Page 18 of Charming the Accidental Suitor
“Then where? When?”
His narrowed gaze met hers. “At a place of my choosing when the time is right.”
She hitched her lips to the side as she studied him. “Are you just trying to appease me?”
“I would never.” He said it in such a flat tone, she laughed in response.
“Very well.” She turned and he did as well so they were both facing the rest of the veranda which was rapidly filling with more guests, no doubt because the indoors had become stiflingly hot with all the guests. “So. Tell me more about how useful I am.”
She’d meant it to sound teasing, but to her horror his eyes held a hint of…knowing.
She had to look away from his searching gaze.
But it didn’t work. He shifted so he was facing her once more. And even though she continued to gaze out at the crowd, he gazed upon her.
Fixedly.
Intensely.
She fought the urge to squirm.
“Who has told you that you’re…” He hesitated. “Not useful.”
She peeked up at him and her lips twisted in a wry smile. “I appreciate your attempt to avoid the word ‘useless,’ my lord. Well done.”
“Tell me who.”
Oh dear. His voice was so low and so gruff, she found herself tipping her head back so she could see his expression.
Her eyes widened and her breath caught. Ohdear.His grim expression was rather startling and she shook her head. “No one.”
His stare said he didn’t believe her. A silence stretched and stretched.
Finally she threw her hands up. “Oh all right. One does not need to be told such things, does one? Not when it has been made clear one’s whole life.”
“Mmm. Your family?”
She rolled her eyes. But really, this was too humiliating. And prying. Lord Albright, the most polite man she’d ever met…and he was prying.
“That wasn’t very polite,” she murmured.
But the answer was yes, and she suspected he knew it. After all, he already knew she spent most of her time living with her great uncle. And no doubt he’d heard the rumors about her dowry and her parents’ eagerness to marry her off as quickly as possible.
In their defense, her arrival had been a shock. They’d already had an heir, and a spare, and then another spare for good measure. An unexpected girl later in life couldn’t even be called a surprise, just a burden.
Finally, when Felicity thought she couldn’t bear it a moment longer, Albright tore his gaze away and shifted at her side, facingthe crowd. His arm brushed her shoulder. “Perhaps your family should spend more time with your friends.”
His musing tone had her glancing up, curiosity eating at her. “What do you mean?”
He looked down at her and the warmth in his dark eyes caught her by surprise and made her heart falter. “It means, if any member of your family were to spend time with Meg, Jane, or Ann, they’d hear all about how amazing you are. All they do is talk about how grateful they are for you. The way they rave about you, you’d think you’re a saint.”
She scoffed. “Hardly.”
His crooked smile made a crease form at the edge of his mouth. And for some reason, Felicity couldn’t look away from it.
“It’s true.” He glanced meaningfully toward the doors where Meg and Carver had just joined the crowd on the veranda. “And I’m sure they’d be all too happy to tell you themselves if they knew you needed to hear it.”
She huffed and looked away. “I don’t need to hear anything.”
