Read Almost A Spinster for Free Online

have hoped. Already, several of the most eligible men in society had asked her to dance, and the fact that she always returned immediately to Wesley’s side only seemed to make her all the more sought after. She should have been pleased.
    But she wasn’t. She was confused and a little hurt. Not because of David, who she had been avoiding all evening thanks to Wesley’s good advice and Felicity’s repetition of that advice. No, it was Wes himself who made her tired head spin madly.
    He looked the part of a man falling in love. He attended to her with consideration, but did not hold her hostage at his side, thereby allowing her to be seen. He smiled at her, chatted with her amiably enough… but there was something missing . The light in his eyes was changed, and he grew more and more distant as the evening went on. Their conversation wasn’t the banter, the teasing comfort she expected. Instead, it felt awkward… common. Not like Wes. Not like her.
    She didn’t know what had caused this change, but she did know it was all she could think of. When she should have been enjoying herself with the many men who were now falling over themselves to fill her dance card, she was instead looking for Wesley in the crowd. When they were talking in a group, she felt an impatient desire to be alone with him. But when they did find a moment of brief solitude, she didn’t know what to say.
    Why was this happening?
    “Jane?”
    She spun around to find Wesley standing behind her, a flute of champagne in each hand. He gave her a smile, one that made her insides melt a little, and handed her one of the glasses.
    “Cheers, my lady. I believe you made headway tonight… and so did I.”
    They clinked their glasses together, but Jane didn’t drink. Instead, she watched Wesley’s muscles flex as he tilted his head to look at the stars above.
    “Your grandmother will hear about our attending the ball together, she’ll hear the gossip, you mean?” Jane asked.
    Wesley didn’t look away from the stars. “My grandmother?” he repeated absently.
    She drew back in surprise. Wes didn’t seem to know what she was talking about. His grandmother. The reason he claimed to be involved in this false courtship. Unless there was another.
    “You told me she was the reason you wanted to pretend we were falling in love,” she said. “Is there some other purpose, some hidden agenda you haven’t shared with me?”
    Wesley’s chin jerked down and he met her eyes with sudden intensity. “What?” He shook his head. “No, of course not, just my grandmother.”
    Jane set the full champagne glass down on the stone edge of the terrace wall and put her hands on her hips. “You’ve been so… odd, Wesley. So different and distant since we arrived. Won’t you tell me why? Is there something else going on here that I should know about?”
    Wes tilted his head, searching her face as if he was trying to gauge her reaction before he spoke again. “Why do you care, Jane?” he finally asked. “When you came to me a few nights ago, all you cared about was retaining your position at David’s side… or at the very least regaining some position in society. You’re getting what you want from the situation. You are clearly the belle of tonight’s ball and David can’t take his eyes off of you. So why do my reasons for assisting you matter?”
    Jane winced. Was that what he thought of her? That she was so focused on her own goals and pleasure that she had no care for him?
    “They matter because we’re friends, Wesley!” she said, blinking against the sting of tears. “They matter because I-I-”
    She broke off and began to turn away, but Wesley caught her arm and held her steady. His green stare burned into her. “You what, Jane?”
    She hesitated. Everything was so strange now. Her heart throbbed, her vision blurred and she felt a strange, overwhelming desire to lean into Wesley… Wesley of all people.
    “I don’t know,” she whispered. “You know