Cocky Earl - Annabelle Anders Page 0,97
from kissing her upon hearing those words. This time, she parted her lips for him. Ah, sweet god above, she tasted of whiskey.
Which reminded him. He pulled back and covered his mouth. “Forgive me.”
She smiled but managed to look sad at the same time as her hand came up to cradle his cheek and jaw. “You must tell Lord Brightly that you will honor your father’s agreement.”
“No.”
“And you must have every intention of marrying her unless you are released.”
Fear flooded him along with frustration that he’d have to fight her along with everyone else. What the devil was she saying? “Did you not just hear me? I’m going to marry you. Not Felicity. Not anyone else.” He pinched his lips together. “You have no choice but to marry me after yesterday.”
“Julian.” Something in her voice caught at him.
“There is something you aren’t telling me.”
“Do you trust me?” She tilted her head to one side.
“Of course I do but—”
She straightened her back and lifted her chin. “You have been good and trapped. And the harder you fight it, the tighter the noose will get. Trust me.”
She grasped the back of his head and pulled his lips to hers this time. Her kiss felt like more of an oath than anything romantic.
“I hate it,” she gasped when they finally came apart. “And I hate that you’ve been caught in this unwinnable game.”
“As long as I have you, I can’t lose.” And he wouldn’t lose.
“Precisely.” She placed her hands along the side of his face and touched her lips to his again, tenderly this time. When she pulled away, her eyes burned with a determined glint. “Now go and tell Brightly you will honor the contract.”
He shook his head. “Tell me what you have planned.” His temples were pounding again, and he couldn’t have felt more powerless if he was standing on the gallows with a noose around his neck.
“I can’t tell you, because if I do, then you cannot win.” She backed away from him, but he refused to release her hands.
“Charley.” He made one last attempt to extract whatever scheme she had cooked up. “What are you going to do?”
“I cannot tell you. If I do, then you cannot win,” she repeated and pulled free of him.
“I’m going to marry you, regardless.”
“Tell Brightly.” She backed toward the door and he already missed touching her. Damn, but he had it bad.
“Charley…”
“You,” she admonished, cocking one eyebrow, “cannot win.”
“But—”
But I,” she interrupted him cheekily, “can.”
He stared at her hard as she covered the remaining distance to the door, walking backward and holding his gaze.
”Tell him, Jules. And mean it.”
She’d asked him to trust her. What could one feisty American girl do that he could not?
After blowing him a soft kiss, she disappeared.
Then again, what couldn’t she do?
Charley had ached when she’d walked away from Jules earlier. He’d looked so terribly forlorn. He was determined to marry her—because he wanted to. That thought made her heart nearly burst with joy.
It was all she’d needed to know to set her plan into action.
Back in her chamber again, with Mrs. Crabtree and Daisy, Charley sat down and began writing out a number of notes. As much as she hated to leave details in the hands of others, she wouldn’t be able to do this by herself. Since Jules’ friends had proven willing to assist him in the past, she could only hope they would come through for her tonight.
With Mrs. Crabtree watching her every move, Charley pulled Daisy over to the wardrobe as though discussing various garments and placed one of the missives into her maid’s hand.
“This one goes to Lord Chaswick.” And then she gave her the second one in case Lord Chaswick failed to provide the assistance she needed. “And this one to Lord Greystone.”
Despite Crabtree’s persistent presence, Charley had managed to whisper most of what had happened, and what she wanted to do, and Daisy couldn’t be more excited than if she herself was attending the ball tonight.
She nodded in an exaggerated nonchalant manner, then slipped them into the pocket of her apron. Her maid—turned double agent—then collected a pile of linens as though she needed to make a trip down to laundry and nonchalantly exited the chamber.
It was rather ironic that Daisy could go out alone while Charley wasn’t allowed.
And although Mrs. Crabtree seemed unnecessarily stern, she smiled sympathetically at Charley. “You mustn’t feel too badly. Your father will arrive any day and you can put all of this behind you. I’m