Cocky Earl - Annabelle Anders Page 0,74

but she was almost starting to feel as though she belonged, and she didn’t want to do anything that would threaten her newfound friendships.

On the other hand, she wasn’t sure if Jules had talked to Lady Felicity yet. What if she was in love with Jules? Charley was certain he was not in love with Lady Felicity. He never would have accepted the bet if he had been. But Charley hated to think the other girl would be hurt by any of their actions.

And then she stared at her hands. He never would have accepted the bet if he’d loved Felicity. The thought niggled at something in her brain, but she couldn’t quite make sense of it.

Enjoying her time in England while contemplating her life at home was setting her nerves on edge. She’d not foreseen this…doubt. She’d not expected to question who she was or what she wanted. She’d planned on enduring the season for her father’s sake, to fulfill her mother’s wish for her, and then return home as the same person she’d been when she left.

“You were not wrong. It’s what most ladies would have done. However, the countess has certain expectations.” Mrs. Crabtree’s voice jolted Charley out of her musings. “So long as you act with undue propriety, his accompanying you can likely be attributed to proper host behavior.”

The answer wasn’t at all what Charley had expected. It seemed that Mrs. Crabtree’s responsibilities extended beyond the normal duties of a maid or chaperone.

“What do you do when you are not looking after unruly American guests?” Charley raised her arms while Daisy assisted her out of her night rail.

Before the material covered Charley’s face, she barely caught a glimpse of Mrs. Crabtree clamping her lips into a stern frown. “A little of everything, one might say.”

Chapter 21

A DETOUR

When Jules stepped out the front door at a quarter-til-one to check on a particular vehicle he’d arranged to drive himself, he wasn’t surprised that none of the guests had, as of yet, presented themselves. They were members of the ton, and it was not the thing to appear overly anxious for anything.

“Where is everyone?” Her question had him smiling before he even saw her.

He hadn’t heard the door, or even her steps but he ought to have known that to Charley Jackson, one in the afternoon meant one in the afternoon. A distinctly warm feeling spread through him at the sound of her voice. When he turned and caught sight of her smiling up at the sunshine and wearing the coat he’d delivered to her two nights ago, she looked as though she belonged right there, standing in front of his home.

She looked as though she belonged in his life.

She was familiar to him but also a mystery. And when she caught his gaze and rolled her eyes, he laughed.

Just because.

“I don’t think any of them will be down until quarter after at least. Where is your chaperone?”

She was taking stock of the lined-up horses and drivers and vehicles, one of her fingers played nervously with a stray tendril of her hair. When she met his gaze, a delicate pink rose to her cheeks. “Mrs. Crabtree intends to meet me here. She wanted to change her shoes so that she could hike up to the abbey if we were so inclined.”

But for now, they were alone.

He glanced around. Not technically alone, what with the lined-up drivers and grooms and any curious eyes that might be peering out windows at them. So, he couldn’t pull her close to him, enfold her in his arms. His gaze settled on her mouth, which was slightly parted and the frustration he’d been feeling for a few days now nearly doubled. With her hair beneath a bonnet and her figure covered from head to toe in her dress and coat, it was odd that she still managed to ignite the same desire that was already beginning to keep him up at night.

“I spoke with Felicity,” he volunteered.

Charley would want to know. She’d seemed concerned about it earlier, and after having finally had that discussion, he understood why.

Her eyes widened. “Was she terribly upset?”

Not every woman would be concerned about a young lady she barely knew.

“She seemed disappointed.” Every time he’d discussed Felicity with her before, Charley had insisted that his courtship of her was less than authentic, and she’d encouraged him to keep his options open. He considered that he’d made progress with her if she didn’t mention that now.

“Do you regret letting her