She eyed him warily, narrowing her eyes on him. “Oh, come now. Don’t play dumb. Is it possible that you don’t know you’re handsome?”
“I’m not certain, my lady. I don’t have half the occupants of London sending me flowers the wayyoudo. So I doubt I’m as good-looking as you are.”
Her blush deepened before she answered primly, “Gentlemen don’t receive flowers.”
“What do they receive then?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “Compliments, I suppose. If they’re fortunate. Though one hopes they would receive them with more…grace.” The stern stare was back on her face.
He nodded. “Point taken. And I must say I consider it a great fortune that someone as coveted as you clearly are thinks I’m handsome, my lady. Thank you for the compliment.”
Lady Annabelle nodded, but her cheeks remained slightly pink. “Yes, well, as I was saying—”
“May I ask you a question, my lady?”
“Very well.”
“It seems you have your pick of suitors, why haven’t you chosen one?”
A slight gasp emitted from her throat and David winced. “My apologies. Was that rude of me?”
She nodded slowly. “Yes, well. To be honest, it’snota question one should ask an unwed young lady.”
David winced again.Damn. He’d already made more than one mistake this morning. “I take it back then. With apologies.”
“No, no. We are going to be in the same family eventually. We needn’t stand on ceremony. I don’t mind answering your question.”
Chapter Eight
Lady Annabelle took a deep breath and clasped her hands together. She seemed to be thinking about her answer for several moments before she replied. David decided it was best to give her all the time she needed. He was too blunt. Too blunt and far too used to spending most of his time with other blunt men. Army men didn’t have the luxury of mincing words.
“The truth is I’m not interested in marriage,” Lady Annabelle finally said with a resolute nod, as if that explained everything.
David stared at her. Then he tilted his head to the side, regarding her at an angle. “Any particularreasonyou’re not interested?”
“No.” Her voice sounded slightly strained, and she glanced away as she said it.
He tilted his head up again. “And here I thought perhaps you’d fallen in love with someone you couldn’t marry. A tradesman perhaps. That’s not it, eh?” he asked, watching her carefully.
Lady Annabelle’s eyes widened. “Lord Elmwood, you are far too direct in your speech.”
David scrunched up his nose. Damn. He’d done it again. “I know. I’m trying. Believe me. But it’s much more efficient to get straight to the point. You should try it sometime.”
He’d been jesting, of course, trying to lighten the mood after his obviousfaux pas, so he was nothing but pleased when the next thing she said was, “Very well. Areyouinterested in marriage?”
He settled back in his chair and regarded her before shrugging. “‘Interested’ may be too strong a word,” he replied with a chuckle. “But I understand it willeventuallybe my duty to marry and produce an heir.”
“You’ll marryonlyout of duty?” she prodded, leaning toward him slightly as if she’d found a subject she was heartily interested in.
He crossed his booted feet at the ankles. “Duty, yes. But I’d like to find a woman who likes me andwantsto be my wife too. Someone whom I love, and who loves me back.”
Lady Annabelle’s back stiffened and a look of pure amazement came over her face.
David chuckled again. “Did that answer surprise you, my lady?”
“Yes, actually,” Lady Annabelle allowed.
The butler returned with the tray of drinks just then and sat it on the table between them. David watched as Lady Annabelle went about pouring him a cup. She even did that elegantly, no doubt carefully trained in the fine art of pouring drinks.
