Compromising Miss Tisdale Read Online Free

already met,” he finally stated, the tenor of his voice daring her to contradict him.
    Amelia jumped in to mend her gaffe. “Oh, I do apologize. I was under the impression that the two of you hadn’t met.”
    Ambrosia forced a smile, her eyes not leaving his. “You must be mistaken, Lord Bristol. I don’t believe that we have been properly introduced.” She managed to speak a full sentence, despite the sudden dryness of her mouth. Amelia was a notorious gossip and she hardly needed him to discuss the details of their first meeting in front of her. If word of their initial meeting got out, she’d be ruined. And she had worked far too hard for that.
    He tapped a finger against his chin as if giving the matter much thought. “No, I’m quite certain we’ve met before. Recently perhaps?”
    “No, my Lord,” she disagreed through her forced smile and gritted teeth. “ I’m quite certain we have not met. Recently or otherwise.”
    “I think we have.”
    “I’m positive we haven’t.”
    “You look quite familiar.”
    “Then you must be mistaken,” she said bluntly. Mistaken ? Try cracked, addled, or mad.
    “Are you sure ?” he challenged, drawing out the last word. “You might not recognize me. My appearance is quite common and I’ve been confused with others on occasion. Common laborers even.”
    Ambrosia clenched her fists at her sides. His appearance was anything but common, whether in soggy breeches and muddy Hessians, or a black waist coat and cravat. How could she have been so wrong in her judgment? This man exuded a sense of entitlement that would rival any member of the royal family.
    “No. I do not recognize you. I am confident we have never met.” She was tired of the game and desperately wanted to move on. Where were her mother and hopeless marital prospects when she truly needed them?
    Amelia nudged her friend in the side. “Ambrosia, how can you be certain that you haven’t met the Earl before? If he’s so sure that the two of you have indeed met, then perhaps you have -”
    “He’s wrong!” she blurted. “We’ve never met.” Ambrosia had been going for a tone of indifference, but her objection may have come out a bit more harshly than intended. In fact, it was a shout.
    Would-be spectators in the foyer grew quiet, becoming aware of the scene unfolding before them. She could feel her blush make its way up her bodice and around her neck.
    He had won. His victorious smile indicated as much.
    “On second thought,” he said for the benefit of the audience, “you may be right. I believe I might have confused you with someone else.”
    Ambrosia nodded, trying to recover some semblance of dignity. “Of course. Perhaps you have me confused with one of my sisters.”
    “Perhaps,” he mumbled as he directed his attention back to Amelia. “I do apologize, but my cousin has told me I am expected to make some sort of entrance. Lady Montgomery hates to be kept waiting.” He took Amelia’s hand and kissed it lightly. “I hope to see you and your brother again very soon.”
    Without waiting for a response, he made his way out of the foyer, toward the ballroom. A gaggle of guests trailed shortly behind.
    “Do you have a fever?” Amelia asked, once Lord Bristol was out of earshot.
    “I don’t believe so,” she answered, taken aback by the sudden interest in her health.
    “You must have a fever, because I can think of no other reason for your actions other than lunacy brought on by sudden illness.”
    Ambrosia swallowed, pulled at her gloves and smoothed her hair. “I may have been a bit bold.”
    “Bold? Is that what we’re calling insolence now? In the years since I’ve known you, I have never so much as heard you raise your voice, let alone scold a peer of the realm whom you’ve just met.”
    Ambrosia took a deep breath. She had no excuse. He had taunted her with his words and she’d reacted poorly. She’d made a spectacle of herself—in public no less! It was hardly the