Read Online An Invitation to Sin by Suzanne Enoch - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Suzanne Enoch
Ads: Link
almost think you're trying to lead me down the garden path, Miss Witfeld."
"Caro?" Susan exclaimed from the facing seat, giving a shout of laughter. "She'd never even look at you if she didn't need your face for her painting. She's never going to get married."
"Really?" Zachary lifted an eyebrow, his eyes dancing with amusement.
"Susan, be quiet!" Caroline snapped, her face heating. "That is neither Lord Zachary's concern, nor his affair."
"I was only teasing."
"It wasn't amusing," Caroline continued, her pride still stinging, though she wasn't certain why. Susan hadn't told anything but the truth. "What if I'd said that your one object in life was to marry?"
"Caroline!"
Probably anticipating Susan's mortification, Zachary managed to make himself scarce, trotting up in front of the barouche, where he could pretend he hadn't heard any of the exchange.
"Stop it, Caro," Susan bit out, pitching her voice lower. "Just because you don't want him doesn't mean you have to ruin any chance for the rest of us."
"Maybe if you would all stop assaulting him, one of you might have a chance," Caroline returned. "You frighten me, and I know you. I'm surprised Lord Zachary hasn't fled back to London already."
"Nonsense." This time it was Julia protesting. "I daresay the attention flatters him. And he's bound to choose one of us."
"Oh, yes, I'm certain he's remained single solely in anticipation of his visit with the Witfeld girls. Be serious, Julia. He could marry any female he wanted. Why would he choose one of you?"
"Why not? When you consider it, the odds of him marrying one of six of us are greater than him marrying one of one from some other family."
Caroline eyed Susan. "That's the worst math I've ever heard, even from you."
"Well, I know one thing," Anne finally put in. "If we sit here arguing with one another, he won't want to have anything to do with any of us. And don't forget, it's in our best interest to help Caro get her portrait done."
"So she can move to Vienna, and Papa and Mama can concentrate on marrying off the rest of us." Violet smoothed at her skirt.
"Yes, I'll miss you, too," Caroline noted, pretending her sisters' easy dismissal of her didn't hurt.
"I say that we take turns," Anne suggested. "Then we won't be overwhelming him with numbers, and we'll each get a chance." She reached over and patted Caroline's knee. "And we only want you to go to Vienna so we'll be able to visit you there."
Caroline smiled, hoping Anne could sense her gratitude. "Just please don't divide his time up so much that I don't have the opportunity to paint him."
"I'll give you one of my times," Violet said unexpectedly, scowling. "I didn't mean to sound so awful, Caro."
"Don't worry; I understand," she returned, even though she wasn't entirely certain she did. The life her sisters seemed to crave so desperately didn't seem like much of a life to her. Even if it entailed marriage to a man with warm gray eyes and a very nice seat in the saddle.
"But Violet, you're only fifteen. I don't think you should have any time with him. Or Anne, either."
"I'll be eighteen in nine weeks, Grace," Anne returned succinctly. "I get time. In fact, I'll make out a chart tonight. Everyone think of an excursion or something you'd like to do, and I'll give us each an appointed time."
"Why you?" Julia demanded.
"Because you couldn't make a chart if your life depended on it," Joanna told her twin. "We all get to approve it, though, Anne."
"Of course."
They crossed the ancient stone bridge that spanned Eldridge Creek and turned onto the main street of Trow-bridge. Heads immediately began to turn, but they weren't looking at the Witfeld girls; they were all gazing at the Witfelds' houseguest. And Caroline could hardly blame them for their interest as he dismounted and strolled back to the barouche to offer his assistance as they disembarked. She wondered what he would say if he knew the seven girls had just decided to divide him up like a pie.
One
"Caro?" Susan exclaimed from the facing seat, giving a shout of laughter. "She'd never even look at you if she didn't need your face for her painting. She's never going to get married."
"Really?" Zachary lifted an eyebrow, his eyes dancing with amusement.
"Susan, be quiet!" Caroline snapped, her face heating. "That is neither Lord Zachary's concern, nor his affair."
"I was only teasing."
"It wasn't amusing," Caroline continued, her pride still stinging, though she wasn't certain why. Susan hadn't told anything but the truth. "What if I'd said that your one object in life was to marry?"
"Caroline!"
Probably anticipating Susan's mortification, Zachary managed to make himself scarce, trotting up in front of the barouche, where he could pretend he hadn't heard any of the exchange.
"Stop it, Caro," Susan bit out, pitching her voice lower. "Just because you don't want him doesn't mean you have to ruin any chance for the rest of us."
"Maybe if you would all stop assaulting him, one of you might have a chance," Caroline returned. "You frighten me, and I know you. I'm surprised Lord Zachary hasn't fled back to London already."
"Nonsense." This time it was Julia protesting. "I daresay the attention flatters him. And he's bound to choose one of us."
"Oh, yes, I'm certain he's remained single solely in anticipation of his visit with the Witfeld girls. Be serious, Julia. He could marry any female he wanted. Why would he choose one of you?"
"Why not? When you consider it, the odds of him marrying one of six of us are greater than him marrying one of one from some other family."
Caroline eyed Susan. "That's the worst math I've ever heard, even from you."
"Well, I know one thing," Anne finally put in. "If we sit here arguing with one another, he won't want to have anything to do with any of us. And don't forget, it's in our best interest to help Caro get her portrait done."
"So she can move to Vienna, and Papa and Mama can concentrate on marrying off the rest of us." Violet smoothed at her skirt.
"Yes, I'll miss you, too," Caroline noted, pretending her sisters' easy dismissal of her didn't hurt.
"I say that we take turns," Anne suggested. "Then we won't be overwhelming him with numbers, and we'll each get a chance." She reached over and patted Caroline's knee. "And we only want you to go to Vienna so we'll be able to visit you there."
Caroline smiled, hoping Anne could sense her gratitude. "Just please don't divide his time up so much that I don't have the opportunity to paint him."
"I'll give you one of my times," Violet said unexpectedly, scowling. "I didn't mean to sound so awful, Caro."
"Don't worry; I understand," she returned, even though she wasn't entirely certain she did. The life her sisters seemed to crave so desperately didn't seem like much of a life to her. Even if it entailed marriage to a man with warm gray eyes and a very nice seat in the saddle.
"But Violet, you're only fifteen. I don't think you should have any time with him. Or Anne, either."
"I'll be eighteen in nine weeks, Grace," Anne returned succinctly. "I get time. In fact, I'll make out a chart tonight. Everyone think of an excursion or something you'd like to do, and I'll give us each an appointed time."
"Why you?" Julia demanded.
"Because you couldn't make a chart if your life depended on it," Joanna told her twin. "We all get to approve it, though, Anne."
"Of course."
They crossed the ancient stone bridge that spanned Eldridge Creek and turned onto the main street of Trow-bridge. Heads immediately began to turn, but they weren't looking at the Witfeld girls; they were all gazing at the Witfelds' houseguest. And Caroline could hardly blame them for their interest as he dismounted and strolled back to the barouche to offer his assistance as they disembarked. She wondered what he would say if he knew the seven girls had just decided to divide him up like a pie.
One
Similar Books
