A Lady in Love

Chapter One

"I just bought this splendid new yacht,"  he went on with dripping charm. "Just arrived yesterday all the way from Monaco."

I raised an eyebrow, continuing sipping my tea. "Oh really?"

"Yes, really," he purred. "I'd be honored if you'd come with me there to dance the night away sometime." He wiggled his eyebrows, hinting at something I already knew wasn't good. Why, the fiend.

Well, that wasn't very brilliant of him. I gently set down my teacup and saucer on the Oriental coffee table and gave him a radiant smile, which he returned pleasantly. "Oh, I would love to visit your yacht sometime, Lord Crawford, but I'm afraid I couldn't dance the night away with you. Ever." He frowned. "You see, I am a lady of good virtue (cough) and certainly cannot abide being alone with a young bachelor such as yourself, who is considered to be England's reigning playboy." I batted my lashes innocently at him.

He snorted derisively. "I'm only third."

"Oh, are you? Well, I'm sure you'll be right at the top!" I said, patting his arm.

Henry and everyone else clearly saw this "affectionate" gesture, but Mr. Carmichael was the one who reacted immensely. He stood up and glared at Lord Crawford. "I say!" he boomed. Then he did something that I wished he'd never done.

He kneeled down before me and produced a velvet box. Inside was a ring.

"What's this?!" I asked, shrilly.

"Marry me?"

"Good heavens!"

"I love you, countess," he confessed, eyes shining. Everyone in the room was stunned, and one maid, who entered the room to place a fresh pot of tea, widened her eyes and turned back round to exit the drawing room.

I closed my eyes with my lips pinched at the corners. "I do not want to --"

"Oh hush, the lot of you,"  a familiar voice called out.

I opened my eyes, my head lifting to see who'd just entered. There he was, my dear best friend, Archer Griswold, looking unbearably handsome in his Teddy Boy outfit -- white shirt, gray blazer, black narrow tie, dark slacks, and black suede shoes. One shoulder was leaning on the doorframe and he had his hands in his pockets. His honey blond hair was parted at the side, and his hazel eyes scintillated with amusement as he saw the awful scene in full view: my mouth hanging wide open, Henry kneeling in front of me with the velvet box in his outstretched hands, Bastian's eyes grown wide at the sight of the ring thrust upon me, and the others looking awfully frozen as they gaped.

"Archer!" I exclaimed, rising quickly to my feet. I struggled to get out of my circle, and when I finally escaped my suitors' clutches, I went toward him. My heels clicked with each step, making a huge noise, but I didn't care. I flung my arms round his neck that smelled of spice, and he wrapped his arms round my waist, lifting me up as he did so.

"I say!" I heard Henry exclaim indignantly.

"Oh, we're all goners now," one moaned. "Archer's here."

"Now, now, fellows." Archer put me down and looked at all of them. "You know Margaret is my dearest friend. She's like my sister!"

One actually rolled his eyes at that.

"Well," Archer said, shrugging in that slow, Parisian way of his. He turned and smiled at me cheekily. "I guess they'll never get it."

"Right," I agreed with a nod, taking his outstretched arm. "Goodbye, gentlemen!"

With that, we left them to find the exit on their own.

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