The Rebel Bride by Catherine Coulter

“You’re in favor of this match, Harry?”

“Good God, girl, do you have bats in your mental belfry?” He eyed her warily for a moment. “All right, out with it. What’s wrong with you? I’ve never known you to ask stupid questions before.”

She saw the happy flush on her brother’s handsome face and gave her head a tiny shake. Harry would think her mad if she were now to tell him that she found the very idea of marriage to the earl abhorrent. No, more than that, frightening. And even though she didn’t understand it, it was nonetheless true. And how could she tell him? The earl had swooped down into Harry’s life and granted him his greatest wish.

“This is deuced odd, love. I’ve never seen you succumb to womanish vapors. Lord, Kate, you will make the perfect countess. Here now, you’re not thinking you won’t be up to his weight, are you?”

Kate clutched her hands together in her lap and gazed at her brother, the only person she loved in the world. She would not— indeed, she could not— risk losing his affection. She forced a smile. “You know I’m up to any man’s weight, Harry. Why, didn’t I kill you regularly at our early-morning duels?”

To forestall further comments on her marriage to the earl, she said, “We go to Almack’s tonight. Will you accompany us?” She’d spoken lightly, with no real interest, but in that moment, she realized that if Harry also were to be her escort, it might perhaps lessen the impact of Julien’s presence with her.

Harry stared incredulously at her and exclaimed in a voice of loathing, “Almack’s? Good God, what a repellent notion. It isn’t at all my style. No, don’t get all down in the mouth. I’ll come by tomorrow and we’ll go riding. The earl offered me one of his hacks. We’ll go riding in the park and rub shoulders with all the ton.”

It was the final blow. “Oh no, you wouldn’t use one of the earl’s horses, Harry. No, surely not.”

“Don’t be a half-wit. It’s quite proper, my dear. After all, he will be my brother-in-law in a week’s time.”

A week’s time? By all that was holy and unholy, the earl had already set a date and announced it to her brother?

Harry clasped her hand and exclaimed happily, “Good Lord, my hoydenish little sister a countess. You deserve it, Kate, don’t ever think you don’t. Only one more week, my dear, just one more week.”

Kate had not yet been to King Street and she found the rows of buildings, including Almack’s, not to be as grand as she’d supposed. Almack’s had been so touted that she had half expected to see a structure as impressive as Carlton House. She had to admit, though, once they entered the enormous entrance hall filled with branches of glowing candles and lined with very superior-looking footmen, who gave the impression that they were conferring a favor by admitting guests, that she seemed indeed to be stepping into the very inner sanctum of society. As Julien divested her of her cloak, she heard strains of a waltz coming from one of the rooms that branched off the hall and wondered with a sinking feeling in her stomach how many people would be there to witness her arrival on his damned immaculate sleeve.

She knew she looked particularly fine this evening in her high-waisted green-velvet gown that hung straight to the floor, accentuating her slender figure. The yards of green muslin were broken by rows of white Valenciennes lace delicately sewn to fit snugly under her breasts.

She unconsciously fingered the exquisite emerald necklace with its intricate gold setting that circled her neck. It was indeed kind of Lady Bellingham, she thought, to have lent her the beautiful emerald set. There were also a bracelet and earrings. The jewels sparkled with mysterious green lights, seeming to enhance the whiteness of her skin and matching perfectly the color of her gown.

As Julien turned back to her, she was aware of the open expression of admiration on his face, and she felt a moment of power over him. She met his gaze with a cold stare. Let him admire her as much as he wished, she thought with an elegantly indifferent shrug.