discussing the preparations immediately.”
“Oh, yes,” declared the countess. “We should visit the dressmakers on the morrow and have a completely new wardrobe and trousseau ordered right away. Oh, and there is the ball we must throw in honor of your betrothal.”
Prudence’s head began to swim as Lady Ravensbrook rang off the list of ‘must do right aways.’ She should have realized all the fuss expected in regards to the marriage of a high ranking peer, but the idea never occurred to her – especially since they may have to marry sooner than anyone present expected.
Chapter Eleven
It wasn’t until after Amanda and Christopher said their goodbyes and returned home that Victor left for the evening and the countess retired for the night, leaving Prudence and Kolton alone in the study.
“I think the evening went well, wouldn’t you agree, my dear?” Kolton remarked stretching his legs out in front of him as he relaxed in an overstuffed chair, and sipped his brandy. He had been studying Pru for the last several minutes, wondering if she was interested in retiring for the evening alone or with him.
“It went much better than I expected, I must admit.” She stared into her glass of sherry as if it held the answers to all of life’s questions.
“Oh, how so?” he asked, just to make the conversation last.
“Well,” a slight frown creased her brow as she pursed her lips thoughtfully, “I didn’t expect them to be quite as...well, happy about the two of us marrying. Not that I expected them to hate the idea exactly.”
“Amanda cornered me after dinner and let me know she was completely in favor of our engagement.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. In fact, she told me she had long thought we would be a good match, but short of throwing us at each other, she had no idea of how to get us to notice one another in a romantic sense. And she said she was almost glad Cecil had his little accident because it forced us to spend some time together on a more personal level.”
“It certainly did.”
Kolton raised a sardonic brow at the note of sarcasm in her tone, but let the comment pass unchallenged. “Have I mentioned how lovely you look tonight, and how well I think that dress suits you?” He stood and took her hand, urging her to her feet.
Pru smiled wryly as she faced him. “I believe it came up quite spectacularly before dinner, if memory serves, my lord.”
“That it did.” Kolton chuckled, recalling Victor’s reaction. “I thought my brother was about to expire on the spot from shock.”
“Well, admittedly, he did appear shocked, but I think one foot in the grave is a bit of an exaggeration.”
“Perhaps,” Kolton conceded, “but I have never seen him in such a state.”
“You were not far better yourself, I must say,” she reminded him with a twinkle of amusement in her eyes.
“I will not argue the fact you took my breath away,” he said pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her, “but then, you’ve made quite the habit of that these last few days.”
“If I didn’t know better, Lord Ravensbrook, I would say you are attempting to seduce me with flowery praise.”
“Me?” he asked with false, wide-eyed innocence. “Why I would never– by the by, is it working?”
***
The combination of the child-like hopefulness in Kolton’s expression and the mischievous twinkle in his eyes melted Prudence’s resolve to keep him at arm’s length. She burst out laughing.
“You can be a dangerous man when you want to be, Lord Ravensbrook. I can see I will have to keep that in mind in the future,” she commented when her laughter subsided.
“I don’t know about that, my dear. I like to think of myself as charming.”
“You are at that, and that is what makes you dangerous with the ladies,” she replied primly.
Kolton grinned boyishly, making Prudence’s heart flutter. “I plan to be ‘dangerous’ with only one lady from now on,” he said
“Oh, yes,” declared the countess. “We should visit the dressmakers on the morrow and have a completely new wardrobe and trousseau ordered right away. Oh, and there is the ball we must throw in honor of your betrothal.”
Prudence’s head began to swim as Lady Ravensbrook rang off the list of ‘must do right aways.’ She should have realized all the fuss expected in regards to the marriage of a high ranking peer, but the idea never occurred to her – especially since they may have to marry sooner than anyone present expected.
Chapter Eleven
It wasn’t until after Amanda and Christopher said their goodbyes and returned home that Victor left for the evening and the countess retired for the night, leaving Prudence and Kolton alone in the study.
“I think the evening went well, wouldn’t you agree, my dear?” Kolton remarked stretching his legs out in front of him as he relaxed in an overstuffed chair, and sipped his brandy. He had been studying Pru for the last several minutes, wondering if she was interested in retiring for the evening alone or with him.
“It went much better than I expected, I must admit.” She stared into her glass of sherry as if it held the answers to all of life’s questions.
“Oh, how so?” he asked, just to make the conversation last.
“Well,” a slight frown creased her brow as she pursed her lips thoughtfully, “I didn’t expect them to be quite as...well, happy about the two of us marrying. Not that I expected them to hate the idea exactly.”
“Amanda cornered me after dinner and let me know she was completely in favor of our engagement.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. In fact, she told me she had long thought we would be a good match, but short of throwing us at each other, she had no idea of how to get us to notice one another in a romantic sense. And she said she was almost glad Cecil had his little accident because it forced us to spend some time together on a more personal level.”
“It certainly did.”
Kolton raised a sardonic brow at the note of sarcasm in her tone, but let the comment pass unchallenged. “Have I mentioned how lovely you look tonight, and how well I think that dress suits you?” He stood and took her hand, urging her to her feet.
Pru smiled wryly as she faced him. “I believe it came up quite spectacularly before dinner, if memory serves, my lord.”
“That it did.” Kolton chuckled, recalling Victor’s reaction. “I thought my brother was about to expire on the spot from shock.”
“Well, admittedly, he did appear shocked, but I think one foot in the grave is a bit of an exaggeration.”
“Perhaps,” Kolton conceded, “but I have never seen him in such a state.”
“You were not far better yourself, I must say,” she reminded him with a twinkle of amusement in her eyes.
“I will not argue the fact you took my breath away,” he said pulling her close and wrapping his arms around her, “but then, you’ve made quite the habit of that these last few days.”
“If I didn’t know better, Lord Ravensbrook, I would say you are attempting to seduce me with flowery praise.”
“Me?” he asked with false, wide-eyed innocence. “Why I would never– by the by, is it working?”
***
The combination of the child-like hopefulness in Kolton’s expression and the mischievous twinkle in his eyes melted Prudence’s resolve to keep him at arm’s length. She burst out laughing.
“You can be a dangerous man when you want to be, Lord Ravensbrook. I can see I will have to keep that in mind in the future,” she commented when her laughter subsided.
“I don’t know about that, my dear. I like to think of myself as charming.”
“You are at that, and that is what makes you dangerous with the ladies,” she replied primly.
Kolton grinned boyishly, making Prudence’s heart flutter. “I plan to be ‘dangerous’ with only one lady from now on,” he said
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