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She stared down at him. He was still reclining on the blanket—a blanket! He had a blanket?
This could not be good.
―Why do you want to know?" she heard herself ask. Which seemed to her to be proof that she‘d lost complete sight of her sanity. Clearly she should have stepped around him and run back to the house. Or stepped over him. Or on him. But above all, she should not have engaged in conversation. Even if she ran right across the amorous couple in the garden, thathad to be less dangerous to her reputation than being caught alone with a strange man on the heath.
If he was planning to attack and ravish, though, he gave no indication of being in a hurry to do so. He just shrugged and said, ―I‘m curious."
She looked at him for a moment. He did not look familiar, but itwas dark. And he was speaking as if they had been introduced. ―Do I know you?" she asked.
He smiled mysteriously. ―I don‘t think so."
―Should I?"
At that he laughed, then said firmly, ―Absolutely not. But that doesn‘t mean we can‘t have a perfectly delightful conversation."
From this Annabel deduced that he was a rake and well aware of it, certainly not appropriate company for an unmarried lady. She glanced in the direction of the house. She ought to go. She really ought.
―I don‘t bite," he assured her. ―Or anything else you‘d need to worry over." He sat up and patted the blanket beside him. ―Have a seat."
―I‘ll stand," she said. Because she hadn‘t completely lost her sense. At least she hoped not.
―Are you certain?" He gave her a winning smile. ―It‘s much more comfortable down here."
Said the spider to the fly. Annabel only barely managed to avoid letting out a squeak of nervous laughter.
―Are you avoiding someone?" he asked.
She‘d been looking back toward the house again, but at this her head whipped around.
―It happens to the best of us," he said, almost apologetically.
―Are you avoiding someone, then?"
―Not precisely," he allowed, cocking his head in a way that was almost like a shrug. ―It‘s more that I‘m waiting my turn."
Annabel had really wanted to appear impassive, but she felt her eyebrows rise.
He looked at her, his lips curved into the tiniest smile. There was nothing wicked in his expression, and yet she felt it all the same, a shiver of anticipation, a hint of excitement pressing through her.
―I could give you the details," he murmured, ―but I suspect it wouldn‘t be proper."
Nothing that evening had been proper. It could hardly get worse.
―I don‘t mean to make assumptions," he continued smoothly, ―but based upon the hue of your gown, I can only deduce that you are unmarried."
She gave a quick nod.
―Which means that under no circumstances should I be telling you that I was out here with a woman who is not my wife."
Oh, she should be scandalized. She really should. But she couldn‘t quite manage it. He was just so charming . He oozed it. He was grinning at her now, like they were sharing a secret joke, and she couldn‘t help it—she wanted to be in on the joke. She wanted to be part of his club, his group, his anything. There was something about him—a charisma, a magnetism—and she knew, she just knew that if she could travel back in time, and in space, she supposed, to Eton or wherever he‘d spent his formative years, he would have been the boy whom everyone wanted to be near.
Some people were just born with it.
―Who are you avoiding?" he wondered. ―The most likely candidate would be an overly eager suitor, but that wouldn‘t explain your flight all the way out here. It‘s just as easy to lose oneself in a crowd, and far less dangerous to one‘s reputation."
―I shouldn‘t say," she murmured.
―No, of course not," he agreed. ―That would be indiscreet. But it will be much more fun if you do."
She pressed her lips together, trying not to smile.
―Will anyone be missing you?" he asked.
―Eventually."
He nodded. ―The person you‘re avoiding?"
Annabel thought of Lord Newbury, and his pricked pride. ―I imagine I have a little bit of time before he starts searching."
―He?" the gentleman said. ―The plot thickens."
―Plot?" she countered with a grimace. ―That‘s a poor choice of words. It‘s not a book anyone would wish to read. Trust me."
He chuckled at this, then patted the blanket again. ―Do sit. It‘s offending every one of my gentle manly principles that you‘re up there while I‘m reclining."
She gave him her best imitation of arch confidence. ―Perhaps you should stand."
―Oh no, I couldn‘t possibly do that. It would make it all so formal, don‘t you think?"
―Considering that we have not been introduced, formality might be just the thing."
―Oh no ," he objected. ―You have it all backwards."
―Then I should introduce myself?"
―Don‘t do that ," he said with the barest hint of drama. ―Whatever you do, don‘t tell me your name. It‘s likely to awaken my conscience, and that‘s the last thing we want."
―You do have a conscience, then?"
―Sadly, yes."
That was a relief. He wasn‘t going to pull her off into the darkness, and he wasn‘t going to maul her as Lord Newbury had done. Regardless, she ought to return to the party. Conscience or no, he was not the sort of gentleman with whom a young unmarried lady ought to be alone. Of that she was absolutely certain.
Again, she thought of Lord Newbury, who was the sort of man she was supposed to be with.