possibly be taken with the pitiful girl and what it was about her he could admire. True, she had hair like spun gold and a mouth like a bow, but couldn’t he see past the china blue of her eyes to that hideous beauty mark? It was set above a dimple in her cheek-one of a pair-and Ginny was sure it was false.
She took her plate to the sideboard and served herself another helping of eggs and a rasher of bacon. She added a couple of pieces of toast for good measure. She intended to hear the entire proceedings between Sir Anthony and Lucinda even if she had to chew at a snail’s pace. Fortunately, food was plentiful, and she could have all the servings she would need to avail herself of every word.
Sauntering back to the table, Ginny said, “Sir Anthony was just about to leave us, were you not?”
“Oh, no! You mustn’t!” Lucinda exclaimed.
“Well, I do have some business to attend to in London, but I suppose it could wait a while longer.” Ginny wasn’t sure if Sir Anthony’s smile was for Lucinda or courtesy’s sake. Surely he couldn’t be attracted to the ninny!
“Oh, yeth, make it wait. I am so starved for company. Last month I broke out in itty-bitty spots all over my entire body. Oh, don’t worry, the quarantine was over weekth ago, but it has taken forever for the silly spots to fade. I am mithing my very own London come-out because of it,” Lucinda said with a wide-eyed look. “I am quite sure that no one hath ever endured such a tragic circumstance in the hithtory of the world”
“Oh, my!” was all Ginny could manage to say else darker thoughts would tumble off her tongue. Why, she seemed to feel herself the center of the universe!
“Enchanting,” Sir Anthony murmured.
Suddenly, Ginny couldn’t eat another bite. “I really should go check on Nan and see about sending for a doctor.”
“Don’t even worry about it for one itty-bitty minute. Mama hath theen to it and he should be arriving soon.”
If Mrs. Barrington had taken it upon herself to send for a doctor, things must be serious. “Is Nan that sick then? I must see her right away”
“Oh, I wouldn’t if I were you. Mama that’s it looks like the chicken pox, same as I had. If it is, we shall all be quarantined in the house together. Isn’t that marvelouth!”
Sir Anthony smiled at her, indulgently. “If that is to be the case, I can’t think of two more charming ladies to help while away the time.”
Amazing. Not only had Lucinda transformed Sir Anthony into his former polite self, but he was now ex tending his largesse to Ginny as well. Nevertheless, even a saint couldn’t take a quarantine’s worth of Lucinda Barrington. It was perfect! Sir Anthony was bound to show signs of strain in the interim, and Ginny just might find out what it was about him that didn’t quite meet the eye. “I find I am looking forward to it as well,” she said.
“Oh? And what of your roses? Can you turn your back on them so easily?” Sir Anthony drew his gaze from Lucinda to give her a cool smile.
“It would seem I have no choice. Besides, this proves to be most entertaining.” While Ginny was concentrating on giving Sir Anthony her haughtiest look, the door opened to admit the most beautiful man she had ever seen.
A true Adonis, his hair was as gold as Lucinda’s and rippled in waves to his snowy white cravat. His eyes were dark and soulful, fringed by lashes long enough to make any woman envious. His mode of dress was modeled after Beau Brummel and his voice after Byron, deep and musical.
“Miss Barrington!” he cried. “I thought I would never lay eyes on you again.”
“Lord Avery,” Lucinda squealed. “You have come at last! Mama said you might when she saw you in London” This last was said with a decidedly lispless air.
“Yes, I have come, my flower, and not a moment too soon. It seems almost a past lifetime since I last gazed into those limpid pools of blue.”
“He means my eyes,” Lucinda informed Ginny and
She took her plate to the sideboard and served herself another helping of eggs and a rasher of bacon. She added a couple of pieces of toast for good measure. She intended to hear the entire proceedings between Sir Anthony and Lucinda even if she had to chew at a snail’s pace. Fortunately, food was plentiful, and she could have all the servings she would need to avail herself of every word.
Sauntering back to the table, Ginny said, “Sir Anthony was just about to leave us, were you not?”
“Oh, no! You mustn’t!” Lucinda exclaimed.
“Well, I do have some business to attend to in London, but I suppose it could wait a while longer.” Ginny wasn’t sure if Sir Anthony’s smile was for Lucinda or courtesy’s sake. Surely he couldn’t be attracted to the ninny!
“Oh, yeth, make it wait. I am so starved for company. Last month I broke out in itty-bitty spots all over my entire body. Oh, don’t worry, the quarantine was over weekth ago, but it has taken forever for the silly spots to fade. I am mithing my very own London come-out because of it,” Lucinda said with a wide-eyed look. “I am quite sure that no one hath ever endured such a tragic circumstance in the hithtory of the world”
“Oh, my!” was all Ginny could manage to say else darker thoughts would tumble off her tongue. Why, she seemed to feel herself the center of the universe!
“Enchanting,” Sir Anthony murmured.
Suddenly, Ginny couldn’t eat another bite. “I really should go check on Nan and see about sending for a doctor.”
“Don’t even worry about it for one itty-bitty minute. Mama hath theen to it and he should be arriving soon.”
If Mrs. Barrington had taken it upon herself to send for a doctor, things must be serious. “Is Nan that sick then? I must see her right away”
“Oh, I wouldn’t if I were you. Mama that’s it looks like the chicken pox, same as I had. If it is, we shall all be quarantined in the house together. Isn’t that marvelouth!”
Sir Anthony smiled at her, indulgently. “If that is to be the case, I can’t think of two more charming ladies to help while away the time.”
Amazing. Not only had Lucinda transformed Sir Anthony into his former polite self, but he was now ex tending his largesse to Ginny as well. Nevertheless, even a saint couldn’t take a quarantine’s worth of Lucinda Barrington. It was perfect! Sir Anthony was bound to show signs of strain in the interim, and Ginny just might find out what it was about him that didn’t quite meet the eye. “I find I am looking forward to it as well,” she said.
“Oh? And what of your roses? Can you turn your back on them so easily?” Sir Anthony drew his gaze from Lucinda to give her a cool smile.
“It would seem I have no choice. Besides, this proves to be most entertaining.” While Ginny was concentrating on giving Sir Anthony her haughtiest look, the door opened to admit the most beautiful man she had ever seen.
A true Adonis, his hair was as gold as Lucinda’s and rippled in waves to his snowy white cravat. His eyes were dark and soulful, fringed by lashes long enough to make any woman envious. His mode of dress was modeled after Beau Brummel and his voice after Byron, deep and musical.
“Miss Barrington!” he cried. “I thought I would never lay eyes on you again.”
“Lord Avery,” Lucinda squealed. “You have come at last! Mama said you might when she saw you in London” This last was said with a decidedly lispless air.
“Yes, I have come, my flower, and not a moment too soon. It seems almost a past lifetime since I last gazed into those limpid pools of blue.”
“He means my eyes,” Lucinda informed Ginny and
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