Free Lady Sarah's Sinful Desires by Sophie Barnes Page A

knew she was right. Smiles were inviting, and he had no wish to invite anyone to do or think or say anything. Regardless, Lady Sarah had favored him with her smile, and she’d been radiant.
    â€œDo I?” his mother asked. Immediately Christopher’s sisters shook their heads. They weren’t blind.
    â€œLady Sarah is a proper young lady of good breeding, Kip,” his mother went on. “We know she comes from a very good family, and although you were absent when she made her debut, I had the good fortune of attending a dinner at which she was asked to play the pianoforte—­she’s very accomplished.”
    Christopher suppressed a groan. This was getting out of hand. “I think you’re exaggerating her interest in me. Besides,” he added, “she’s getting engaged to someone else.”
    The sooner his sisters and mother left the subject alone, the sooner he could continue upstairs to bed. He was beginning to acquire a headache.
    â€œTo whom?” Rachel asked.
    Christopher dealt her a deadly look, which had seemingly little effect on her. “What does it matter? The point is that there is no point to this conversation, since Lady Sarah is already spoken for.”
    â€œBy Mr. Denison,” Fiona supplied. When everyone turned to her for an explanation, she shrugged her shoulders. “A minor detail, considering she doesn’t wish to marry him.”
    â€œAnd you deduced this how?” Christopher bit out.
    Unfazed by his tone of annoyance, Fiona said, “It was clear in the way she spoke of him.”
    Closing his eyes, Christopher fought for patience. “Please tell me you didn’t question a woman you’d only just met about her feelings for the man she intends to marry.”
    â€œOf course I did,” Fiona replied. “How else was I to discover if she was worthy of your considerations?”
    Christopher groaned. Opening his eyes, he looked at each of them in turn. “Have you completely lost your minds? Do you even hear what you are saying?”
    â€œI believe we’re suggesting that you should save Lady Sarah from her undesirable suitor and—­”
    â€œEnough,” Christopher clipped, cutting off Laura. “Your romantic notions are captivating too much of your time if you imagine there’s any chance of such a scenario taking place. It’s completely unrealistic and best suited to one of your novels.”
    â€œThat was rather harsh,” his mother said in that tone of hers that made him feel so very small.
    He felt as though he’d just kicked a puppy, and by the pained expression on Laura’s face, he realized he might as well have. “I’m sorry,” he said. “You know I think you’re extremely talented, but this . . . it’s all too much.”
    Laura nodded. “I’m sorry too, Kip. I just want for you to find that special someone who will make you happy. We all do.”
    â€œI know you do,” he said, even though he knew this would never happen. His heart had grown cold after Miss Hepplestone’s machinations. A love match had become an impossibility.
    â€œAnd I think Lady Sarah is our best bet,” Lady Fiona said, stubborn as always. “Don’t think we didn’t notice that you almost smiled while you were talking to her.”
    Of course his sisters had noticed that minor slip in his composure.
    â€œOr that she looked slightly flustered when she was first introduced to all of us,” Chloe said. “Especially when she looked at you, Kip.”
    â€œI’m sure she was just uncomfortable with being dragged before a group of ­people she didn’t know, who, if I may remind you, practically insisted she be paired off with me in some capacity or other,” Christopher said. “What on earth were you thinking?”
    â€œThat she was glancing at you a great deal during that particular conversation,” Emily said.