Cocky Earl - Annabelle Anders Page 0,99

for a moment and wondered why Bethany had given up on the man she cared for. At the girl’s watery smile, Charley determined that after all of this was over, she would find out who this man was and what could be done to help true love along. Perhaps the two of them simply needed an evening alone with a little whiskey…

She grimaced at herself, dumbfounded that she was even contemplating matchmaking. Apparently, she’d become a champion now for true love.

But first, she needed to focus all her efforts on freeing Jules.

Because Jules must be free if he would ever truly be happy and his happiness was more important than her own.

“Will you help me?”

Bethany dipped her chin and then her eyes widened when Charley slid the third missive she’d written out into her hands. For an instant, the other girl almost looked as though she was going to say something, but then understanding dawned and she turned so that her back faced the most vigilant chaperone and opened it quietly in her lap.

“My father will be here shortly, and I will be happy to put all of this behind me,” Charley conversed almost brightly as though she had the younger girl’s full attention. “Although I’m not looking look forward to a month or more on a ship, again, with nowhere to go and no one new to meet.”

“Did you become ill?” Bethany somehow managed to carry on the conversation as she read the contents of Charley’s request.

“The first few days. And when the winds kicked up. But I got used to it. It would be torture if it had persisted.”

Bethany folded the note and tucked it into her sleeve. She patted Charley’s hand again and nodded. “Again, I am so disappointed that you won’t be at the ball tonight. I would wish to have your opinion as to which of the titled young gentlemen might make the best husband for my sister.”

“Perhaps she will have need of a chaperone,” Charley suggested. “She worries your brother.” It was easiest to stick with the truth as much as possible.

Bethany’s expression was all agreement. “I’ll speak with my mother about it.” And then she moved toward the door. In what seemed to be a last-second impulse, she rushed forward and hugged Charley tightly. “I hope this works. I’ll be rooting for you,” she whispered before stepping back.

“You can tell me all about it tomorrow.” Charley bid her farewell and closed the door feeling almost like the lightning from the day before was charging through her.

It was a combination of fear and excitement. The fear was good. Her father had impressed upon her that the worst thing a person could do when approaching a difficult task was to be overconfident. Because overconfidence led one to underprepare.

Determination bolted through her. Tonight, she’d need all the preparation she could muster. With a small smile, Charley sat at the table and picked up the cards again.

Chapter 28

THE CARD ROOM

Jules slid the cue through his fingers, unable to take any satisfaction as his ball rolled precisely as he’d intended, hitting the green one and sending it into the right-side pocket.

Doing nothing, he decided, was perhaps one of the hardest things he’d ever done.

But when Charley had asked him to trust her, she’d had a certain look in her eyes. In that moment, he’d been reminded of her father when he’d offered to ante up a significant measure of his wealth in return for Jules’ promise. The odds of seeing two royal flushes in one night of poker, let alone a single hand, were impossible. The man had known exactly what he was doing. He’d made Jules believe that he couldn’t lose while holding the only hand that could beat him.

“What the hell is she up to?” he groused to Chase and Mantis as he stepped around the table. “There has to be something I can do.”

“She told you what to do.” Stone leaned against the back of the settee across the room. “Don’t you trust her?”

“Of course, I trust her.” By now, all of them knew everything. In fact, judging by their smirks and knowing looks between one another, they no doubt were in on Charley’s scheme.

“It would be a hell of a lot easier to trust her if I knew what she had planned.” He glared toward each of them.

They were all dressed formally tonight for what was to be the last night of the house party, as well as the pinnacle. His mother went all