Free A Secret Affair by Valerie Bowman Page B

all the way down to his … toes. She was certainly far too lovely and unique to waste herself on the likes of Sir Stuart Walters. The man might be a knight, but still.
    Charlie glanced around. He’d dragged her out here and ended up saying absolutely nothing. What was there to say? What could he say? Her heart was set on Sir Stuart. Charlie wanted to snap the bloody palm tree in half.
    Damn it. Now he was jealous.

CHAPTER 18
    Frances drew her fingertip along the windowpane, tracing the pattern of the raindrops slowly sliding down the glass. She sighed.
    “What’s wrong?” Annie asked from behind her. They were in Annie’s bedchamber at Lord Colton’s town house, and Annie and her maid, Mary, were busily sorting and inventorying Annie’s trousseau.
    “Oh, nothing,” Frances replied. “I was just thinking … I suppose I shall be married by spring.”
    Annie dropped the chemise she was folding, and her mouth fell wide. “Married? Whatever do you mean?”
    “Mama says she and Papa expect Sir Stuart to offer for me before Christmastide.”
    Annie hurriedly picked up her skirts and rushed over to Frances, while Mary picked up the abused chemise and folded it, shaking her head.
    Annie braced her hands on both of Frances’s shoulders. “Fran? You don’t sound happy. Are you? Tell me the truth. I thought a proposal from Sir Stuart was what you wanted.”
    “Yes. Yes. Of course I am. Sir Stuart is handsome and ever so kind, and we get on famously.”
    “And?”
    “And well, I just always thought it would be so much more … you know? Romantic.”
    Annie’s pretty mouth fell into a half-frown. “It’s not romantic with Sir Stuart?”
    Annie’s hands dropped from her shoulders and Frances turned to face the window, wondering at the knot that had formed in her chest. “Not … especially. I mean, Sir Stuart takes me riding in the park and comes to the house to call, but, he’s never.…”
    “Yes?” Annie prompted, nodding.
    “He’s never…” Frances glanced at her friend. “He’s never mentioned love.”
    Annie let out her breath and pulled Frances down to sit in the window seat beside her. “Have you mentioned love, Fran?”
    Frances shook her head. Why did she feel like crying all of a sudden? “No.”
    Annie patted her knee. “It’s not so unusual. One doesn’t always fall in love that quickly.”
    “Didn’t you fall in love with Lord Ashbourne while you were staying at his country house? In less than a week?”
    Annie bit her lip. “Yes, well, everyone is different. Jordan and I were together every day. He threw a ball for me. It was all quite romant— Oh, never mind that. Each situation is unique. You may just need a bit more time to get to know Sir Stuart, that’s all.”
    Frances nodded. “Perhaps you’re right.”
    Annie glanced at Mary and then lowered her voice. “Has he kissed you?”
    Mary’s head snapped up, and Annie gave her a wide grin. “Oh, do pretend you didn’t hear this,” she said laughingly to the maid. To Frances, she whispered, “Don’t worry, you know Mary. She won’t remember a bit of this an hour from now.”
    Frances smothered her smile. Mary’s unfortunate memory problems made for a great deal of trouble on the maid’s part and a great deal of mischief on Annie’s.
    “Go on,” Annie prompted. “Tell me, has he kissed you?”
    Frances’s cheeks burned. “No. Not once.”
    “You must remedy that,” Annie replied. “Remember the butterflies? If he’s not the one, you need to find out, and better sooner than later.”
    Frances considered Annie’s advice. Hadn’t that same logic been exactly why she’d asked Charlie to kiss her? It would prove true for Sir Stuart too, obviously. “Yes. Yes, you’re right, Annie. That’s all I need to do, isn’t it?” She managed a smile.
    “Absolutely.” Annie clapped her hands.
    She lowered her voice. Even with Mary’s memory problem she didn’t want the maid to overhear her next words. “I must