To Pleasure a Lady (Courtship Wars 1)

“Oh, thank you, Miss Loring.”

Arabella sent the girl an arch smile. “You may not be so thankful once you spend time living with her ladyship. She won’t be as forgiving of someone who thoughtlessly jeopardized our academy. I doubt you will find the experience pleasant.”

Arabella caught the amused gleam in Marcus’s eye and quickly looked away. On the one hand, she was enormously relieved to have found Sybil. Her most immediate problem was solved-or it would be if they could conceal the truth of the elopement. And the vexing chit would likely think twice before causing any more serious trouble.

On the other hand, there was still the much larger problem of Marcus to be dealt with.

Arabella bit her lower lip as she gazed out at the pass

ing countryside. At least Sybil’s company saved her from the temptation of any further intimacy with Marcus.

She still felt the urge to throttle the girl, but even so, she was very glad for her presence until she could make it home to her sisters.

Chapter Sixteen

I am ten times a fool for letting myself fall in love again.

– Arabella to Fanny

It was late afternoon by the time they were able to settle Sybil with Lady Freemantle and return to Danvers Hall in her ladyship’s coach. Alone with Marcus on the drive home, Arabella was very aware of him sitting beside her. The nerves twisting her stomach tightened further when the carriage rumbled to a halt before the manor, for she felt his penetrating blue gaze appraising her.

“Thank you for helping me rescue Sybil,” she said to break the tension.

“Don’t regard it. I was glad to oblige.”

Pushing open the door, Marcus descended and then handed Arabella down. At his mere touch, she felt herself shiver with desire. Thank heavens their wager was nearly over. She had only one more evening to get through.

“Forgive me if I leave you so abruptly,” Arabella murmured. “I need to find my sisters and set their minds at ease about Sybil.”

“Of course,” Marcus said mildly as she preceded him across the gravel drive to the front steps. “But I would like to speak with you privately before dinner. Why don’t you join me in my study in an hour?”

“Very well,” Arabella replied before hurrying into the house.

As she expected, her sisters were on the lookout for her arrival, for they met her in the entrance hall.

“So, were you successful?” Roslyn murmured, obviously anxious to hear the news but not wanting to broadcast the purpose of the journey to all the servants.

“Thankfully, yes,” Arabella replied. “I will tell you about it if you accompany me upstairs.”

Lily eyed Marcus with a measuring frown before turning to follow Arabella up to her bedchamber, where she recounted the events of the past day, leaving out the fact that she had spent the night in Marcus’s arms.

But once reassured of Sybil’s safety, her sisters turned their concern on her.

“Are you all right, Arabella?” Lily asked, clearly troubled. “I regret we weren’t with you to protect you from the earl. If we had known he meant to set out after you, we would at least have tried to accompany him.”

“I am perfectly fine,” Arabella assured her.

“I do hope you were able to resist him.”

She tried to quell the flush that rose to her cheeks. “I managed well enough,” she equivocated. “And thankfully, I won’t have to worry about the earl after tomorrow. He has asked to speak to me before dinner this evening. I expect he wishes to discuss the resolution of our wager.”

“And what do you mean to tell him?” Roslyn asked.

Arabella summoned a smile. “Why, that I have won, of course.”

Roslyn regarded her thoughtfully, but Lily looked relieved. “Good,” Lily said emphatically. “He needs to understand there is no chance you will marry him.”

“No, there is no chance.”