In the Arms of the Heiress (A LADIES UNLACED NOVEL) by Maggie Robinson Page A

say it. I’m much too embarrassed.”
    “Nonsense. You’re among family and old friends. Nothing you could do would surprise us anymore, Lulu. You are so like your dear mother,” Isobel trilled. “Such a scamp.”
    Charles came to her rescue at last. “It’s all right, darling. I’ll finish the story. We had a wager—the loser was to do something outrageous in a public place at the winner’s bidding.”
    Louisa shut her eyes. If Charles Cooper had her dancing the cancan, she would kick him in a
private
place when she got him alone later.
    “The baron insisted,” Charles continued, “that she sneak onto the stage of the Opera de Monte Carlo and sing one song. Of course, the building was quite empty, save for the cleaners. But they put down their brooms and mops and swore Louisa rivaled Nellie Melba. They had never heard ‘Good King Wenceslas’ sung with such panache.”
    Really? That was
it
? Louisa was sorely disappointed in herself.
    “A Christmas song in August. How brazen, my dear,” Mr. Naismith said, teasing. “You will get your chance in a few weeks to sing carols to your heart’s content.” He lifted his wineglass. “A toast to the return of the prodigal daughter and her new husband! Cheers to Mr. and Mrs. Maximillian Norwich. May you share many happy Christmases ahead.”
    “Hear, hear!” Even Uncle Phillip raised his glass. Charles rose and moved down the table until he was behind her, his warm hands on her bare shoulders. “My own songbird. Thank you all for your welcome. I find I’m quite overcome, so overcome I want to kiss my wife in public, even without the Baron von Steuben’s urging.”
    Louisa twisted her head to stare up at him. She wanted to beg him to please sit back down at once. But she wasn’t fast enough. He bore down on her with all the graceful intent of a practiced predator, and his lips touched hers.
    All right. This wasn’t so bad. A brief, dry peck—
    And then his tongue insinuated itself between the seam of her mouth.
    Oh. This wasn’t so bad at all. Her eyelids fluttered shut and she leaned into the kiss against all good sense. Well, Aunt Grace said she didn’t have any, so why fight it? Captain Cooper was the most marvelous kisser, gentle yet firm, his mouth moist without being mushy. He seemed to know just where to touch her tongue with his, and she felt herself melting like her champagne sorbet.
    Golly, but this felt divine. She hadn’t let a man come anywhere close to kissing her in ages. Louisa flushed hot and cold, which had nothing to do with the temperature of the dining room. Her hand lifted from the tablecloth so she could touch his face, feel the dark bristles that were already colonizing his jaw despite his afternoon shave.
    The sound of silver spoons against crystal reverberated around the table but failed to break the captain’s delicious, insidious spell. Louisa knew she should stop, but she couldn’t think how to begin to retract her tongue, to shut down the sweep of sensation that tingled down to her toes. Couldn’t think at all. Might never want to think again.
    Oh, damn. This kiss meant nothing to him—he was just earning his pay. But wasn’t he so very good at his job?

Chapter

    10
    S he smelled of violets and tasted like wine. Charles knew he was breaking all the rules, and he didn’t much care. She had told him no public displays of affection, but these people needed to be taught some kind of lesson. They’d all underestimated her, still saw her as the incorrigible hoyden she was as a young girl. How could they not see that she’d grown up and had a good mind of her own? Yes, she talked one’s ear off, and perhaps they didn’t like all the things she believed and said.
    But they were here on her sufferance, living in her house, eating her food, drinking her wine. And nearly every word he’d heard most of them speak of Louisa had been somehow dismissive. Belittling. Even Isobel, who seemed to hold Louisa in some affection, had