Authors: Gloria Harchar
He shrugged.
"
The envelope has your name on it.
"
The fact that he didn
'
t seem the least bit surprised made her suspicious.
"
You had something to do with this, didn
'
t you? Are you attending?
"
Raising his brows, he appeared slightly surprised.
"
I
'
m toying with the
notion;
especially since I want it known that I
'
m courting you.
"
The thought of him courting her when everyone would know it was for ulterior motives made her chest
burn
with humiliation. Besides, she didn
'
t know the first thing about entertaining a gentleman.
"
You won
'
t see me at any s
uch social gathering. A herd of
... elephants couldn
'
t drag me there.
"
She was too quick,
Malcolm
realized, too observant. He had to step more carefully. He
had
used a little coercion to force Lady Garland to invite
Miss Moore
to the ball, but the thought of attending a function with her that normally bored him to tears had lit a spark near the chunk of ice that served as his heart—if he wasn
'
t too much the cynic to believe he had one.
It
'
s your fascination with the
dye
and the fact that you
'
ll soon own it that makes you feel alive,
he told himself. But that she fought him with a tenacity he
'
d rarely experienced was also a reason for his unexpected interest.
"
El
ephants? That could be arranged. I still have ties in India.
"
With a roll of her
eyes
, she crossed her arms against her chest.
"
I tell you, I won
'
t go.
"
He was coming to anticipate that stubborn tilt of her chin,
that flash of defiance in those sapphire
eyes
that sparked when provoked.
"
That
'
s a shame. You could wear your stunning hat and wave your fan at the haughty Lady Kensington.
"
She tapped her chin, amused.
"
Tempting, but not enough to become ensnared in your scheme.
"
Her spunk irritated him even as he admired it. He decided he must remind her of her situation.
"
You are already trapped.
"
"
No, not
ye
t. My father
just …
just paid you a compliment this morning. I feel as if we are progressing marvelously toward a partnership between you.
"
"
What did he say?
"
Not that he believed a word, but he discovered he
enjoyed
this repartee. He watched as
Nicola
sorted through some scraps of fabric and ribbon as if the answer to his question might lie hidden among them.
"
He said that you were a superb man of business and that you handled the marketing of your India silk quite well.
"
The need to shake her up, to unbalance her, was as natural as breathing. But the desire was something of which to be wary.
"
Ah, then instead of the ball, I will come to supper tomorrow night.
"
"
What?
"
A perverse satisfaction pierced him as her
eyes
widened. He stepped closer, deliberately brushing her arm. Her fragrance of sunshine and meadows enveloped him. Light gleamed on her hair. Shallow breaths caused her bodice to rise and fall, giving lie to the unaffected demeanor she was striving to pose.
Her loyalty to her cousin and father made her very predictable—too predictable to someone like him. That he knew how to play her, how to manipulate her into doing what he wanted, gave him fierce gratification.
"
I
'
d mu
ch rather dine with your father
... and you.
"
To his surprise, he realized it was true. The prospect of spending an evening alone with
Nicola
was pleasant. He would enjoy seeing her in her own environs, watching her interact with her father and the servants. He would relish the opportunity to sit across the table from her, to have her attention all for himself. Now from where had that come?
"
No, you don
'
t want to dine with the
Moore family
.
"
She gave a vigorous shake of her head.
Blond
hair escaped her coiffure.
Although he had expected her reaction, he suddenly wondered why she didn
'
t want him in her home. And why was she so adamant? Could it merely be because she perceived him as the enemy, and that he was an invader? Or was it something more, something of a more intimate nature? Interesting thought, that. She was smart to realize what exactly he represented—a man who never failed to get what he wanted, who would eventually invade in ways that she would never recover.
"
I don
'
t want to be invited to your home? How can you be so certain?
"
"
Ah
…
"
She fingered a tassel studded with tiny pearls on one of her hats.
"
For one thing, our fare will not be nearly as sumptuous as that served at the Garland Ball.
"
"
I enjoy simple country cuisine.
"
With her, as much as the dinners he had share
d with pashas in India. Absent
mindedly he realized he
'
d stepped closer, and the scent of her sweet little gasps caused a tautening of his muscles.
It pleased him that he had an
effect on her, and amused him that she frowned as if fighting her reaction. What an innocent she was. For a split second, he recalled Gaspar
'
s worry over his pursuit of a proper miss, but dismissed the spurt of conscience and instead deliberately leaned over her to brush his lips across her ear.
"
And I would take pleasure in the company.
"
With a visible tremor, she thinned her lips, still fighting.
"
You would be quite bored. Think of all the entertainment you would miss.
"
"
You could play the pianoforte for me.
"
"
Believe me, you would not want to hear my attempt at being musical. I am quite hopeless. The only people I allow to hear my poor excuse for music are my father and Ramsey.
"
For some reason, the thought of not being allowed in her trusted circle of family caused
hollowness
in his gut.
"
Let me be the judge of whether or not you are hopeless. Ah,
you
. The picture in my mind is quite cozy.
"
He
toyed
with one of her curb, which had escaped its bun, enjoying the scent of her: cinnamon mixed with the fresh out of doors.
She batted his hand away and he chuckled, knowing exactly how he affected her.
"
Your father and me enjoying the music you make on the pianoforte. Me, the attentive suitor, your father, the indulging parent.
"
Flapping her hand to create air, she glanced at him,
and then
froze as if realizing how revealing her action was.
"
I
'
ll go to the ball.
"
Her abrupt acquiescence made him smile, and he couldn
'
t help but nettle her a little more.
"
You certainly are a contrary woman. First you say you won
'
t go under any circumstances,
and then
suddenly you say you will.
"
She lifted her chin.
"
I can change my mind if I have the inclination to do so.
"
Pleased at her malleability, he nevertheless wondered what would have happened had he been invited to her home. Such curiosity was unlike him, and he had to remind himself that the Garland Ball would give
Nicola
a flavor of the life she would have with him—which would make her even more bendable to his will.
She was a woman, after all, so she would enjoy the treatment.
"
The ball it is, then.
"
Turning on his heel, he walked to the exit. He shook his head as he was forced to weave between boxes and crates. His bride-to-be was a little messy. And her bonnets—there was something
off
with the designs. Too much energy in them, he supposed, an apt description of
her
. For she was a bundle of
light and endless vigor.
He
wondered when she would realize
she'd
played
right into his hands.