Jacob nudged her and she glanced up at him, eyes wide. If she were any other girl, she would have giggled, maybe blushed. Villiers was a handsome devil, that was for sure. But after he nodded at Villiers, she just plastered a mechanical smile on her face and nodded back.
“The pleasure is mine,” she said, and immediately blushed to her hair.
At least her blush was pretty. If she was going to do it to everyone regardless, it was better she looked well doing it.
“It’s a beautiful day,” Villiers said. “Made all the more beautiful when one makes new acquaintances.”
Annabelle drew in a deep breath, her body stiff and radiating tension. Her gaze dropped to the ground, and when he nudged her, she looked back up with a frightened expression, similar to the one a doe might wear when it was caught off-guard.
Petrified.
Good Lord, he was going to have to do some rethinking if this was how she responded to every gentleman except for him.
Making the snap decision to end the conversation, he nodded to his friend. “We should rejoin the Duke and Duchess.”
Villiers touched his hat and Annabelle’s fingers dug into his arm with what he could only assume was approval. They walked slowly away, Annabelle’s face reddening still further until it looked as though she was deeply in shame.
“Well,” he said with forced bravado. This deal he’d taken felt a great sight harder if she couldn’t so much astalkto anyone else. “What happened to the flirting?”
“Icouldn’t.” She closed her eyes as though in repentance. “I’m sorry, I know you tried, and I’m sure Lord Villiers is excessively agreeable, but as soon as I’m faced with gentlemen, it’s as though my tongue is twisted and I feel sostupid. Which, of course, makes it worse, because once I feel stupid, I don’t even dare look at them in case I see it on their face.”
“Why should you care what they think?” As her shocked gaze met his, he shrugged. “I don’t.”
“Yes, but you’re . . .”
“Commonly despised?” he supplied with a sardonic smile. “Deplorable? Despicable? What other epithets have you used to describe me?”
“It’s different,” she said, though her gaze was back on her feet.
“Only because you care for others’ opinions.”
“No,” she said, glancing up at him seriously. “It’s because I’m a woman. You are a man and a marquess to boot. You can get away with doing almost anything you choose. I, however, must watch my reputation. For my family’s sake, if not my own.”
Her damned family. AndHenry Beaumont, Lord Eynsham, coming to disturb their peace in the next few weeks. No doubt he would find a way to disrupt things. At least, Jacob reflected grimly, no man could force him down the aisle before the summer was out.
Their three months had well and truly begun.
Chapter Thirteen
“An engagement ball?” Jacob drawled from where he was sprawled across Annabelle’s sofa. While she sat primly to one side, as she’d been taught, he took up an inordinate amount of space. Although perhaps that was something to do with his sheer size.
“My sister seems to think it’s necessary to announce the engagement officially.” Annabelle glanced at Theo, who was writing a letter quietly in the corner, and lowered her voice. “I was hoping you would have an excuse.”
“To get out of it? Aside from the rather obvious fact that all of London knows we are engaged already?”
“Precisely. And we even promenaded yesterday,” she said, although she had been attempting to forget her utter failure at flirting with Viscount Villiers.
“Promenading does not an engagement make. A ball, however . . .”
She shot him a dirty look. “Much you would know on the subject.”
“It appears I know more than you,” he said idly. “I even brought you jewels.”
The jewels in question, which were just as much of a statement as the enormous bouquet of flowers currently displayed on a side table, belonged to an enormous ruby necklace. Annabelle had tried and failed to refuse it.
“I don’t want your jewels.”
He flashed her a smug smile. “I know.”
