An Offer From a Gentleman (Cinderella)

Chapter 7

“I’d tell you something,” she returned.

“But not the truth.”

She shook her head. “This isn’t a night for truth.”

“My favorite kind of night,” Colin said in a jaunty voice.

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Benedict asked.

Colin shook his head. “I’m sure Mother would prefer that I be in the ballroom, but it’s not exactly a requirement.”

“I require it,” Benedict returned.

Sophie felt a giggle bubbling in her throat.

“Very well,” Colin sighed. “I shall take myself off.”

“Excellent,” Benedict said.

“All alone, to face the ravenous wolves . . .”

“Wolves?” Sophie queried.

“Eligible young ladies,” Colin clarified. “A pack of ravenous wolves, the lot of them. Present company excluded, of course.”

Sophie thought it best not to point out that she was not an “eligible young lady” at all.

“My mother—” Colin began.

Benedict groaned.

“—would like nothing better than to see my dear elder brother married off.” He paused and pondered his words. “Except, perhaps, to see me married off.”

“If only to get you out of the house,” Benedict said dryly.

This time Sophie did giggle.

“But then again, he’s considerably more ancient,” Colin continued, “so perhaps we should send him to the gallows—er, altar first.”

“Do you have

“None whatsoever,” Colin admitted. “But then again, I rarely do.”

Benedict turned

“So then,” Colin said to Sophie with a grand flourish of his arm, “will you take pity on my poor, long-suffering mother and chase my dear brother up

“Well, he hasn’t asked,” Sophie said, trying to join the humor of the

“How much have you had to drink?” Benedict

“Me?” Sophie queried.

“Him.”

all,” Colin said jovially, “but I’m thinking quite seriously of remedying that. In fact, it might be the only thing that will make this eve bearable.”

you from my presence,” Benedict said, “then

Colin grinned, gave

“It’s nice to see two siblings who love each other so well,” Sophie murmured.

the doorway through which his brother had just disappeared, snapped his attention back to her. “You call

forever sniping at each other, and not in jest. “I do,” she said firmly. “It’s obvious you would

“I suppose you’re right.” Benedict let out a beleaguered sigh, then ruined the effect by smiling. “Much as it pains me to admit it.” He leaned against the wall, crossing his arms and

Sophie pondered that question for

One of his brows rose into a curiously arrogant arch. He cocked his head very slightly to the side as he said, “I find myself rather curious as to why it took you so long to determine the answer to that question. One would think the answer would be an easy one to

Sophie looked away for a moment, not wanting him to see the pain that she knew must show in her eyes. She had always wanted a family. In fact, there was nothing in life she had ever wanted more. Her father had never recognized her as his daughter, even in private, and her mother had died at her birth. Araminta treated her like the plague, and Rosamund and Posy had certainly never been sisters to her.

ordered,

“I am an only child,” Sophie finally said.

“And that is all you’re going to say on the subject,” Benedict murmured.

“And that is all I’m going to say on the

“Very well.” He smiled, a lazy masculine

“Nothing,

“Nothing at all?”

“I suppose I might be induced to tell you that my favorite color is green, but beyond that I shall leave you with no clues to my identity.”

“Why so many

“If I answered that,” Sophie said with an enigmatic smile, truly warming to her role as a mysterious stranger, “then that would be the end of my secrets, wouldn’t it?”

He leaned forward ever so slightly. “You could always develop new secrets.”

backed up a step. His gaze had grown hot, and she had heard enough talk in the servants’ quarters to know what that meant. Thrilling as that was, she was not quite as daring as she pretended to be. “This entire night,” she said,

“Then ask me a question,” he said. “I have no secrets.”

Her eyes widened. “None?

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