The Thoroughly Compromised Bride by Catherine Reynolds Read Free Book Online

for his behaviour towards her. The sudden thought that he might be trying to fix his interest with her made her gasp with alarm. If that were so, she must put a stop to it immediately!
    In the next moment, however, she was able to dismiss the idea. After all, he was a confirmed bachelor as well as an unregenerate rake, and she was quite sure that he meant only to get up a flirtation with her, since he must find Bath a flat-out bore. At the same time, she felt that a harmless flirtation would do much to relieve her own growing sense of dissatisfaction and boredom. That he must soon enough depart for more intriguing climes she could not doubt, though why the thought of that inevitable event should have such a lowering effect on her spirits was a mystery. She did not stop to consider why he should have stayed even this long. Whatever the reason, his presence had brightened her rather dull existence, and she could not remember when she had felt so alive.
    In the event, she did not see Charles for two days, until the Monday morning when they rode out with Melanie and her friends. The hacks he brought for them were first-rate animals, her own a lovely grey mare with excellent points, and Melanie’s equally as fine. When he had helped her to mount, and they had all started off, Elizabeth and Charles fell a little behind the others.
    She said, smiling up at him, “These are not hired hacks. They’re prime ‘uns, as Papa would have said. Wherever did you find them?”
    “I have them on loan from a friend who lives not far from here.”
    “Oh, is that where you have been? I thought...”
    No sooner had the words passed her lips than she wished to retrieve them, for his eyes crinkled with laughter as he said, “How very flattering. I believe you missed me.”
    “Certainly not!” she denied. “I would not have realized that you were gone had your sister not mentioned the fact.”
    “Ah! That’s tipped me a settler! But where did you think I had been?”
    “Well, Lady Claibourne was with us at the time, and I believe she said something about one of your cheres amies .”
    “You put me to the blush, ma’am. What do you know about cheres amies ?”
    In truth, she knew very little about this subject, her father not having considered it a necessary part of her masculine education, and she knew very well that she was the one blushing, but felt goaded into replying, “You may think me a green girl, but I promise you I am not just come from the schoolroom! I know quite well that a chere amie is a man’s—is a woman of a certain class who—oh! I should not be saying these things! But how unhandsome of you to provoke me so!”
    She frowned at him, but at the sight of his comically remorseful expression, she was unable to suppress a choke of laughter.
    He grinned back at her, saying, “You are adorable!”
    “No! I should not—”
    “No, no!” he interrupted. “I beg you’ll not turn missish on me. I detest insipid females and bland conversation. I wish you will leave your tongue unguarded when you are with me, for I find our talks vastly refreshing.”
    Her brow wrinkled in thought, and after a moment she answered, “Well, do you know, it is so very comfortable to have a friend with whom one may share one’s thoughts and laughter without always having to worry about propriety. Papa was just such a friend to me, but in general I think such friends must be quite rare.”
    There was an oddly arrested expression in his eyes as he responded, “Yes. Quite rare, indeed!”
    They rode on for a few minutes without speaking, but at last she glanced sideways at him, and a flush crept into her cheeks again as she asked, “Are you really a shocking rake?”
    “Alas, I fear I am,” he said with mock sorrow. “A ramshackle fellow, sunk below reproach.”
    “But what have you done to earn such a reputation?”
    He looked rather startled. “You mean to take me at my word, don’t you?”
    She was still blushing faintly, but having