Read Online Flirting With Fortune by Erin Knightley - Free Book Online Page B

chaperone. Certainly not that jackass Godfrey. Seeing the man’s face when Beatrice accepted Colin’s invitation had been worth the impromptu proposal a thousand times over—and even that didn’t compare to the thrill of Beatrice’s acceptance.
    For some reason, he loved the idea of a little more stolen time with her.
    And though the gallery wasn’t nearly as intimate as his aunt’s portrait hall, it was a vast improvement over Beatrice’s crowded drawing room. The space was quiet and bright, two feats he would not have thought possible in this part of London. The plain white of the walls left nothing to distract the viewer’s attention from the highlighted masterpieces. Coming from so many different collections, the frames were a bit of a mishmash, some glinting gold, others silver, and a few polished wood ones mixed in. He rather liked the eclectic feel of the groupings.
    He wandered forward, his footsteps echoing in the open space, which was devoid of all but a handful of potted plants and a few strategically placed benches. He could almost feel his father’s presence in the starkness of the room. When he worked, Father wanted nothing cluttering his creative space. His studio was always clean and orderly, in complete contrast to the house itself.
    “Sir Colin?”
    Colin glanced to the door and smiled, warmth infusing the emptiness inside his heart. God, but she was lovely.
    “My lady. I’m honored you could join me today.” He strode forward to greet her properly and was treated to the whispered hint of lilac.
    She looked perfectly divine today, in her simple muslin gown and light green spencer jacket. An easy smile curled her lips as she slipped off the jacket, the movement highlighting the delicate rise of her collarbone. “I’m beyond delighted to be here.”
    Without the ball gown or opulent furnishings, she was completely approachable—almost the total opposite of what he would expect of the daughter of a marquis. In the diffused daylight streaming in from the open windows, he realized her dark blue eyes held the slightest suggestion of green toward the pupil.
    She gestured to a mousy young woman behind her whose presence he’d hardly registered. “Is there a place for my maid to rest while we look around?”
    “Yes, of course,” he said, leading them to one of the benches in the corridor outside the gallery. The girl promptly pulled a book from a pocket of her coat and settled in to read. He couldn’t have asked for a more perfect chaperone.
    “I would have thought you might have brought one or both of your sisters today.”
    “Oh no—they would never have been able to resist chattering, which would have ruined the whole experience. I love them, but I do not want to be listening to their commentary while viewing such dignified works.”
    “And your parents didn’t mind letting you join me with only a maid?”
    She shook her head. “I convinced them it was more or less just another visit to a museum or gallery. They knew the committee staff would be here as well.”
    It was a gift horse, really, and Colin didn’t intend to look it in the mouth.
    Offering his elbow, he led Beatrice back to the exhibit. “I was just getting my bearings when you arrived. Mr. Swanson informed me that all but two of the pieces are in place. One from Wales, which is en route as we speak, and the royal portrait of King George, which will arrive shortly before the exhibit’s official opening.”
    “What an honor for you and your family that the prince has agreed to lend the painting. You must be very proud.”
    He was, actually. Regardless of anything else, his father had come from nothing and had succeeded in earning not only royal favor, but the baronetcy as well. He knew that the title was perhaps not of major significance to someone of Beatrice’s status, but he appreciated her sentiment. “I am. Thank you.”
    Her smile was unstudied and natural, revealing a quarter-turned front tooth that somehow suited