Benedict's Challenge - Carole Mortimer Page 0,47

Your Ladyship,” Cotton announced.

The very air seemed to move in announcement of Benedict having entered the room, but Chloe knew she would have sensed him standing behind her anyway. There seemed to be an invisible string between her and Benedict, and today, it was alerting her merely to his presence in the room.

Her aunt reached out to gently squeeze Chloe’s forearm. “All will be well, pet,” she soothed before stepping past Chloe to greet her guest. “What a pleasure it is to see you again, Lord Winter,” she greeted before leaving the room.

Again?

When had Chloe’s aunt last seen Benedict? A week ago, Chloe instantly chided herself, when he had brought her here to Bayliss House. Her aunt and uncle and Benedict would also have met in the past at the many Society events during the Season.

“Can you no longer even look at me, Chloe?” he now prompted huskily.

Chloe spun to face him, cheeks burning, her gaze accusing. She raised her chin, refusing to be in the least intimidated by how much a lord Benedict looked today in a somber brown superfine, white linen, gold brocade waistcoat and tan pantaloons tucked into brown-topped Hessians.

“Should I wish to do so?” she challenged. “When you have not even been polite enough to send me a note informing me of your own good health and that of Jimmy and the earl?”

Benedict’s heart was pounding so hard and so loudly merely from seeing and being with Chloe again, he felt sure she must be aware of it. Although, she gave no sign of doing so as she continued to stare at him with those haughty blue eyes. She looked beautiful in a gown the color of daffodils, her skin creamy, her golden curls secured at her crown, as was fashionable.

Benedict sincerely hoped Chloe could not see the bulge in the front of his pantaloons in response to being with her again. “As you can see, I am quite well. As are Julius and Jimmy. Beatrix too.”

“Then why are you here?”

“I called upon your uncle yesterday—”

“What?” she demanded. “You came here yesterday but did not ask to see me?”

“Your uncle and I thought it best if I called separately today—”

“Neither my uncle nor you have the right to make such a decision on my behalf!”

“Chloe—”

“No!” She held up her gloved hand as he would have lightly grasped her arm. “I am so angry with you right now, I am trembling with the emotion,” she admitted shakily. “You just left me here, Benedict. Abandoned me and have not asked once since as to my health and safety.” Her accusation lacked vehemence this time.

“That is not true. Besides, I know the Baylisses to be decent people.”

“Most people believed Lord Gordon to be an amiable duffer, a bit of a clown, but look how wrong they were about him!”

Benedict was instantly consumed with the guilt of having been one of those people until a short time ago. “Are you feeling quite well?”

“Obviously, I am well, but that is not the point!” she snapped.

Benedict liked her like this. Her eyes were afire with anger, her cheeks a pretty rose color, her lips— Dear God, how he had hungered this past week for the touch of her lips or to have them wrapped about his cock as she sucked—

Damn it, any more thoughts like that one, and he was going to spill inside his drawers like a callow schoolboy. “I called upon your uncle yesterday to ask if I might pay my respects to you and court you, with the aim of eventually proposing marriage to you,” he informed her softly.

Benedict had spent much of the past week arranging the demands on his time into a more manageable, and more respectable, timetable—the latter in regard to having passed on his care of the ladies at Club Venus to a much older physician. He had now freed much of his time to allow for a betrothal and then a wife, and eventually, he hoped, children for him and Chloe to enjoy. The family, with the woman he loved, Benedict had believed he would never have.

Chloe’s heart had stuttered and then stopped at the mention of the word marriage, and the air in her lungs remained there as she could only stare at Benedict.

He wished to marry her?

He had already asked her uncle’s permission to do so?

She moistened her lips before speaking. “How far away do you envisage the voicing of this marriage proposal to be?”

He gave a formal bow. “I am happy