Her mother. What would she say about Annabelle’s supposed forthcoming nuptials?
She would applaud Annabelle’s masterful coup. She would call her a dutiful daughter, for once following her brother’s example.
“No,” Caroline murmured. “You must wipe the notion from your mind.”
She could not meet the woman’s eyes. Lady Carolinewouldsay that. She had a kindness about her not common amongst the members of theton.Annabelle had no doubt that it had been one of the things that had drawn Gaston to her in the first place. But he’d have seen it as a weakness. A frailty to manipulate.
“Your brother accused me of plotting to marry him from the start.”
“And yet, he, not you, has been the one to insist upon a hasty ceremony. What does that tell you?”
Cautiously, fearing the reproach she might see lurking there, Annabelle lifted her gaze to Caroline’s—and found only warmth.
“I do not know what to make of it,” she admitted. “What does it tellyou?”
Sterling’s sister rested one elbow on the table and dropped her chin into her hand. “That he has decided, of his own free will, to marry you, of course.”
She wanted to stomp her foot. That much was obvious.
“Annabelle—you do not mind if I call you by your given name, now we are to be sisters?”
Asister. Wonder filled her. So much so, she could not speak. She’d always wished for a sister. And to have one such as Caroline…She shook her head.
Caroline smiled and began again. “Annabelle, no one can make my brother do anything he does not wish to do. And trust me when I tell you: The man never reacts. Heacts.”
“I don’t follow,” Annabelle said.
Caroline straightened and glanced at the doorway as if to ascertain no one lurked nearby to overhear her next words. “Hedoes not make decisions based upon emotion, but upon reason, and always in keeping with his planned course of action.”
Annabelle considered that—then dismissed the notion out of hand.
Viscount Sterling Randall hadn’tplannedto kiss her on the roof—or kiss her back, depending on one’s viewpoint. He’d made up his mind not to.
And yet, after she’d pressed her lips to his, he’d been a definite participant.
Too, he hadn’tplannedto kiss her in the kilns. But he had, with delightful results, however brief.
No doubt, both those events led to his determination to marry her, and she was quite certain he hadn'tplannedto marry her.
Although the last was debatable. She set down her cup. “Now you mention it, he no doubt chose this course after weighing the potential downside of not doing so.”
“Which is?” Caroline asked, looking thoroughly entertained.
“Why, having tarnished his own shiny honor, of course, and let’s not forget bringing scandal upon his family, should anyone discover I’d been here?” She scowled. “Is that the point you wanted to make?”
Caroline gave an unladylike snort. “Hardly.”
Now Annabelle was well and truly lost.
“I don’t think either of those reasons explains his desire to wed you, Annabelle.”
“You don’t?”
“I think his decision is entirely based—or near enough so as to be entirely—upon emotion.”
“Good morning, ladies.”
Lord Randall, here, now,thissecond? Though his sleep scratchy baritone struck her as rather charming, it was all Annabelle could do not to order him back to his chambers so she could continue her conversation with Lady Caroline.
