Page 31 of Unmasking the Diamond
“Neither am I, but under the circumstances, it seemed only right to meet him.”
Her brows knit tighter. “And what circumstances are those?”
Jane gave her a knowing look. “Surely you have noticed how much time you and Lord Luca have spent together. I thought, as your suitor?—”
Charlotte halted mid-step. “Lord Luca is not my suitor.”
“Your protests grow louder each time I mention him,” Jane remarked.
“He is the last man on earth I would ever consider to be my suitor,” Charlotte declared.
“Then I must have misspoken.”
“Yes, you did.”
But Jane’s smile only deepened. “At least we shall have an enjoyable evening with two eligible lords.”
Charlotte exhaled an impatient sigh. “I daresay Lord Pendryn will be just as insufferable as his brother.”
A firm knock resounded from the floor below, sparing her further reply.
Jane linked arms with her. “We shall see soon enough.” Together they descended the staircase, their slippers whispering against the marble.
At the bottom, the butler opened the door, and there stood Lord Luca—irritatingly handsome, of course—beside a taller, sterner man Charlotte assumed must be Lord Pendryn.
Charlotte summoned a polite smile, though inwardly she wanted to roll her eyes. She must remember her role. But it was growing increasingly harder to act as the gracious diamond whenever she was in Lord Luca’s presence.
Luca inclined his head. “Miss Winslow, you are looking particularly beautiful this evening.”
“That is kind of you to say,” she responded, biting back the tart remark that hovered on her tongue.
“Lady Alcott, Miss Winslow,” he continued, gesturing towards his brother. “May I present Lord Pendryn.”
Charlotte dipped into a graceful curtsy. “My lord.”
Lord Pendryn bowed, his lips quirking into a smile. “I see now the rumors of your beauty did not do you justice.”
Oh, bother, Charlotte thought. These two clearly thrived on flattery. Did they rehearse such lines together?
Remembering her role as hostess, Charlotte gestured smoothly towards the drawing room. “Would you care to wait in there with me until the dinner bell rings?”
As if on cue, the bell rang.
Before she could move, Lord Luca offered his arm. “May I escort you to dinner?”
Refusal hovered at her lips, but her years of gentle breeding forbade it. With reluctant grace, she set her hand upon his sleeve. “Thank you, my lord.”
They walked in silence to the dining room. He pulled out her chair, and she murmured a stiff word of thanks.
When he pointed to the empty chair beside her, his eyes gleamed with mirth. “May I sit here, or do you require this seat for your napkin?”
Her jaw tightened. “You may sit there.”
Of all the torments.
Just then, Alistair entered, moving to place a tender kiss upon Jane’s cheek. Charlotte looked away and studied Lord Pendryn discreetly. Though cut from the same cloth as his brother—tall, broad-shouldered, undeniably striking—his brown eyes held a somber cast, as though he bore burdens unspoken. But he was an heir to a dukedom. What true hardship could he know?
Her musing was cut short when Lord Luca leaned nearer, his breath brushing her ear. “I am much more handsome than my brother. Do you not agree?”
