“You haven’t heard the story? Alex literally caught her in midair when she was bodily thrown out of her previous household.”
“Why on earth did that happen?” Charles said in surprise.
“Your sister repulsed the master’s advances with some violence, and—”
Charles interrupted Annabelle’s recital, fury in his voice. “Who was the filthy brute?”
Annabelle realized too late why Christa had not chosen to tell this particular tale. “Lord Radcliffe, please use your sense! While it would doubtless be quite satisfying to avenge your sister’s honor, what would that do for her reputation?”
The earl looked a bit sheepish as his good sense started to return. “I suppose you’re right. But I hate the thought of what she must have endured.”
“If it’s any comfort, she took care of herself quite well. Alex said that she also rearranged the face of the footman who literally threw her down a flight of steep stone steps when she rejected him as well.”
“Good Lord!” Charles said admiringly. “I apparently have been underestimating my little sister. I would still like to darken the man’s daylights at the very least, but I suppose you won’t tell me who he is.”
“No, I will not,” Annabelle said firmly. “And for the same reason Christa did not. It is very bad that she had to endure the impropriety, but she managed quite capably and took no permanent harm.”
Charles accepted that the episode was beyond his ability to avenge and changed the subject. “I called on the Gilded Lily yesterday, and she seems quite willing to accept my compliments, and perhaps a good deal more.”
Annabelle chuckled. “Good. Even if our matchmaking efforts fail with Alex and Christa, I will feel no compunctions about separating Sybil from my brother. It’s not a match that will make either of them happy.”
“I think we have talked quite enough about our siblings. Why don’t you tell me something about yourself?” Charles suggested as he turned the carriage back toward St. James’s Square.
“Shall I start with the best or the worst?”
“Oh, the worst, of course. Vices are so much more interesting than virtues.”
Annabelle thought long and hard as she looked at the earl’s classic profile, with the lines of humor crinkling around his eyes. She believed that he shared his sister’s tolerance and understanding, and with that thought in mind, she made a decision based on pure impulse.
You asked for it, my bonny earl.With hesitation Annabelle told him of her infatuation and elopement with Sir Edward. It explained some of what she owed Christa. More than that, if there was really something special growing between her and Charles, it was best that she tell him of her mistake now. She wanted no shadows between them, and if it sank her beneath repair in his eyes, at least she would know quickly, before matters went any further.
She gave him a quick sideways glance. It might already be too late for common sense.
Charles listened seriously, understanding how difficult the episode must be for her to discuss, but he couldn’t restrain a whoop of laughter when she told about upending the trifle on her suitor’s face. “Oh, well done!”
Annabelle laughed aloud, feeling immeasurably freer for her confession. “That’s exactly what Christa said. She even applauded. It must have been very amusing, but this is the first time I have appreciated the humor.”
They had just pulled up in front of Kingsley House, and the earl’s groom came forward to the heads of the horses. Charles held Annabelle’s hand for an extra moment when he helped her from the carriage, looking down into the wide blue eyes. “It took a great deal of courage to tell me about that.”
“You wanted to know the worst of me, and now you do. Besides, if I can’t be wise, I might as well be honest,” Annabelle said wryly, taking Charles’s arm as they climbed the steps.
“Wisdom comes from experience, so how can a person who never makes mistakes become wise?” Charles said. “Besides, paragons are boring.”
“Thank you for your understanding,” Annabelle said in a low voice as the door opened. With a smile she added, “Do you have time for tea?”
“Most certainly. Unless my palate betrayed me yesterday, you have a French chef hidden away in the kitchens.”
As he followed Annabelle into the house, Charles admired the grace of her movement, the yielding feminine sweetness that made a man feel ten feet tall and invincible. He’d never met a woman so lovely who was also so completely lacking in vanity. He thought of Sybil Debenham and repressed a faint shudder.
He was even more impressed by the honesty and quiet strength of character that lay beneath the admirable surface. He shook his head in mild wonder. His desire to aid his sister was bearing quite unexpected dividends.
* * *
While his campaign to detach Sybil Debenham from Lord Kingsley was avowedly altruistic, the Earl of Radcliffe had a splendid, mischievous time implementing it. If he had thought she had a heart, he would have been ashamed of himself, but the woman’s vanity was so monstrous as to defy belief. No matter how florid the compliment, she accepted it as her due. He interspersed admiration with occasional tantalizing remarks implying that he was devastated that she was no longer available.
One of the best parts of the campaign was the necessity of frequent calls on Annabelle, and they very quickly reached easy terms with each other. For all her quiet sweetness, she had the ability to gently bring Charles back in line when he became too outrageous, and she herself was blossoming under his appreciative eyes.
After consultation with Annabelle, Charles decided to make his move the day before Kingsley was due back in town. He had engaged Sybil for a drive if the weather cooperated, which it did, and it was pleasant driving in Rotten Row at a time when it was not congested with other carriages.
