Read Online The Baron Next Door (Prelude to a Kiss) by Erin Knightley - Free Book Online
Authors: Erin Knightley
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girls?
She raised hers right back. “Forgive us, my lord. We assumed your wall thumping was an ironic form of applause.”
And so it returned to bite him
.
God, how he wished Mr. Sanburne would have had better news for him. If the Baths weren’t so blessedly effective, he’d have already packed his bags for Cadgwith by now. How interesting, really, that he should find both heaven and hell in the same place.
“I think you’ll find, Miss Effington, that irony tends to elude me.”
Chapter Six
C harity watched the baron as he made his abrupt departure, quickly disappearing through the door of his townhouse.
“Charming.”
Charity glanced back to May, whose sarcastic lift of her brow matched the tone of the single word.
“Yes, isn’t he just delightful?”
Her heart was still racing from the encounter. She just couldn’t seem to get a handle on the man. For heaven’s sake, her father would have her hide if he knew how their encounters had gone—especially since the man was a baron.
She had no excuse, none at all, other than he just seemed to bring out her somewhat less civilized side.
“He certainly is handsome,” Sophie said, twisting a curl around her finger as she stared after the closed door through which the baron had escaped. “I mean, not handsome like Lord Radcliff or Lord Raleigh— Oh!” she exclaimed, turning horrified eyes on Charity. “I am
so
sorry! I cannot believe I brought him up. I wasn’t thinking at all and it just popped out and, oh, I really need to learn to keep my tongue behind my teeth sometimes.”
Charity smiled reassuringly at Sophie. “You mustn’t worry yourself. Lord Raleigh is still a dear friend of the family.” No one had been privy to the details of their split but them, yet she knew rumors were rampant. She had been fortunate that they had called it off at the end of her first Season, but the
ton
still had plenty to say about it. Walking into any ballroom in London had been positively miserable last Season. Fans would snap up to cover wagging tongues as everyone speculated about what she must have done to have lost the earl.
“Who’s Lord Raleigh?” May asked, her curiosity clearly piqued. She looked back and forth between them, her brows raised and her blue eyes wide.
Charity sighed. She really hated that the whole ordeal wouldn’t just blow over. She hardly could remember feeling as though the earl was her proper match. “Last year, the Earl of Raleigh and I had a brief courtship. We ended the courtship when it became apparent that another held his heart. Lady Raleigh is truly a lovely person, and I wish them nothing but the best.” Her one true blessing was that their betrothal had not yet been announced when they broke it off. She shuddered to think of how much worse things would have been had the
ton
known.
Sophie’s expression was dubious at best. Putting her hand to her hips, Charity said, “It’s true! The decisions made were absolutely the right ones for all involved. And it is my greatest wish that I will someday find a man who will—” She paused, her nerve floundering.
“Who will . . . ?” May prompted.
Embarrassment skittered through her belly, but she did her best to ignore it. These were her friends. If she couldn’t say what she wanted to them, then who could she say it to? The road was busy with carriage traffic, but there was no one on the pavement close enough to hear them. Charity straightened her spine. “Who will love me above all others, and whom I can love in return.”
“You say that as if it’s a
bad
thing.” Amusement tilted up the corners of May’s perfectly formed lips. “A love match is something to be admired.”
“Tell that to my father,” Charity murmured.
“And my mother,” Sophie added wryly. “And to the
ton
, for that matter.”
May shook her head as if they were being quite ridiculous. “Well, my father loved my mother tremendously, and she him. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a love
She raised hers right back. “Forgive us, my lord. We assumed your wall thumping was an ironic form of applause.”
And so it returned to bite him
.
God, how he wished Mr. Sanburne would have had better news for him. If the Baths weren’t so blessedly effective, he’d have already packed his bags for Cadgwith by now. How interesting, really, that he should find both heaven and hell in the same place.
“I think you’ll find, Miss Effington, that irony tends to elude me.”
Chapter Six
C harity watched the baron as he made his abrupt departure, quickly disappearing through the door of his townhouse.
“Charming.”
Charity glanced back to May, whose sarcastic lift of her brow matched the tone of the single word.
“Yes, isn’t he just delightful?”
Her heart was still racing from the encounter. She just couldn’t seem to get a handle on the man. For heaven’s sake, her father would have her hide if he knew how their encounters had gone—especially since the man was a baron.
She had no excuse, none at all, other than he just seemed to bring out her somewhat less civilized side.
“He certainly is handsome,” Sophie said, twisting a curl around her finger as she stared after the closed door through which the baron had escaped. “I mean, not handsome like Lord Radcliff or Lord Raleigh— Oh!” she exclaimed, turning horrified eyes on Charity. “I am
so
sorry! I cannot believe I brought him up. I wasn’t thinking at all and it just popped out and, oh, I really need to learn to keep my tongue behind my teeth sometimes.”
Charity smiled reassuringly at Sophie. “You mustn’t worry yourself. Lord Raleigh is still a dear friend of the family.” No one had been privy to the details of their split but them, yet she knew rumors were rampant. She had been fortunate that they had called it off at the end of her first Season, but the
ton
still had plenty to say about it. Walking into any ballroom in London had been positively miserable last Season. Fans would snap up to cover wagging tongues as everyone speculated about what she must have done to have lost the earl.
“Who’s Lord Raleigh?” May asked, her curiosity clearly piqued. She looked back and forth between them, her brows raised and her blue eyes wide.
Charity sighed. She really hated that the whole ordeal wouldn’t just blow over. She hardly could remember feeling as though the earl was her proper match. “Last year, the Earl of Raleigh and I had a brief courtship. We ended the courtship when it became apparent that another held his heart. Lady Raleigh is truly a lovely person, and I wish them nothing but the best.” Her one true blessing was that their betrothal had not yet been announced when they broke it off. She shuddered to think of how much worse things would have been had the
ton
known.
Sophie’s expression was dubious at best. Putting her hand to her hips, Charity said, “It’s true! The decisions made were absolutely the right ones for all involved. And it is my greatest wish that I will someday find a man who will—” She paused, her nerve floundering.
“Who will . . . ?” May prompted.
Embarrassment skittered through her belly, but she did her best to ignore it. These were her friends. If she couldn’t say what she wanted to them, then who could she say it to? The road was busy with carriage traffic, but there was no one on the pavement close enough to hear them. Charity straightened her spine. “Who will love me above all others, and whom I can love in return.”
“You say that as if it’s a
bad
thing.” Amusement tilted up the corners of May’s perfectly formed lips. “A love match is something to be admired.”
“Tell that to my father,” Charity murmured.
“And my mother,” Sophie added wryly. “And to the
ton
, for that matter.”
May shook her head as if they were being quite ridiculous. “Well, my father loved my mother tremendously, and she him. As far as I’m concerned, it’s a love
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