Read Online Waltzing With the Wallflower by Rachel van Dyken, Leah Sanders - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rachel van Dyken, Leah Sanders
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had no desire to cause a scene, she gave up on the effort and tried another approach.
“My lord,” she whispered through clenched teeth as he dragged her hastily down the path into the garden below the balcony. “Might we slow down? My gown… it makes such swift movement… difficult,” she gasped.
Anthony stopped short, sending Cordelia careening forward, tripping over her skirts. His firm grasp kept her from falling and he jerked her backwards to break the inevitable fall, but it threw her off balance again and she crashed into him, knocking Anthony to the ground. He naturally, pulled her down with him.
That was it. The last straw. Cordelia pushed herself to a sitting position and allowed the pent up tears to fall, hiding her face in her hands. She hated to cry, hated the absolute helplessness of it, but the night had been the most wretched of her life, and that warranted a few sobs.
“Oh, Cordelia.” Anthony pulled up beside her and rested his hand on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry. About everything. I know it has been a miserable night.” He lifted his handkerchief to her. “Are you injured? From the fall?”
She shook her head, unable to speak without crying.
Anthony stood and offered his hand to lift her to her feet, but once she was standing, his grasp tightened.
Cordelia looked at him through blurry eyes and cocked an eyebrow in suspicion. “Anthony, why are we out here?” she asked with a sniffle, dabbing the handkerchief at her eyes.
“I want to—that is, I believe it would be best—” He exhaled in resignation. “Oh, curse it, Cordelia, I would like to offer for your hand.”
She could feel her eyes widen in surprise and her gaze shot abruptly to his face, scrutinizing him for the joke that was certain to accompany the proposal. That was a proposal. Wasn’t it? From Anthony. Arrogant, egotistical and never serious Anthony. That had to be it. It was a joke. At a time like this?
Pulling her hand free from his hold, she swatted at him and laughed through another sob.
“That isn’t funny, Anthony.”
He wasn’t laughing. He wasn’t even smiling. “I’m serious, Cordelia. But thank you, for the boon to my confidence.”
She sucked in her breath and with it all her mirth. “Oh, Anthony, I’m sorry.”
“Cordelia, I don’t want to see you suffer because of my brother’s cowardice. I have always admired you…”
“You certainly know how to take a girl’s breath away.” A pity proposal. Perfect.
An exasperated groan escaped his throat, and he raked his fingers through his hair to emphasize obvious frustration. He began pacing back and forth with long strides. “I know I’m not saying it just right.” Abruptly, he stopped pacing and faced her, putting his hands on her shoulders. “Would it be so bad?”
Well, let’s see. A lifetime spent looking at the mirror image of the man she truly loved. Bad? No. It sounded more like the seventh circle of Hell.
“Anthony,” she peered up at him. “I do adore you. You always make me laugh, and I can be myself around you… but I don’t think I could. I mean, you look… you would—”
“Remind you of him?”
With a sigh, she nodded.
“Hmmm… I’d wager a kiss from me would change your mind.” He winked and a hint of mischief twinkled in his eyes. “You know I am the better of the two of us… at many things.”
Her eyes widened as his words sunk in. She swatted at him again with her reticule. “Anthony! Really.” The heat crawled up her neck and into her face, spreading to her ears.
“Now that was a jest… sort of.” His wide grin remained as he took her hand once more. “My proposal stands, my lady. Please. Consider it.”
She would have to consider it. She had no other choice.
As he bowed over her hand to brush a light kiss on her gloved fingers, he added, “Even as simply an alternative to perpetual virginity.”
An involuntary blast of laughter forced its way through her throat, and when she tried to
“My lord,” she whispered through clenched teeth as he dragged her hastily down the path into the garden below the balcony. “Might we slow down? My gown… it makes such swift movement… difficult,” she gasped.
Anthony stopped short, sending Cordelia careening forward, tripping over her skirts. His firm grasp kept her from falling and he jerked her backwards to break the inevitable fall, but it threw her off balance again and she crashed into him, knocking Anthony to the ground. He naturally, pulled her down with him.
That was it. The last straw. Cordelia pushed herself to a sitting position and allowed the pent up tears to fall, hiding her face in her hands. She hated to cry, hated the absolute helplessness of it, but the night had been the most wretched of her life, and that warranted a few sobs.
“Oh, Cordelia.” Anthony pulled up beside her and rested his hand on her shoulder. “I’m so sorry. About everything. I know it has been a miserable night.” He lifted his handkerchief to her. “Are you injured? From the fall?”
She shook her head, unable to speak without crying.
Anthony stood and offered his hand to lift her to her feet, but once she was standing, his grasp tightened.
Cordelia looked at him through blurry eyes and cocked an eyebrow in suspicion. “Anthony, why are we out here?” she asked with a sniffle, dabbing the handkerchief at her eyes.
“I want to—that is, I believe it would be best—” He exhaled in resignation. “Oh, curse it, Cordelia, I would like to offer for your hand.”
She could feel her eyes widen in surprise and her gaze shot abruptly to his face, scrutinizing him for the joke that was certain to accompany the proposal. That was a proposal. Wasn’t it? From Anthony. Arrogant, egotistical and never serious Anthony. That had to be it. It was a joke. At a time like this?
Pulling her hand free from his hold, she swatted at him and laughed through another sob.
“That isn’t funny, Anthony.”
He wasn’t laughing. He wasn’t even smiling. “I’m serious, Cordelia. But thank you, for the boon to my confidence.”
She sucked in her breath and with it all her mirth. “Oh, Anthony, I’m sorry.”
“Cordelia, I don’t want to see you suffer because of my brother’s cowardice. I have always admired you…”
“You certainly know how to take a girl’s breath away.” A pity proposal. Perfect.
An exasperated groan escaped his throat, and he raked his fingers through his hair to emphasize obvious frustration. He began pacing back and forth with long strides. “I know I’m not saying it just right.” Abruptly, he stopped pacing and faced her, putting his hands on her shoulders. “Would it be so bad?”
Well, let’s see. A lifetime spent looking at the mirror image of the man she truly loved. Bad? No. It sounded more like the seventh circle of Hell.
“Anthony,” she peered up at him. “I do adore you. You always make me laugh, and I can be myself around you… but I don’t think I could. I mean, you look… you would—”
“Remind you of him?”
With a sigh, she nodded.
“Hmmm… I’d wager a kiss from me would change your mind.” He winked and a hint of mischief twinkled in his eyes. “You know I am the better of the two of us… at many things.”
Her eyes widened as his words sunk in. She swatted at him again with her reticule. “Anthony! Really.” The heat crawled up her neck and into her face, spreading to her ears.
“Now that was a jest… sort of.” His wide grin remained as he took her hand once more. “My proposal stands, my lady. Please. Consider it.”
She would have to consider it. She had no other choice.
As he bowed over her hand to brush a light kiss on her gloved fingers, he added, “Even as simply an alternative to perpetual virginity.”
An involuntary blast of laughter forced its way through her throat, and when she tried to
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