Raw toast," Lucas said grimly, shaking his head. "It goes against the very nature of man.

All I really need,” he continued, “is for you to act as a deterrent.”
“A deterrent?” she choked out.
“A human shield, if you will.”
“What?”
“I cannot be left alone with that woman,” he said, and he felt no remorse at the low desperation in his voice. “Please, if you have any care for your fellow man.”
Her lips clamped together in a suspicious line. “I’m not certain what I get out of the equation.”
“You mean besides the joy of my delightful company?”
“Yes,” she said, with an impressive lack of inflection, “besides that.

He gave her a sly, sideways look. "Did you
bring it?"

"My list? Heavens, no. What can you be thinking?"

His smile widened. "I brought mine."

Daphne gasped. "You didn't!"

"I did. Just to torture Mother. I'm going peruse it right in front of her, pull out my quizzing glass—"

"You don't have a quizzing glass."

He grinned—the slow, devastatingly wicked smile that all Bridgerton males seemed to possess. "I bought one just for this occasion."

"Anthony, you absolutely cannot. She will kill you. And then, somehow, she'll find a way to blame me."

"I'm counting on it.

Sebastian,” Katarina said, turning to her nephew. “You’ve grown.”

“It happens,” Sebastian quipped, flashing her his usual lopsided grin.

“Goodness,” she said with smile, “you’ll be a danger to the ladies soon.”

Harry very nearly rolled his eyes. Sebastian had already made conquests of nearly all the girls in the village near Hesslewhite. He must give off some sort of scent, because the females positively fell at his feet.

It would have been appalling, except that the girls couldn’t all dance with Sebastian. And Harry was more than happy to be the nearest man standing when the smoke cleared.

Miss Butterworth and the Mad Baron,” Sebastian said approvingly. “Excellent choice.”

“You have read this?” Alexei asked.

“It’s not as good as Miss Davenport and the Dark Marquis, of course, but worlds better than Miss Sainsbury and the Mysterious Colonel.”

Harry found himself rendered speechless.

“I’m reading Miss Truesdale and the Silent Gentleman right now.”

“Silent?” Harry echoed.

“There is a noticeable lack of dialogue,” Sebastian confirmed.

Are you all right?” he asked Olivia. His heart was still racing with terror that she’d been hurt. “I heard a woman scream.”

“Ah, that would have been me,” Sebastian said.

Harry looked down on his cousin, face frozen in disbelief. “You made that noise?”

“It hurt,” Sebastian bit off.

Harry fought not to laugh. “You scream like a leettle girl.