him at it.
I relaxed with him, and pleasant lull of his male attention wove a spell around me. I’d never been a woman to whom men paid much notice, perhaps because in my younger days I was usually paired with the irresistible confection that was my younger sibling, Alyssa. But then Simon, my late husband, noticed me, and I found that I was not unattractive, nor unwanted. Then there was Valerian.
I started somewhat at the topic I had been so determined not to reflect upon. I realized I had not been entirely successful. While Valerian was not always in my conscious thoughts, he had not gone far, only to the back of my mind. There the memory of him was ever present, along with the dull sadness at all that separated him from me.
The dining room was busier tonight, and my dinner companion never failed to introduce me to the locals who came by to say hello to him. One young couple, a man of my age with a frothy young wife on his arm, paused to converse. I was amused by their reverent obsequiousness to Lord Suddington. Me, they ignored, until Suddington mentioned my appointment to Blackbriar’s teaching staff.
The wife regarded me with an arrogant sort of pity that made my blood boil. “Oh, dear. You are to be congratulated, I suppose, although it must be a dreadful thing, having to earn one’s living.”
Before I could defend myself, Suddington’s eyebrows forked dangerously. “Miss Sloane-Smith runs an excellent school. Its reputation is known down into Kent and all the way up into Scotland. As I am on the board, I am intimately aware of the great service she provides for the children of the best families from all over England.”
“Some think her too exacting,” the wife countered. I saw she was looking for entertainment, the way some nasty children pull the legs off an insect and watch its mortal struggle. “I heard she is a taskmaster indeed.”
“Well,” I said in a blithe tone, with an eye on Suddington’s growing ire, “one must have discipline.”
Suddington shifted his gaze to me, somewhat surprised. I remained sanguine. After all, I was quite used to dealing with her sort of woman.
My serenity drove the couple off, the wife in something of a huff. “Heavens, what a witch,” Suddington muttered, his eyes following her retreat. And then his mouth moved, and I believe he whispered something. I did not hear it, but I would wager it was not pleasant. That he would take umbrage on my behalf raised a giddy swell of pleasure inside my breast that was girlish and quite unlike me.
“Come, we must not allow such a spiteful creature to ruin our dinner,” I said. “She is hardly worth our notice.” I indicated the long stone wall and the widemouthed hearth. “I have been meaning to ask you all evening if you know where Mrs. Danby’s mother is tonight? She is conspicuously absent from her chair. Is she well?”
“Lord save us,” Suddington grumbled. “If only we should find such good fortune as to find Old Madge barred from the room. Her mind is uncertain and she can go off on some, well, rather disturbing rants. But what a kind sort you are to care about her.” He punctuated this remark with a regard of such warm appreciation that I felt myself blush. It was getting to be a common occurrence when I was with him—me blushing; me who never did such coquettish things.
“You do surprise me,” he said, his voice lowering. “A person of your intelligence paired with compassion such as you possess is a rare thing.”
I lifted my chin and raised my eyebrows, the picture—I hoped—of skepticism. “You are being quite flattering tonight, and I think it is a game with you.”
He smiled thoughtfully. His tongue ran slowly across his upper lip in a journey I found fascinating. “Game? Mrs. Andrews, I assure you that while I adore gaming, I am sincere with you.”
Janet appeared with our dessert, a cobbler for me and the single glass of claret for Suddington. We enjoyed our indulgence in companionable
I relaxed with him, and pleasant lull of his male attention wove a spell around me. I’d never been a woman to whom men paid much notice, perhaps because in my younger days I was usually paired with the irresistible confection that was my younger sibling, Alyssa. But then Simon, my late husband, noticed me, and I found that I was not unattractive, nor unwanted. Then there was Valerian.
I started somewhat at the topic I had been so determined not to reflect upon. I realized I had not been entirely successful. While Valerian was not always in my conscious thoughts, he had not gone far, only to the back of my mind. There the memory of him was ever present, along with the dull sadness at all that separated him from me.
The dining room was busier tonight, and my dinner companion never failed to introduce me to the locals who came by to say hello to him. One young couple, a man of my age with a frothy young wife on his arm, paused to converse. I was amused by their reverent obsequiousness to Lord Suddington. Me, they ignored, until Suddington mentioned my appointment to Blackbriar’s teaching staff.
The wife regarded me with an arrogant sort of pity that made my blood boil. “Oh, dear. You are to be congratulated, I suppose, although it must be a dreadful thing, having to earn one’s living.”
Before I could defend myself, Suddington’s eyebrows forked dangerously. “Miss Sloane-Smith runs an excellent school. Its reputation is known down into Kent and all the way up into Scotland. As I am on the board, I am intimately aware of the great service she provides for the children of the best families from all over England.”
“Some think her too exacting,” the wife countered. I saw she was looking for entertainment, the way some nasty children pull the legs off an insect and watch its mortal struggle. “I heard she is a taskmaster indeed.”
“Well,” I said in a blithe tone, with an eye on Suddington’s growing ire, “one must have discipline.”
Suddington shifted his gaze to me, somewhat surprised. I remained sanguine. After all, I was quite used to dealing with her sort of woman.
My serenity drove the couple off, the wife in something of a huff. “Heavens, what a witch,” Suddington muttered, his eyes following her retreat. And then his mouth moved, and I believe he whispered something. I did not hear it, but I would wager it was not pleasant. That he would take umbrage on my behalf raised a giddy swell of pleasure inside my breast that was girlish and quite unlike me.
“Come, we must not allow such a spiteful creature to ruin our dinner,” I said. “She is hardly worth our notice.” I indicated the long stone wall and the widemouthed hearth. “I have been meaning to ask you all evening if you know where Mrs. Danby’s mother is tonight? She is conspicuously absent from her chair. Is she well?”
“Lord save us,” Suddington grumbled. “If only we should find such good fortune as to find Old Madge barred from the room. Her mind is uncertain and she can go off on some, well, rather disturbing rants. But what a kind sort you are to care about her.” He punctuated this remark with a regard of such warm appreciation that I felt myself blush. It was getting to be a common occurrence when I was with him—me blushing; me who never did such coquettish things.
“You do surprise me,” he said, his voice lowering. “A person of your intelligence paired with compassion such as you possess is a rare thing.”
I lifted my chin and raised my eyebrows, the picture—I hoped—of skepticism. “You are being quite flattering tonight, and I think it is a game with you.”
He smiled thoughtfully. His tongue ran slowly across his upper lip in a journey I found fascinating. “Game? Mrs. Andrews, I assure you that while I adore gaming, I am sincere with you.”
Janet appeared with our dessert, a cobbler for me and the single glass of claret for Suddington. We enjoyed our indulgence in companionable
Similar Books
