Marianne finally turned back to David and Annabelle. “At any rate, I hope you’ll both be eager to start your lessons. I know David has been looking forward to it.”
Had been looking forward to it. David mentally corrected his sister. Or at least had been resigned to it. Now he didn’t trust the tutor. Or her knowledge.
“Oh, yes, ever so much,” Lady Annabelle replied in that same sweet voice that was clearly fake. Where had that voice been last night in the Harrisons’ gardens?
David gave both women a skeptical look. They were merely exchanging pleasantries and being polite, but his years in the army had taught him not to equivocate. “May I speak to Lady Annabelle alone for a moment, please?”
The room instantly fell silent.
“What?” David asked, glancing about from person to person. “Is that…unacceptable?” Excellent. He’d already blundered and he’d ostensibly just met the woman.
“It’s not entirely proper, my lord,” Lady Annabelle replied quickly. “But I don’t see what harm it would do if we were to go into the next room for a few moments with the door open.”
She glanced around the group as if to dare anyone to question her logic.
“That’s fine, dear,” Lady Courtney said with a regal nod, granting her approval.
Marianne looked as if she might chew off her bottom lip, but Beau merely laughed. “I swear the rules of Society can be stifling at times. Go. Go.” He waved them both off.
Lady Annabelle led the way to the next room while David followed closely behind her. As expected, the next room in Bell’s town house was as finely appointed as the first had been. David had found that wealthy people in London had several rooms for doing nothing more than entertaining callers. In Brighton, they’d had a big room for sitting and laughing and dancing and entertaining and sometimes even eating. They’d never stood on formality there. Sometimes he wondered if his father had left his formal life to get away from these stifling clothes and these stifling rules. He wouldn’t doubt it. Father had been a fun-loving man who welcomed anyone into his home, regardless of their social standing in life. David still missed him every day.
As soon as they were alone in the next room, with the door properly wide open, Lady Annabelle turned face him with a pleasant smile on her lips. But David didn’t miss the trace of apprehension in her ice-blue eyes. “What did you wish to speak to me about, my lord?” There was that fake-sweet voice again.
David scrubbed a hand through his hair. He already knew what he was about to say would probably be far too forthright for the Society-bred miss he was talking to, but he didn’t give a toss. He did, however, lower his voice, just in case the others were listening from the adjoining room.
“Look, I’m certain we both know why you trying to teach me how to go about in Society is a bad idea. Let’s simply tell them all so.” He jerked a thumb back in the direction of the other salon. “They may be temporarily disappointed, but I’m certain you don’t want to teach me any more than I want to be taught by you.”
If he hadn’t known better, he would have thought a look of disappointment flashed briefly across her pretty face. Disappointment and perhaps…embarrassment? Hmm. That was interesting. He hadn’t thought the disdainful lady he’d met last night would be capable of embarrassment.
“Oh, no, no. I’d like very much to teach you,” she replied with a smile that at least looked sincere.
David narrowed his eyes on her. “Really?”
She nodded convincingly too.
“But I don’t see how we can work together if you believe I’m attempting to court you.”
She snort-laughed at that, surprising him.
“I don’t believe that any longer, my lord,” she announced.
He eyed her skeptically. “You don’t?”
“No.” She shook her head. “Now that I know who you are, I—”
“But that’s the thing, Lady Annabelle,” he replied. “You didn’t know who I was last night in the Harrisons’ gardens. Had no clue, in fact, yet you treated me as if I were the lowest form of life. How am I to trust you?”
She took a deep breath and clasped her hands together, biting her lip and looking terribly guilty. “I understand, my lord, and I’d like to apologize.”
He cupped a hand behind his ear. “What was that?” Did she actually look contrite?
“I’d like to apologize,” she repeated. This time the look on her face told him she also sort of wanted to grind her heel into his foot for making her repeat herself.
“You’d like to or you’re going to?” he asked with as much smugness as he could muster.
“I am sorry, my lord,” she said, through slightly clenched teeth.
“Sorry for what, precisely?”
“Sorry for the way I behaved last night. I was…out of sorts and I…took it out on you. I apologize.”
His face softened. “That’s gracious of you, and I do appreciate it,” he allowed. Hmm. Perhaps he’d been wrong about her. She was mature enough to apologize, and he wasn’t so petty that he’d reject a sincere apology. Hers felt sincere.
“May we simply begin again?” she asked in small, hopeful voice. “I am sorry for my behavior last night. We clearly got off to the wrong start.”
Begin again? David rubbed his chin and considered it all for a moment. He didn’t entirely trust her, but she would be in his life regardless, given that his sister was planning to marry her brother. And he still needed lessons. They may as well make the best of it. He truly had little choice. He made his decision quickly. “Very well. I’m willing to start again if you are.”
A look of relief washed over her face. “You’ll allow me to teach you how to go about in Society?”
“Yes.” He nodded. “The truth is, I could use the help.”
She smiled and her face lit up, reminding him once again how pretty she was. “Just promise me you won’t fancy yourself in love with me and we’ll do fine.” She winked at him.
“Don’t worry, Lady Annabelle,” David replied, shaking his head. “I assure you. You’re the last lady in London I would attempt to court. The very last.”
Chapter Six
That night Annabelle tossed and turned in her bed. Her bedchamber was completely black. She’d long ago conquered her fear of the dark. Her father had been dead for years, and she no longer allowed darkness to frighten her.
Memories of her earlier episode with Lord Elmwood rolled slowly through her head like a broken carriage. Especially that last bit. He didn’t have to be quite so rude about it when he’d told her she was the last lady in London he’d attempt to court, did he?
But she clearly had deserved his distrust. She had behaved abominably toward him the night before. She was used to having men toss themselves at her, make bets upon her marriage prospects, and generally hound her. She hadn’t expected a man who wasn’t even aware of her existence. Now that she had time to think about it, it was haughty of her. But it seemed that everywhere she went in Society, she had a bull’s-eye pinned to her back. She’d become so accustomed to it, she’d forgotten what it was like to meet a man who had no idea about any of it. It was a singularly novel experience. Lord Elmwood must think she was completely self-absorbed. She couldn’t blame him.