Free The Marriage Lesson by Victoria Alexander

Each looking like every other. Why hadn’t he paid attention to what the damned girls were wearing?
    “Whatever are you doing?” Marianne said.
    “Looking for your sisters,” he snapped. “You may not have noticed but they’ve disappeared. Probably run off to experience life or execute some other fiendish plan designed for no better purpose than to muck up my life.”
    She laughed. “Nonsense. Why, they’re right—”
    “On foot today, Helmsley? Not your usual style.” The arrogant drawl sounded off to the side behind him.
    Thomas jerked around and bit back a groan. Lord Pennington grinned down at him from astride a fine piece of horseflesh. Beside him, on an equally excellent specimen, Lord Berkley mirrored the other man’s smile.
“Pennington. Berkley.” Thomas greeted them reluctantly. Both were known rakes and admittedly his friends; still, he wasn’t particularly ready to expose his innocent charges to them.
    “You spoke too soon, Pennington.” Berkley’s gaze shifted to a spot behind Thomas and admiration colored his voice. “This is much more impressive than Helmsley’s usual style.” Berkley slipped from his horse and stepped closer. “Well done, old man.”
    Thomas turned. Marianne, Jocelyn and Becky stood gazing at the newcomers, the same smile gracing all three faces. At once he saw them as the others must have. They were the perfect picture of feminine charm. Fresh, delightful and lovely. He frowned. Perhaps too lovely.
    “Don’t just stand there, Helmsley, introduce us.” Pennington nudged him. He too had dismounted and both men now stood at Thomas’s elbow.
    “Yes, my lord.” Marianne extended her hand to Pennington. “Please do.” What on earth had happened to her voice? Surely it hadn’t been quite that, well, sultry a moment ago. His frown deepened.
    “Allow me to present the Ladies Marianne, Jocelyn and Becky Shelton,” Thomas said reluctantly.
    “Rebecca,” Becky murmured.
    Both men apparently felt compelled to kiss each and every offered hand in a flurry of greetings. A bit overdone to Thomas’s thinking. And hadn’t Pennington lingered a shade longer than necessary over Marianne’s hand?
    “On further consideration, I do believe a walk is an excellent idea. May we join you?” Berkley said.
“We’d be honored.” Marianne favored Berkley with a smile that was entirely too inviting.
    “If you would be so kind.” Pennington absently thrust his horse’s reins into Thomas’s hands and moved to Marianne’s side.
    Thomas stared at them indignantly. “I say, Pennington—”
    “Be a good chap, Helmsley.” Berkley passed Thomas his own reins and stepped between Jocelyn and Becky, or rather Rebecca, and the group started off.
    “I am not a blasted groom, you know,” Thomas called after them.
    “No one would possibly mistake you for a groom, my lord.” Marianne paused and looked at him over her shoulder, her eyes wide with feigned innocence. “But you don’t mind, do you?”
    “How could he?” Jocelyn said in an airy manner. “He wants us to meet new people.”
    “How very thoughtful of you, my lord.” Becky cast him an overly sweet smile.
    Thomas stared in stunned disbelief. The others moved on and he had no choice but to follow, leading the horses and muttering to himself. “I bloody well do mind.”
    What on earth had happened to these girls? It was as if they’d become totally different creatures. They were country bred and not at all used to men of Pennington and Berkley’s ilk. Yet one minute they were innocents straight from the schoolroom and the next they were sirens. Seductresses. Their flirtatious manner as polished as anything he’d seen in more experienced women. Not that he had ever particularly comprehended the female mind.
It was somewhat alarming the way Marianne and her sisters had taken to the art of flirtation. Thomas had always thought something of that nature had to be learned. Apparently it was instinctive. Rather like the