Holycrap.
Did they make men that beautiful?
Oh my God.
Pleasetellmethat’stheMarquessofwherever,pleasetellmethat’stheMarquessofwherever,pleasetellme…
My mental chant was interrupted when my gloved hand wastaken and I heard in a smooth, manly voice that had a thoroughly astonishedtone, “Maxine, my goodness, my dear, you look…very well.”
I tipped my gaze up at the older hot guy, and since I’dtotally forgotten where I was, I just stared at him blankly.
His expression grew tender, his hand around mine tightened,and he said gently, and also sadly, “Oh, my dear.”
Shit.
Right!
I had to do this.
Starting now.
“Your grace,” I replied, kept hold of his hand, but fellinto a curtsy, dropping my head and fortunately covering my face with myginormous hat so I could have a second to think.
Okay, that guy at the house was probably his son.
Which meant that was my fiancé.
Well, kind of, but not really.
But that was the guy I was supposed to make fall in lovewith me.
Then I was supposed to have sex with him.
Lots and lots of it (I just added that part, but didn’t youhave to have lots of sex to get up the duff?).
Right, well…
Suddenly…
I could so totally do this.
(Not having the baby part, but I could kill time while Ifigured out where Mom and the other me were, rescue them and find some way toget us home, all while banging that…amazing…man—new item on my to-dolist: figure out birth control in this world.)
His father’s fingers squeezed mine, and I straightened,looking again to him.
“It’s lovely to see you,” I told him.
“It’s…lovely…to see you…too,” he pushed out weirdly, staringintently at me.
“Dalton, my good man!”Dad-not-Dad greeted jovially, pushingclose to our sides.“Isn’t she a vision?Just a vision.”
I was only beginning to feel out my role, but I flubbed itright off the bat.
It was bound to happen.
And it happened right then.
I rolled my eyes.
