entertain any man, much less one she did not know. Yet, she could not stop herself from biting back.

It was as if had affected her in ways that she had not expected, and on their first meeting at that.

“Well, perhaps you have not met the right well-bred ladies, then,” Susanna retorted, lifting her chin defiantly. “I assure you, some of us have quite a lot to say.”

Martin’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Ah, a lady with spirit. How refreshing.”

Susanna’s cheeks burned even hotter, but she refused to back down. “I am here to support my sister, Lord St. Clair. This is a significant event for her, and I intend to ensure everything goes smoothly. The wedding might be fun to you, but I am here to ensure she is alright at all times.”

He did not need to know the details of what had happened to Mary before, Susanna did not care if he simply assumed that she was overprotective.

Right now, she just needed him to back off.

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