Free Angel's Devil by Suzanne Enoch Page B

problem
with Grandmama Elizabeth, James reflected as he sighed and dropped his cards on
the table, was that she always knew when something was going on. "I need a
small favor."
    "It
being?"
    "I'd like
you to ask the Grahams to your box at the opera on Thursday night."
    His grandmother
narrowed her light green eyes. “ And what will you be doing on Thursday night?
A little larceny?"
    "Please.
I'm respectable now, remember? I'll be at the opera with you and the Grahams,
of course."
    She looked at
him for a moment. "Why?"
    James shrugged
and gathered the cards together to shuffle them. "Does there have to be a
reason? They're practically part of the family. after all." He glanced up
to find she was frowning at him. "Won't do, hm?"
    Grandmama
Elizabeth shook her head. "For Simon, perhaps. Not you."
    "All
right, but don't bite my head off. It wasn't my idea."
    "I'm
listening."
    "Simon
asked if I'd pretend to fall in love with Angelique so that her parents would
become nervous and agree to move up the wedding date." James sat back and
crossed his arms.
    The dowager
viscountess blinked "He what?" The marquis started to answer, but
she waved a hand at him, apparently not expecting a response. "Simon
asked you, and you agreed to this?"
    "Well,
against my better judgment. He rather convinced me that I owed him a
favor."
    "But
Angelique?"
    James gave a
short grin, enjoying seeing Elizabeth Talbott nonplussed for a change.
"Oh, she knows all about it."
    "She
does," his grandmother repeated faintly.
    "Yes. But
the Season's nearly over, and they haven't much time left. So An—Lady Angelique—informed
her parents that I'd invited them to the opera on Thursday. So will you second
the invitation for me?"
    "And what
of Simon?"
    "I'm
certain Lady Angelique has informed him all about it. But the Grahams will have
to accept the invitation only if it comes from you."
    "And then
what?"
    James shrugged.
"They are the schemers. I exist only to do their bidding." He
grimaced. "The one independent thing I attempted was to invite Niston to
have his family holiday with us at Abbonley, and he turned me down flat."
    Grandmama
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "You invited guests to Abbonley?" She
looked truly surprised, and considering that since parting from Desiree he had
never once even invited his nearest neighbors for tea, he could understand her
amazement.
    "The boy,
Henry, wanted to see the stables," he offered, though it seemed a poor
reason. "And I thought Simon and Lady Angelique would appreciate my
efforts." He couldn't admit that for a fleeting moment he'd simply wanted
the company. Her company. James shrugged. "Not that it amounted to
much."
    "Thursday night, eh?” Grandmama Elizabeth queried after a moment. "Don
Giovanni." She sighed. "At least I'll have your nonsense to keep
me entertained."
    James grinned.
"Thank you, Grandmama."
    She picked up
the cards and began dealing. "Oh, I wouldn't miss this."
     
    On Thursday
evening Abbonley even thought to send his own coach to pick them up. It had
been ages since Angel   had attended the
opera, and she changed her gown four times before she found one that pleased
her. Belatedly she remembered that she hadn't actually said anything about the
evening to Simon, and she hoped Abbonley would make certain he appeared. This
was for the two of them, after all, for their wedding.
    When they
arrived, the viscountess and Lord Abbonley were already there. Angelique gave a
smile as the marquis rose to take her hand. He was dressed in black and gray,
and looked magnificent. "Lady Angelique," he said softly, and brought
her fingers up to his lips. "I'm pleased you could attend tonight."
    She curtsied,
then after a moment remembered to retrieve her hand. "Good evening,"
she returned, taking a breath.
    They had barely
seated themselves when she noticed that the patrons in the audience below had
begun murmuring, and dozens of pairs of opera glasses turned in their
direction. She leaned toward Abbonley. "Where is