Page 58 of Enticing the Devil

A bolt of unease shot through him as he glanced back to the lady’s painting.

His sister was right. The lady sure as hell didn’t deserve a man such as he. For a partner or otherwise.

Chapter Twenty-one

Anne was still seething even after her vigorous walk about the gardens when she finally reentered the house to speak to Lily about withdrawing from the final event. She couldn’t possibly perform the reading in the state she was currently in. No doubt her friend would see instantly that something was wrong, but Anne had no intention of explaining the source of her upset. She just couldn’t bring herself to state out loud that she had finally received an offer of marriage, but it had come from a man with absolutely no real wish to wed her. A man who held no honest admiration or tender feelings for her. And that he hadn’t even asked her for her hand but had gone about arranging the thing behind her back. He’d decided what must be done and engaged her father in the matter before even bothering to consider her own thoughts.

As her father had made so abjectly clear throughout her life—she was nothing more than an obligation to be managed. A responsibility preferably ignored except for when her existence became an unavoidable nuisance.

And now, Mr. Thomas had apparently decided that, because of last night, she’d become his unfortunate burden.

All the insecurities of her childhood pressed up from the darkness she’d worked so hard to bury them in. She’d already spent far too much of her life believing herself unworthy of time and consideration and love. She’d vowed never to resign herself to the same in her marriage.

Barely containing the pain and resentment roiling about inside her, Anne entered the conservatory, where the party guests were gathering for the dramatic readings. She scanned the room for Lily. Most of the chairs had already been claimed, but several people still lingered on their feet along the edge of the room. Lily and her husband amongst them. Anne had hoped she’d be able to simply duck in and duck out again, but it appeared she’d have to skirt the rows of chairs to reach her friend at the front of the room.

Steeling herself against the desire to flee, she made her way forward. She was still several paces from where Lily stood when she felt an ominous presence come up behind her. Close. Then the warm, firm touch of a large hand grasping her elbow.

She stopped immediately, her entire body freezing in place even as unwanted warmth suffused her insides.

He dared to approach her here in front of everyone? No doubt, he knew she wouldn’t wish to cause a dramatic scene. Tense and heated with anger, she slowly turned her head to glance up at him.

He stood near enough to stir the fall of her skirts. And his head was lowered intimately toward hers. She could see his pulse beating at the side of his throat.

How could she still so strongly wish to press her fingers there? Her lips?

Her head spun and her knees felt suddenly weak.

“Shall we take a seat?” He spoke in a low murmur but the rich baritone flowed heavily through her.

She tensed her jaw. “I’m not staying.”

He didn’t reply, but his eyes turned dangerously dark as he held her subtle, silent glare.

“Welcome, everyone,” Lily called out from the front of the room where she stood between two chairs positioned to face the audience. “I’d like to get started, if we may.”

Lady Anne was stuck. It was too late to cry off now, especially since her partner was present and apparently still intended to go through with the reading.

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