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He could say one thing for pushing a plow these last several years. His muscles had grown a great deal and while he no longer looked the part of a leisurely lord,his more athletic build held a certain appeal. He stepped around Lady Greenburg’s carriage to greet the assembled party.
Tillie turned toward him with that smile he’d come to recognize. Closed lips, upturned at the corners, but with slightly raised brows. He could never tell if she was happy to see him or mildly irritated by his presence. He nearly sighed.
Not a good sign that he hadn’t a clue how she felt about him.
He’d have to figure that out—and quickly—or he was wasting his time. And that he could not afford. “Lord Rangeley,” she called with a small wave, “you made it.”
“I did,” he smiled back, a beaming smile with as many teeth as he could muster. “Thank you to you and your family for hosting me.”
Lady Greenburg gave him a nod and a subtle wink as she stepped back from the woman she’d been greeting.
And that’s when he saw her…
He had no idea who she was. She looked a bit like Tillie with her rich, dark brown hair and her bright hazel eyes. But where Tillie always looked serious, this woman…
Pert perfect nose, lush lips, delicate neck. Tall but not too thin with a lovely muslin gown to accentuate her curves. She was perfection.
And her smile. Heaven help him, but it lit her face and welcomed him in a way that made him ache.
“Lord Rangeley,” Tillie said as she stepped up next to him, taking his hands and pulling him toward the group. “My brother. The Marquess of Farthington. And my mother, the Dowager Marchioness of Farthington. You know Lady Greenburg, of course.”
He fumbled through the proper greetings as he tore his eyes from the beauty before him. And then Tillie angled him toward the very beauty he was trying so hard not to look at. “And this is my younger sister. Lady Millicent.”
He attempted to school his features. But as his gaze met hers, her eyes crinkling in a warm greeting, the breath knocked from his lungs.
“Pleased to meet you, my lord,” she said with a curtsy.
“And you, Lady Millicent.” Why did he sound like his tongue was a bit swollen?
“Come inside. You’re the last guests to arrive. I’ll introduce you to the others,” Tillie said, tugging lightly on his arm.
He gave a nod, letting Tillie pull him up the stairs. It took every ounce of his self-control not to look over his shoulder back at Lady Millicent.
He wasn’t here to see anyone but Tillie. He’d already made his intentions toward the elder sister perfectly clear.
Parker was in deep, deep trouble.
* * *
Millie watchedher sister Tillie lead the earl in question up the front stairs as she tried to keep her knees from knocking together.
The man was a menace. The Earl of Rangeley.
Her sister had warned her. A rake of the first order and in need of a dowry, he’d attempt to charm any woman he thought would marry him, but Millie hadn’t factored in several considerations.
He was beyond handsome. It was wrong for one man to be so appealing. Dark windswept hair blew back from rich brown eyes, a straight nose, and the sort of jaw a woman might dream of when casting her perfect hero for her daydreams.
Tall. Strong. Even in his jacket, it was obvious he was well-muscled, with broad shoulders and a tapered waist. And his breeches. No imagination was required, as his muscular thighs were on full display.
And then there was his smile. It stole the air from her lungs.
While most people considered her the finer Crosby sister, many of their friends and family whispered that she might even be able to match with a marquess or a duke, that she had potential to be an incomparable, Millie had never believed them.
Tillie was smarter, more experienced, and generally better at everything, even fashion when she chose to apply herself, which, granted, wasn’t that often. Her sister was the most wonderful person that Millie knew and even she’d had difficulty making a match over the last three seasons.
If Tillie couldn’t be a success, why would Millie?
And in this moment, those beliefs were proven true. Because while Tillie led the errant earl up the steps, looking wholly unaffected, Millie had allowed the man to gain some purchase over her within moments of their first meeting.
