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Back The Marriage List Save as PDF
Chapters (45)
  1. FIRST WALTZ
  2. Also by
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Dedication
  6. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  7. CHAPTER ONE
  8. CHAPTER TWO
  9. CHAPTER THREE
  10. CHAPTER FOUR
  11. CHAPTER FIVE
  12. CHAPTER SIX
  13. CHAPTER SEVEN
  14. CHAPTER EIGHT
  15. CHAPTER NINE
  16. CHAPTER TEN
  17. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  18. CHAPTER TWELVE
  19. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  20. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  21. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  22. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  23. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  24. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  25. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  34. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  35. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  42. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. EPILOGUE
  45. AUTHOR’S NOTES

It would never have occurred to him, but, like many of the Worthington family ideas, it was forward-thinking and probably did help. He could ask his mother if she took his sister out for drives during the fashionable hour, but John had a feeling he already knew the answer.

The rest of the drive was passed greeting this person and that. Eleanor was extremely well-connected and, from what he could see, well liked. There were also those, mostly older ladies, who greeted Eleanor as if they had known her for years and studied the two of them with interest. Had they discerned his intent? If so, his mother would hear about it soon, and he wasn’t certain if he was ready for that to happen.

After they made one circuit—which took over an hour—he drove her back to her house and jumped down before a footman could reach her. Once again he placed his hands on her waist and lifted her slowly down to the pavement. She sucked in a breath, and he had the same heated reaction to her now as when they danced. But this time it was stronger. He had to force himself not to slide his hands to her breasts. He had never had such a strong physical reaction to a female before. It must mean something more than mere lust.

He knew he wanted her. Yet did she want him? Would she even know what wanting was? “I greatly enjoyed myself.”

“I did as well.” She gazed into his eyes. “If it is not raining tomorrow, my sisters and I will ride. We start out when it gets light enough to see.”

“If it is not raining, I will see you then.” He placed her hand on his arm and escorted her to the door. “I hear Lady Brownly is holding a musical evening tonight. Might you consider sitting with me?”

“For part of the time, yes.” Eleanor smiled again. “Until then.”

John watched her until the door closed, then turned and went back to his carriage. “This has been an extraordinarily illuminating day.”

“Did you say something, my lord?” the footman holding the horses asked.

“No.” He flipped the man a coin. “Thank you.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

John felt as if he had just met the real Lady Eleanor Carpenter. She was an unexpected pleasure. He started the horses. Tonight would be even more fun than he had wished. But first, he had some serious thinking to do. She had completely upended him.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Eleanor strode into the small parlor off the hall and discreetly peeked out the window, watching as Montagu drove off. Then she rushed up to the Young Ladies’ Parlor and was disappointed to find it empty. She went back into the corridor and found one of their maids. “Where have my sisters gone?”

The woman bobbed a curtsey. “They took the new phaeton out, my lady.”