Read Online An Invitation to Sin by Suzanne Enoch - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Suzanne Enoch
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by one her sisters grabbed onto him to climb to the ground, though they'd never needed assistance before that she could remember. Caroline waited until last, both because she didn't want to be trampled, and because it seemed the most dignified thing to do.
"All teasing aside, I am glad you decided to join us," Zachary said, curling his fingers around hers as he helped her to the ground.
"I did so because my sisters asked me to," she returned, deciding she needed to make one thing perfectly clear to him. "Not because you kissed me."
He nodded. "But you didn't stay away because I kissed you, either."
Caroline looked up at him; she had to, since tall as she was, the top of her head still came only to his chin. "That would have been foolish on my part," she noted, trying to ignore the warmth of his sleeve as he wrapped her hand around his arm, "since I've already told you that I need to paint your portrait."
"So you're saying that I took unfair advantage of your need," he drawled, following the flock toward a milliner's shop.
"I'm beginning to think you're baiting me, Lo… Zachary."
"It's about time you realized. I'd begun to fear for your sensibility, until I heard the way you laugh."
She blushed. "I can't help the way I laugh." She'd tried, endlessly, even to the point of pinching her nose closed when she chuckled. That, though, had only made her choke. "You shouldn't make fun."
"I wasn't making fun," he said, his expression growing more solemn. "I like the way you laugh. Why do you think I've been baiting you?"
Julia swept in to take his free arm before she could conjure a response to that, and Joanna managed to maneuver between him and Caroline. She shook her head at her siblings as she fell to the back of the crowd. For heaven's sake, they hadn't given Zachary a moment to breathe since he'd arrived.
Caroline hung back a moment, watching. Perhaps that was why he seemed to focus on her—because she wasn't trying to smother him.
She shook herself. Of course she wasn't trying to smother him. The handsome features helped, but he could have been a three-eyed serpent as long as he was a nobleman and agreed to be painted. So he had kissed her. If it ensured that he would sit for her, she would tolerate it. And actually, it hadn't been at all unpleasant.
"Caro, what did he say to you?" Anne said from beside her.
"What? Nothing. Why do you ask?"
"You're blushing."
"No, I'm not," she stammered. "It's warm. That's all."
"If you say so."
Violet came bouncing out of the milliner's. "He's going to take us fishing!" she announced.
"How did that come about?" Caroline asked, ushering her sister back into the shop before everyone in town heard her announcement.
"Grace asked him what he liked to do in the country, and he said fishing," Violet returned. "And then Susan said she'd never been fishing, and he said he would take us all. He said everyone should experience fishing at least once."
"I'm still making a chart," Anne grumbled.
"I think he likes us very much," their youngest sister crowed. "And I changed my mind; I'm not giving up any of my time with him. Mama said if I could find a husband, I could get married."
As she stepped inside the small, crowded shop, Caroline began to wonder whether Lord Zachary Griffin might be insane. She could think of no other reason a man would volunteer to take a half dozen young women fishing. As she caught sight of him, he had a bonnet over each hand and was giving his opinion of a third, which Grace was wearing.
Amazing. Amiable and easygoing as he seemed to be, it was no wonder that all of her sisters were half in love with him—though she wasn't certain their enthusiasm had as much to do with marrying him as it did with marrying his wealth and family name.
I must be insane , Zachary thought, sighing as he held two bonnets aloft. One of the Witfeld girls spun and twirled in front of a mirror, though it was fairly obvious that the preening was solely for his benefit. He wondered
"All teasing aside, I am glad you decided to join us," Zachary said, curling his fingers around hers as he helped her to the ground.
"I did so because my sisters asked me to," she returned, deciding she needed to make one thing perfectly clear to him. "Not because you kissed me."
He nodded. "But you didn't stay away because I kissed you, either."
Caroline looked up at him; she had to, since tall as she was, the top of her head still came only to his chin. "That would have been foolish on my part," she noted, trying to ignore the warmth of his sleeve as he wrapped her hand around his arm, "since I've already told you that I need to paint your portrait."
"So you're saying that I took unfair advantage of your need," he drawled, following the flock toward a milliner's shop.
"I'm beginning to think you're baiting me, Lo… Zachary."
"It's about time you realized. I'd begun to fear for your sensibility, until I heard the way you laugh."
She blushed. "I can't help the way I laugh." She'd tried, endlessly, even to the point of pinching her nose closed when she chuckled. That, though, had only made her choke. "You shouldn't make fun."
"I wasn't making fun," he said, his expression growing more solemn. "I like the way you laugh. Why do you think I've been baiting you?"
Julia swept in to take his free arm before she could conjure a response to that, and Joanna managed to maneuver between him and Caroline. She shook her head at her siblings as she fell to the back of the crowd. For heaven's sake, they hadn't given Zachary a moment to breathe since he'd arrived.
Caroline hung back a moment, watching. Perhaps that was why he seemed to focus on her—because she wasn't trying to smother him.
She shook herself. Of course she wasn't trying to smother him. The handsome features helped, but he could have been a three-eyed serpent as long as he was a nobleman and agreed to be painted. So he had kissed her. If it ensured that he would sit for her, she would tolerate it. And actually, it hadn't been at all unpleasant.
"Caro, what did he say to you?" Anne said from beside her.
"What? Nothing. Why do you ask?"
"You're blushing."
"No, I'm not," she stammered. "It's warm. That's all."
"If you say so."
Violet came bouncing out of the milliner's. "He's going to take us fishing!" she announced.
"How did that come about?" Caroline asked, ushering her sister back into the shop before everyone in town heard her announcement.
"Grace asked him what he liked to do in the country, and he said fishing," Violet returned. "And then Susan said she'd never been fishing, and he said he would take us all. He said everyone should experience fishing at least once."
"I'm still making a chart," Anne grumbled.
"I think he likes us very much," their youngest sister crowed. "And I changed my mind; I'm not giving up any of my time with him. Mama said if I could find a husband, I could get married."
As she stepped inside the small, crowded shop, Caroline began to wonder whether Lord Zachary Griffin might be insane. She could think of no other reason a man would volunteer to take a half dozen young women fishing. As she caught sight of him, he had a bonnet over each hand and was giving his opinion of a third, which Grace was wearing.
Amazing. Amiable and easygoing as he seemed to be, it was no wonder that all of her sisters were half in love with him—though she wasn't certain their enthusiasm had as much to do with marrying him as it did with marrying his wealth and family name.
I must be insane , Zachary thought, sighing as he held two bonnets aloft. One of the Witfeld girls spun and twirled in front of a mirror, though it was fairly obvious that the preening was solely for his benefit. He wondered
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