Never Fall for Your Fiancee
- Автор: Heath Virginia
- Год: 2021
- Язык: английский
- Год: St. Martin's Publishing Group
- Жанр: Исторические любовные романы
Электронная книга - «Never Fall for Your Fiancee». Краткое содержание книги:
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Virginia Heath's fun characters and situations will have you laughing out loud! Don't miss this wonderful read! - Sabrina Jeffries, *New York Times* bestselling author**
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The first in a new historical rom-com series, a handsome earl hires a fake fiancée to keep his matchmaking mother at bay, but hilarity ensues when love threatens to complicate everything.**
“You really are the eternal optimist.” She envied him that. She had once been one before life had shaken it out of her.
“You say that like you disapprove.”
Minerva shrugged, unrepentant. “A little optimism is all well and good—in its place. But I’m more of a realist.” One who still liked to dream from time to time but realized the dreams were futile from the outset.
“Why?” He regarded her with interest. Almost as if he actually cared. It prompted her to be more honest with him than she was comfortable with.
“Because in my experience, fate, like life in general, is nearly always cruel. Not everyone enjoys a carefree life like yours.”
Whatever reaction she had expected, it wasn’t his. His features suddenly turned serious, and he gazed deep into her eyes as if trying to see her world as it truly was outside of this gilded cage, then serious turned to troubled. “Oh, Minerva…”
His hand reached out and found hers, the contact oddly both reassuring and unnerving at the same time. She found herself staring into the sympathetic depths of his eyes, supremely aware of how his touch warmed both her skin and her heart.
For a moment, just that made everything all right.
Then, exactly as it had last night, one simple touch became profound. Almost as if there was a connection between them, intense and strangely loaded. Minerva did not recognize the emotion. It felt new.
Precious.
Kinship … tinged with undeniable attraction, desire, and something else …
“What’s going on!”
At the sound of Diana’s voice, she snatched her hand back and, floundering, hid behind her teacup, hoping she was doing a convincing enough job of looking decidedly unmoved by the strangely charged and poignant moment as she took a sip—but she was anything but.
What was that about?
She wasn’t usually a hapless dolt around men, not even on that one imprudent occasion when she had foolishly allowed her heart to become engaged, nor did she ever find herself gazing at one as if the sun rose and set in his eyes. She was certain that had never happened before. Her sisters stood staring a few feet away, yet she had heard neither enter.
The room, the furniture, and all common sense had evaporated the second his skin had touched hers.
“Hugh was apprising me of some important details I need to know.”
“I think he was apprising you of more than that.” Diana positively glared at him. “I have read about you in the papers, too, Lord Fareham, and I am not at all impressed. I will tolerate no funny business.” Her sister turned to her in accusation. “I thought this was merely a business relationship?”
“It is a business relationship!” Minerva could feel the tips of her ears redden. “And as usual you have jumped to ridiculous conclusions based on nothing. Exactly as you did in the carriage when you accused Hugh of being a murderer!” That was a low blow, but under the circumstances, better to put her sister on the back foot rather than continue to cringe under the weight of her stare. So much for last night’s reaction being a one-off. Going forward, she decided it would be prudent never to touch Hugh again if her current state was any gauge.
“You thought I was a murderer?” At least it distracted Hugh.
“Diana has a vivid imagination.” Although clearly so did she if she could read so much into one innocent touch. Because she could still feel it, she tucked the offending hand under her leg in the hope the peculiar sensations would go away.
He laughed, thank goodness. “Allow me to put your suspicious mind at rest, Miss Diana. To the best of my knowledge, I have never killed a soul and have no immediate intentions to alter that state of affairs. And for the record, there really was no funny business. We really were discussing my fictitious fiancée’s past.” If holding her hand had any effect on him, he hid it well, which only served to make Minerva feel more foolish because it still had an effect on her. Only sheer willpower stopped her face from glowing like a beetroot. “I can assure you, nothing untoward occurred, nor will it.”
“And I can assure you, sir, you may have charmed my usually sensible older sister, but you haven’t fooled me!”
“Then I shall endeavor to impress you with actions and deeds, Miss Diana, and perhaps, in time, you will concede I have no intentions of killing any of you.”
“Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Hugh.” The words escaped Minerva’s mouth before she could stop them. “Give it a few days and you’ll regret that hasty assurance. Diana—apologize to Lord Fareham. You cannot go around accusing people of goodness knows what.” Especially earls—even easygoing ones—when they held the purse strings.
Her sister’s expression conveyed absolutely no remorse. “I apologize.”
“And I accept.”
“Are you coming to breakfast, Minerva?” Always the diplomat, Vee offered an olive branch to end the suddenly awkward situation, her eyes darting between them. “Payne says it is almost ready, my lord.”
“Excellent.” Hugh stood and reached out to help Minerva up, then thought better of it under Diana’s intense, suspicious scrutiny. Instead, to her utter relief, he tucked both his hands uncomfortably behind his back and pasted a polite smile on his face. “Shall we?” He gestured for the girls to go first. “The four of us have much to discuss.”
Vee gratefully scurried away, but Diana had to issue one last mortifying setdown to their host.
“Be warned, Lord Fareham, I have appointed myself my sister’s guardian for the duration of our stay here and I intend to watch you like a hawk. There will be no flirtations or seductions on my watch.”
“Diana!”
He grinned at Minerva’s outrage, looking ridiculously handsome and thoroughly naughty.
“Is that a challenge, Miss Diana? Because I do love a challenge.”
Chapter Six
“The spoon with the round bowl is used exclusively for the soup.” Payne was wielding Hugh’s best silverware like a sword. “Regardless of whether you want to eat it or not, it is never acceptable to refuse the soup.”
“Who doesn’t know the difference between a soup spoon and a dessert spoon?” Giles’s whisper distracted Hugh from watching Minerva, something he had done unhindered from the fireplace for the last ten minutes. “Are you sure they are a gentleman’s daughters?”
“I think she’s doing well.” As she had for the last five days, Minerva was taking it all in her stride. And as to her claim she lacked grace or the ability to do anything practical, she certainly didn’t need lessons in how to navigate a typical table setting. She looked every inch the lady and moved with a subtle fluidity he enjoyed watching. The fact she had insisted upon this particular lesson was more to help her sisters. “The woman has a mind like a steel trap. She never needs anything explained twice.”
He liked that about her. He also liked that he was never quite sure what was going to come out of her mouth next. She was quick-witted and outspoken. Hugh couldn’t recall another woman who had ever made him laugh more, despite all their interactions now occurring under the watchful eye of the more outspoken Diana. He didn’t enjoy that so much. He had a million things he wanted to ask Minerva if they were ever left alone again.
“Not Minerva, you idiot! I knew you were staring at her—not that I blame you.” Giles glanced back at the three women sitting in the middle of the long, formal dining table. “She is as pretty as a picture and a delight to be around. Minerva holds herself well. So does that prickly vixen Diana, for that matter. It’s the youngest who bothers me. Since she arrived, she’s resembled a permanently startled deer. Your mother will never be convinced by her.”