know. It’s just that—oh! If her décolletage was any lower, she’d spill out.” Beth scowled. “How can she display herself in such a way? I would never—”
“Good God,” Beatrice said, her voice stunned. “You cannot be attracted to that man!”
Beth reluctantly tore her gaze from the viscount. “Attracted? Who said anything about attracted?”
“I can see it in your face. You had best leave that stone unturned. Westerville may be a viscount, but his position is very smoky, and it is said that he has not truly secured the fortune, either. In fact, there are rumors that he—” Beatrice pressed her mouth in a firm line. “Never mind.”
“What rumors?”
“Nothing. It’s nothing at all. I-I was just mumbling off the top of my head.”
“You might as well tell me all you know now, for I’ll wheedle it out of you before tomorrow, anyway. You never could keep a secret.”
Beatrice sighed. “I know, I know! But only if you’ll promise me you are not attracted to that man. Your grandfather would kill me.”
“I am not attracted to Lord Westerville.” It was more than attraction. It was a reckoning of some sort. “As for Grandfather, it is none of his concern what I do.”
Beatrice sent Beth a flat stare.
Beth wished her cousin didn’t know Grandfather quite so well. “Oh, very well. Grandfather would be concerned.” Beth glanced back at the viscount and wondered if this was how Grandfatherhad felt upon seeing his future wife that first time.
The thought sent her heart thundering. She might be intrigued, but she was not in love, which was what Grandfather had been.
“What a coil,” Beatrice said, shaking her head. “Beth, there is something between the two of you. Even I felt it, and I wasn’t trying to feel anything, especially not that. ”
Beth glanced across the table toward the viscount. He’d bent down to listen to something Lady Cumberland had to say, her red curls a perfect foil for his black hair.
Beth’s heart ached inexplicably. Perhaps what she felt was a simple physical reaction. She watched him a moment more, resentment rising. Shouldn’t she at least investigate this odd feeling? Make certain it was nothing more than a physical attraction?
“Beth, please don’t do anything rash.”
Beth blinked at her cousin. “What makes you think I’m going to do anything at all?”
“I have known you since you were born and I can see from your expression that you’ve some scheme in mind. That’s the same expression you wore that time you convinced me to stand watch so you could steal one of your grandfather’s new geldings—”
“Borrow,” Beth said, grinning a little. “We were going to return the horse, weren’t we? Technically, that is not stealing.”
“Grandfather didn’t see it as ‘borrowing.’ Especially after that wild horse threw you. Lud, butI just knew you were quite dead. You’re lucky you didn’t hit your head upon a rock. And your grandfather—” Beatrice shivered.
“He’s always upset about something.”
“My point exactly! I see enough of his irritation as it is. I have no wish to experience more.” Beatrice met Beth’s gaze. “Whatever you are thinking, I want your word you will forget about it this very instant.”
Beth almost refused. But then she caught sight of the arrogant Comte Villiers bearing down on them. If she did not maintain her pretense, she could very well end up shackled to a man like the comte. The thought was sobering, to say the last.
She gave one last, regretful glance at the handsome viscount. From across the room, his gaze locked with hers over Lady Cumberland’s head.
It was the hardest thing Beth had ever done, but she fought the very real impulse to just throw convention to the winds and walk toward him. Gathering her errant thoughts, she turned away, presenting him with her shoulder as she managed a smile for her cousin. “Very well. I promise to have nothing more to do with the viscount.”
Beatrice
“Good God,” Beatrice said, her voice stunned. “You cannot be attracted to that man!”
Beth reluctantly tore her gaze from the viscount. “Attracted? Who said anything about attracted?”
“I can see it in your face. You had best leave that stone unturned. Westerville may be a viscount, but his position is very smoky, and it is said that he has not truly secured the fortune, either. In fact, there are rumors that he—” Beatrice pressed her mouth in a firm line. “Never mind.”
“What rumors?”
“Nothing. It’s nothing at all. I-I was just mumbling off the top of my head.”
“You might as well tell me all you know now, for I’ll wheedle it out of you before tomorrow, anyway. You never could keep a secret.”
Beatrice sighed. “I know, I know! But only if you’ll promise me you are not attracted to that man. Your grandfather would kill me.”
“I am not attracted to Lord Westerville.” It was more than attraction. It was a reckoning of some sort. “As for Grandfather, it is none of his concern what I do.”
Beatrice sent Beth a flat stare.
Beth wished her cousin didn’t know Grandfather quite so well. “Oh, very well. Grandfather would be concerned.” Beth glanced back at the viscount and wondered if this was how Grandfatherhad felt upon seeing his future wife that first time.
The thought sent her heart thundering. She might be intrigued, but she was not in love, which was what Grandfather had been.
“What a coil,” Beatrice said, shaking her head. “Beth, there is something between the two of you. Even I felt it, and I wasn’t trying to feel anything, especially not that. ”
Beth glanced across the table toward the viscount. He’d bent down to listen to something Lady Cumberland had to say, her red curls a perfect foil for his black hair.
Beth’s heart ached inexplicably. Perhaps what she felt was a simple physical reaction. She watched him a moment more, resentment rising. Shouldn’t she at least investigate this odd feeling? Make certain it was nothing more than a physical attraction?
“Beth, please don’t do anything rash.”
Beth blinked at her cousin. “What makes you think I’m going to do anything at all?”
“I have known you since you were born and I can see from your expression that you’ve some scheme in mind. That’s the same expression you wore that time you convinced me to stand watch so you could steal one of your grandfather’s new geldings—”
“Borrow,” Beth said, grinning a little. “We were going to return the horse, weren’t we? Technically, that is not stealing.”
“Grandfather didn’t see it as ‘borrowing.’ Especially after that wild horse threw you. Lud, butI just knew you were quite dead. You’re lucky you didn’t hit your head upon a rock. And your grandfather—” Beatrice shivered.
“He’s always upset about something.”
“My point exactly! I see enough of his irritation as it is. I have no wish to experience more.” Beatrice met Beth’s gaze. “Whatever you are thinking, I want your word you will forget about it this very instant.”
Beth almost refused. But then she caught sight of the arrogant Comte Villiers bearing down on them. If she did not maintain her pretense, she could very well end up shackled to a man like the comte. The thought was sobering, to say the last.
She gave one last, regretful glance at the handsome viscount. From across the room, his gaze locked with hers over Lady Cumberland’s head.
It was the hardest thing Beth had ever done, but she fought the very real impulse to just throw convention to the winds and walk toward him. Gathering her errant thoughts, she turned away, presenting him with her shoulder as she managed a smile for her cousin. “Very well. I promise to have nothing more to do with the viscount.”
Beatrice
Similar Books
