Read Online Beguiling Bridget by Rachel van Dyken, Leah Sanders - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Rachel van Dyken, Leah Sanders
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so.”
“Shall we return to the ball then? We have people to convince that you’re utterly besotted with me.”
“Don’t forget.” Lady Bridget reached for the knife and handed it to him. “They must also believe you’re besotted with me.”
Anthony took the knife and shook his head as he slid it back into his boot. “My dear, that will require no acting whatsoever on my part.” He held out his arm. Tentatively, she took it and they returned to the ballroom.
In Anthony’s mind, a hush descended when everyone saw the girl secured to his arm. If she thought him prideful before, she would shudder to see how much his chest was puffed now. He brought her gloved hand to his lips and kissed it, tightly pulling her along back onto the dance floor.
“Ah, so the rumors begin,” Anthony whispered near her ear. “Do you think you can manage?”
They separated as the dance demanded. When they drew back together, Lady Bridget winked. “I shall just have to endure you, won’t I?”
“Endure is such a terrible sounding word. I much prefer enjoy , take advantage of , seduce …” He trailed off, noting her heightened color.
“Endure,” she repeated. “Definitely endure. I believe I’ll deserve a medal for having to deal with the sheer magnitude of your lordship’s ego for the remaining weeks.”
“And I shall be only too happy to secure it around your beautiful neck.” Anthony battled against his desire to touch her flushed skin once more. This was not going to be easy.
She didn’t answer him, merely raised her brow and curtsied as the dance ended, and it was just in time, for Wilde approached and asked a dance of the girl.
Anthony conceded, mainly because a man who didn’t know how to properly seduce a woman was not a threat. He watched as Wilde awkwardly took her hand, as if he was nervous. Anthony shook the thought from his head and approached his smug twin.
“I believe I’ve won,” Anthony announced.
“You cheated.”Ambrose cursed.
“I never cheat.”
“Says the cheater.”
“Speaking of cheating — have you seen your wife? She’s promised to show me how to best you at chess later this week.”
Ambrose cleared his throat. “Yes, well, she’s only won a handful of times. That doesn’t mean she’s better at anything…”
“Right.” Anthony patted his brother on the back, then reached for a flute of champagne as it passed. “So, her whereabouts?”
“Spying.”
Anthony spewed the contents of his mouth into the air, missing his brother by a mere inch. “So, she does your dirty work for you? I see how it is.”
Ambrose glared. “Merely trying to acquire more information for your benefit, brother, and she so graciously offered to help.”
“Probably wants to see me married off so I stop bothering you two.” Anthony picked up another flute of champagne.
He lifted it to his lips as Ambrose swore. “It’s just that you come at the most inappropriate times, just yesterday we barely had time to clothe—”
Anthony spewed the champagne again, this time spraying his brother well in the face. “Devil take it, Ambrose! I need not know the details! Besides,” he glanced over at the sound of Lady Bridget’s laughter in Wilde’s arms. “She’s as good as mine.”
“That confident, eh, Anthony?” Ambrose brooded, wiping the dripping champagne from his face with his handkerchief.
“Yes.” He downed the contents of his glass. “Yes, I am.”
Chapter Seven
So Goes the Battle
It would accomplish two tasks at once. And Bridget was nothing if not efficient. Yes, she agreed to help the viscount. But not for his sake.
Her benefits would far outweigh the drawbacks of spending time in the company of his acute arrogance. Her aunt and uncle would no longer find need to scrutinize her every move at a social event. More importantly, the viscount had vowed to keep his advances to himself. Bridget was assured she had nothing to fear from constant assaults on her resolve to keep
“Shall we return to the ball then? We have people to convince that you’re utterly besotted with me.”
“Don’t forget.” Lady Bridget reached for the knife and handed it to him. “They must also believe you’re besotted with me.”
Anthony took the knife and shook his head as he slid it back into his boot. “My dear, that will require no acting whatsoever on my part.” He held out his arm. Tentatively, she took it and they returned to the ballroom.
In Anthony’s mind, a hush descended when everyone saw the girl secured to his arm. If she thought him prideful before, she would shudder to see how much his chest was puffed now. He brought her gloved hand to his lips and kissed it, tightly pulling her along back onto the dance floor.
“Ah, so the rumors begin,” Anthony whispered near her ear. “Do you think you can manage?”
They separated as the dance demanded. When they drew back together, Lady Bridget winked. “I shall just have to endure you, won’t I?”
“Endure is such a terrible sounding word. I much prefer enjoy , take advantage of , seduce …” He trailed off, noting her heightened color.
“Endure,” she repeated. “Definitely endure. I believe I’ll deserve a medal for having to deal with the sheer magnitude of your lordship’s ego for the remaining weeks.”
“And I shall be only too happy to secure it around your beautiful neck.” Anthony battled against his desire to touch her flushed skin once more. This was not going to be easy.
She didn’t answer him, merely raised her brow and curtsied as the dance ended, and it was just in time, for Wilde approached and asked a dance of the girl.
Anthony conceded, mainly because a man who didn’t know how to properly seduce a woman was not a threat. He watched as Wilde awkwardly took her hand, as if he was nervous. Anthony shook the thought from his head and approached his smug twin.
“I believe I’ve won,” Anthony announced.
“You cheated.”Ambrose cursed.
“I never cheat.”
“Says the cheater.”
“Speaking of cheating — have you seen your wife? She’s promised to show me how to best you at chess later this week.”
Ambrose cleared his throat. “Yes, well, she’s only won a handful of times. That doesn’t mean she’s better at anything…”
“Right.” Anthony patted his brother on the back, then reached for a flute of champagne as it passed. “So, her whereabouts?”
“Spying.”
Anthony spewed the contents of his mouth into the air, missing his brother by a mere inch. “So, she does your dirty work for you? I see how it is.”
Ambrose glared. “Merely trying to acquire more information for your benefit, brother, and she so graciously offered to help.”
“Probably wants to see me married off so I stop bothering you two.” Anthony picked up another flute of champagne.
He lifted it to his lips as Ambrose swore. “It’s just that you come at the most inappropriate times, just yesterday we barely had time to clothe—”
Anthony spewed the champagne again, this time spraying his brother well in the face. “Devil take it, Ambrose! I need not know the details! Besides,” he glanced over at the sound of Lady Bridget’s laughter in Wilde’s arms. “She’s as good as mine.”
“That confident, eh, Anthony?” Ambrose brooded, wiping the dripping champagne from his face with his handkerchief.
“Yes.” He downed the contents of his glass. “Yes, I am.”
Chapter Seven
So Goes the Battle
It would accomplish two tasks at once. And Bridget was nothing if not efficient. Yes, she agreed to help the viscount. But not for his sake.
Her benefits would far outweigh the drawbacks of spending time in the company of his acute arrogance. Her aunt and uncle would no longer find need to scrutinize her every move at a social event. More importantly, the viscount had vowed to keep his advances to himself. Bridget was assured she had nothing to fear from constant assaults on her resolve to keep
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