Encourage him?
Debauch her?
‘I beg your pardon, Lady Bradbury, but I...surely I have never encouraged him to think that...’
‘Don’t give me that butter-wouldn’t-melt look. I may be old, but I’m not blind. Nor deaf. Look at you, all a-flutter because he’s coming today. Hoping to take up where you left off last time he was here, no doubt. With all that flirting and giggling...’
This time, Eleanor’s face burned with shame. She had done a lot of giggling last time he’d been here. At one mealtime, she’d actually had to stuff her handkerchief in her mouth to stifle her giggles, though for the life of her she couldn’t recall now what he’d said that had been so funny. Though with Lord Lavenham, it was often more the way he said things than what he actually said. Or the fact that Lady Bradbury had no idea why Eleanor found what he’d said so amusing.
‘I won’t have it, do you hear? If you want to keep your position with me, then you will not speak to him while he is here this time.’
‘Not speak to him? But I...won’t that be rather rude? What if he speaks to me first?’
‘That’s an example of what you call sophistry, is it? Well, it won’t wash with me. I may not have much book learning, but I know what’s what. From the moment he sets foot in this house, you will not seek occasion to be alone with him.’
‘I have never—’ Eleanor said, indignantly.
‘You will not enter any room which he is already in and, if he comes into any room that you are in, you will leave it. And you will take all your meals in your room.’
Lady Bradbury might as well lock her in her room and have done with it. Not see him? Not speak with him? Not even with a chaperon present?
No! How could she bear it, knowing he was in the house, but totally beyond her reach?
Oh. She gasped, her hand flying to her stomach, which was clenching in revolt. Lady Bradbury had seen something that Eleanor had only just this moment realised. She had formed a tendre for him. That was why being forbidden to see him, even though he would be in the same house, hurt so much.
Which meant that Lady Bradbury was probably right to punish her. She ought not to be having feelings for a man so far above her station. A man who could, according to Lady Bradbury, have his pick of the most accomplished, most beautiful, most wealthy society ladies.
‘Thank you, my lady,’ said Eleanor meekly, because if she really was developing a tendre for a man so far above her station, a man who was probably only being kind to her because he felt sorry for her, then it was as well to take steps to prevent her falling any further. Before she made a fool of herself over him.
Copyright © 2020 by Annie Burrows
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ISBN: 9781488065767
Unsuitable Bride for a Viscount
Copyright © 2020 by Elizabeth Beacon
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced ina ny manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.
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