“I’ll ring for the flowers to be put in water,” the Duchess said, hurrying for the bellpull. Jacob didn’t spare her a single glance, putting all his predatory focus on Annabelle. Today, they were going to make strides towards his goal: teach her to flirt. And, if he had his way, he would test her out on some of his acquaintances, too, in preparation for when Louisa would introduce her to gentlemen who may actually be inclined to marry.
“Lord Sunderland,” she said, flushing a delicious colour all the way down her neck when she finally tore her gaze away from his, her eyes alive with annoyance. Oh yes, she wanted him, and she truly did despise herself for it.
All he had to do was make sure that continued as long as they were ‘engaged’. That wouldn’t be too challenging. He had a particular knack for making people hate him. She would be no different. After all, he had done an admirable job so far.
“I hope you like your flowers, Lady Annabelle,” he said in a low, intimate voice.
“Oh.” Now the attention of the room was on her, she looked slightly strained. “They’re lovely, thank you.”
She did not sound as though they were lovely. He suppressed a smile. Her sister took the flowers from her and she sagged in relief.
Tomorrow, he would bring her an outrageous necklace and expect her to wear it. Something with rubies and diamonds in, perhaps. Something ostentatious she would hate and have to pretend to love. What better thing to spend his newly acquired wealth on?
He smiled at her, and her brows pinched together like she knew precisely what he was thinking.
“How about a walk?” she suggested, sending a less-than-subtle glance at the Duke and Duchess.
“We can promenade,” he said smoothly. “In Hyde Park.”
What followed was a bustle of activity, but eventually they were on their way. It was a colder day, so she wore a woollen shawl over her shoulders, and her hand was warm in the crook of his arm.
“The flowers were excessive,” she told him. They were a few steps behind the Duke and Duchess, who were lively in their own conversation, so he wasn’t concerned they would be overheard.
“I thought you asked me to court you?”
“Yes, but bereasonable.”
“I’m being perfectly reasonable.” He grinned down at her, enjoying the way she shifted awkwardly. Really, this was too easy. “Admittedly, I don’t have a lot of experience courting ladies, but I am positive flowers are involved. And expensive jewellery. How else will the world know that I want to marry you?”
“You could be nice to me.”
“Ah, but that’s no fun.”
She made a tiny noise that might have been a snort of amusement, and after glancing at her sister, she leant in and asked, “What about your connection with Mrs Bentley?”
“Clarissa?” He blinked, surprised that she knew about Clarissa, and reminded somewhat abruptly of her existence. “I haven’t seen her in a while.”
“Did you not court her?”
“Ah, little bird.” Her innocence was too adorable for her own good. “No. That’s not how it works. There was no need for courting. We both knew what we wanted from the other and we took it. That was all.”
“Oh,” she said, and more quietly, “I thought it was a little more romantic than that.”
“Not at all. There is no romance in any aspect of my life, sweetheart.” They reached the gates and finally began to promenade. The purpose of the exercise was, of course, so thetoncould see him escorting her, but as the attention began to settle on them, her body language changed. She stiffened, imperceptibly at first, then more as time went by. Her conversation slowed to monosyllables, and she stared at her feet more often than not.
Odd. The last time they had been this public together, they had been dancing at Vauxhall Gardens, and—
She had been angry at him.
“Don’t stare at the ground,” he said when she avoided yet another person’s curious gaze. “No one is going to eat you.”
“Easy for you to say,” she muttered. “If they ate you, they would spit you back out.”
“Insult me louder; perhaps that might give you more confidence.”
She glared up at him, shyness forgotten in her irritation, and he almost laughed out loud. “You are odious,” she informed him.
“Do continue. My ego hasn’t yet been dented.”
