The Seductress' Marriage Ploy

14. You Aren't At All Like Any Proper Lady I Know

LAUGHTER burst from Cole's chest, and the shirt he was holding in his hand fell. Cole desperately tried to rein in his outburst, but then he caught sight of Julia's ever-narrowing glare and his laughter redoubled.

"What's so funny," Julia asked, her hands planted akimbo.

He picked up his shirt and wore it over his head. "By Jove, what are you wearing? The last thing I expected to see when I rode to the serpentine this morning was a woman, no, a young woman of noble birth," Cole said correcting himself. "Wearing breeches." Looking her over, he smiled, "I daresay it does suit you."

Two red splotches appeared on her cheeks. Julia was mortified, no embarrassed she didn't even know what it was she felt. All she knew was she was angry that he dared to laugh at her and also embarrassed that Cole had caught her dressed as such. She was supposed to be making designs on him and not giving him reasons to think her unsuitable.

Julia smiled. "Ah, but my lord, you see, I couldn't resist. I didn't think it might hurt if I donned breeches and rode as early as I did this morning. I'm afraid I wasn't expecting company. I might have been wrong," Julia said, faking a despondent demeanour.

Thick, full brows quirked up. "My lord?" Cole repeated. "I could have sworn that you called me Cole the last time we met and yet, here you are calling me Lord Hanton."

"Why, I might have forgotten to call you Lord Hanton, due to the circumstances, but I promise you, today I won't."

Cole scoffed. "Drat it all, just call me my by Christian name, will you? I prefer being called Cole. Please call me Cole." He said, bowing as if introducing himself.

"Cole," Julia said, and he rewarded her with a big smile on his face.

"I like that, I prefer Cole to lord Hanton." He drawled out in mock delivery. "Lord Hanton makes me feel positively old."

Julia chuckled. "You old, I doubt that."

He scowled, "I didn't say It makes me old, I said it makes me feel old." Cole frowned. "Somehow I find it easy to talk to you." His eyes squinted. "Maybe because  I feel you are a soul of discretion and you aren't at all like any proper lady I know."

"I'm not?" Julia queried.

"Of course not." He chuckled, and walked over to sit down by the edge of serpentine looking over the still water. He picked up a stone and started throwing it into the water. Julia followed behind him, sat down beside him and copied his action.

"I'm not like a proper lady because?" Julia queried again.

Cole paused in the act of throwing a stone into the lake, a fine granite held loosely in his palm, his long slim fingers grasping it. "Look at you, you are wearing breeches. I don't think I know any lady who would wear one."

"Sometimes I don't think you know any lady at all," Julia said.

His expression suddenly turned ferocious. "What was that?" He asked.

Julia panicked. "I meant that Iâi that you â" Julia stopped when she saw that Cole was laughing at her. He looked so carefree.

"Oh God! I was only kidding, Julia, have a heart," Cole said and chuckled again as he picked up another stone from the ground and threw it into the water.

Julia was happy. When she didn't hear or receive any note from Sebastian, she kept thinking of how she would meet Cole. She had a mind to confront Sebastian and ask him, but here she was in Hyde park, with Cole and no chaperon. This was the perfect opportunity for her to practise her skills on him. If she wanted to entice him properly, today was the day. So Julia turned and plastered a smile on her face.