The Rake's Proposal. Sarah Elliott

party was progressing beautifully downstairs; every room in her parents’ elegant mansion was filled with the soft light of a dozen crystal chandeliers and buzzed with the latest on dit. Everyone invited had showed, and everyone, almost, was behaving.

      The exception, Katherine Sutcliff, sat guiltily and unsociably in the center of Charlotte’s bed. Such behavior could not be permitted.

      Charlotte sat down on the yellow damask chaise longue with legs formed by black and gold caryatids at the foot of her bed. Kate tried not to meet her gaze and pretended to look around the room instead. The entire Orient converged there, owing to Charlotte’s mother’s exuberant taste for all things Egyptian, Chinese and Greek.

      “You simply must come back downstairs,” Charlotte said after a moment of silence. Her pretty blue eyes brooked no argument.

      “Well, you see, Char—”

      “I do not.” She tossed her dark hair impatiently. “I thought you were excited about this party! What can the problem possibly be? Surely you’re not still worried about your gown? I will tell you again, you look lovely. You were the center of attention for the brief moment you deigned to remain downstairs. You must have noticed.”

      Indeed, Kate thought, looking down at her dress and blushing. Because she had arrived only the day before she hadn’t had time to get fitted for anything new. Anticipating this problem, Charlotte had taken it upon herself to have something made up a few weeks ago without consulting Kate or even having met her first. The approximate measurements had come from Robert, who, in brotherly fashion, had badly underestimated her feminine attributes. In the tight bodice, her breasts had nowhere to go but up. She felt quite naked, and Robert’s rakish friends staring openly at her chest did not help matters. Her unease, however, was spurred by the thought of only one of those friends. Benjamin Sinclair had already seen her half-exposed in her dressing gown, and look what happened then. She didn’t know if he’d arrived at the party, or if he planned to attend at all, but not knowing was driving her mad.

      “Bastard.”

      “I’m sorry, what did you just call me?”

      “What?” Kate looked up in alarm. Oh, God. Had she spoken aloud?

      “You muttered an inexcusable word under your breath just now—”

      Kate cut Charlotte off lest she got any more offended. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that—certainly I wasn’t speaking about you. My mind isn’t really where it ought to be tonight…I suppose I’m just nervous.”

      Charlotte smiled, satisfied by that response. Her eyes sparkled with mischief. “You’ve nothing to worry about. As I say, you’ve proved very popular so far.”

      “Charlotte—”

      “Just come downstairs. I want to introduce you to my brother Philip. I promise he’ll behave like a gentleman.”

      “I think I’ve met all of your brothers, thank you,” said Kate, thinking of the solid line of dull, unsmiling manhood she’d met on arrival. Charlotte had five brothers—obnoxious oafs, the lot of them. Philip was simply King Obnoxious Oaf.

      “He’s not that bad. You’ll grow to like him, I swear.”

      Kate wanted to snort at Charlotte’s dogged self-assurance, but refrained. Considering how long they’d been acquainted, it was pretty presumptuous for Charlotte to assume anything about her feelings. But Kate could be just as strong-willed as her managerial future sister-in-law.

      “Charlotte, you must promise me this—you will not play cupid tonight. Just because you’re getting married does not mean that love is in the air.”

      “But you want to get married. Robert told me.”

      Kate nodded firmly. “I intend to.”

      “Um…do you have a particular gentleman in mind yet?”

      “I’ve only been here a day, Charlotte.”

      “I know. It’s just that you seem so…certain…about what you want.”

      Kate wasn’t at all certain about what she wanted. Want didn’t figure into the equation. “Well, it’s about time, isn’t it?”

      “Your confidence is quite dizzying. I almost pity the male populace.”

      Kate sighed, feeling increasingly deflated. “It’s not confidence, Charlotte, it’s determination.”

      Charlotte smiled gently. “Mind if I offer my opinion?”

      “I’ve learned to expect it in the short time I’ve known you.”

      “Well, Kate, it seems a rather haphazard method for getting married.”

      “My method is quite scientific, thank you very much.”

      “Since when is love scientific?”

      Kate met her gaze. She knew Charlotte was right and only wished she could explain her true motivation. But if she told her, she’d tell Robert, and then…well, that’d be it.

      “I’m not sure that I will fall in love, at least not right away. How did you know when you fell in love with my brother? Could you just tell?”

      Charlotte blushed. “Well, it was just a feeling I had…maybe you haven’t noticed, being his sister and all, but he’s quite handsome—”

      Kate snorted.

      “—He was also rather bold, I suppose, in letting me know that he was…interested in me as well.”

      “Interested?”

      Charlotte was blushing to her roots now. “You know…desired me.”

      “I know what you mean, Charlotte! You needn’t spell it out! But what did it feel like?”

      “I’m sorry?”

      “Don’t be embarrassed. We’re friends now, and soon enough you’ll be my sister. What does it feel like when two people desire each other very much?”

      “You’re awfully interested for someone who doesn’t even have a chap in mind yet.”

      “Humor me.” Kate didn’t know why the answer had become so important. Presumably, one just knew when life-altering emotions like love and desire struck. Unlike most girls, however, she didn’t have a mother to elucidate the finer details of courtship, and she really wasn’t sure that she would just know.

      Charlotte continued. “Well, whenever he looks at me I feel rather warm. I blush a lot when I’m with him—rather like I’m blushing now, only it’s much more pleasant…will that do, Kate? It’s rather private.”

      “Uh-huh…” Kate wasn’t certain if that delicate explanation helped at all, but could no longer bear to watch Charlotte squirm. She also wasn’t sure she liked the answer. Only one man in her experience had ever made her feel like that and he was absolutely out of the question. She had a goal to reach, and, judging from his reputation, Benjamin Sinclair certainly would not help her along that path.

      One more reason to dislike the scoundrel.

      An hour had passed since Charlotte had led her unwillingly down the grand staircase. As the clock struck eleven, Kate finally let her guard drop. Perhaps he wasn’t coming after all. Perhaps he, too, was embarrassed.

      Not bloody likely.

      Kate was standing to the side of the ballroom, watching the other guests sway to the music. She was enjoying a much-needed respite from dancing—her gown allowed for only the shallowest of breaths and she was feeling a bit faint as a result. She’d danced with several eligible young men already and had even taken Charlotte’s advice and given Philip Bannister another chance. She’d forced herself to be less critical this time and found that, although he was still a bit dry, he wasn’t really that bad either. Philip was a year older than her at twenty-five and was actually rather handsome with his dark