Conner, she noted the subtle
amusement in his eyes. He was probably right. There was no need to
worry. A bit of snow wasn’t likely to hinder Colin, Rory and Gavin’s
return from London. She was anxious for their arrival, that was
all. Not that she hadn’t enjoyed spending time with Conner, of
course. Of all her brothers, Conner was the most intellectual of the
group. He loved history, philosophy, and literature, and enjoyed
discussing those interests with her, while she enjoyed the rare opportunity to
converse about something that didn’t revolve around horses.
Though she had only been gone for just over a fortnight, she
missed Georgie as well, for she had developed a special bond with the lovely
young widow Colin had hired to serve as her etiquette tutor nearly three years
earlier. Directing her attention back to the board, she watched as Conner
reached to move his bishop, and then hesitated and drew back. “Do you
think Georgie is glad to be back in London?”
“I suppose so. Though I’m sure she is far too busy
planning your birthday dinner to do much else,” he replied, though his gaze
remained locked on the board.
Her birthday dinner. The reminder brought forth an odd
mixture of excitement and trepidation. She sighed as her thoughts shifted
to her upcoming introduction to Society. Although Georgie had
prepared her well, she was nervous nonetheless. Though she would never
admit it to anyone but Bethany, the primary reason for her anxiety was not her
societal debut, for she cared little about that, it was instead, the thought of
seeing Alec Weston again.
It had been nearly three years since his last visit to Grey
Oaks, but hardly a day had gone by without him entering her thoughts.
Despite the passing of time, her memories of him hadn’t diminished in the
slightest. She could still recall the exact hue of his striking green
eyes, still recall the gentle waves that ran through his thick black hair, and
in her dreams she could still hear the rich, velvety timber of his voice.
In truth, it was because of her infatuation with Alec that she had finally
embraced her femininity. With Georgie’s help, she had gradually exchanged
her masculine attire and hoydenish behavior for silks and satins and ladylike
deportment, and soon she would find out if all of her efforts had been
worthwhile. In a few short weeks, she would see Alec Weston again.
“Scarlett? Hello…Scarlett.”
She blinked, shaking off her reverie. “What?”
“It’s your move,” Conner stated, eyeing her curiously.
“Oh sorry,” she said quickly. “I’m afraid my thoughts
wandered for a moment.” She immediately dropped her gaze to the
chessboard, hoping there wasn’t a telltale blush staining her cheeks.
Thirty minutes later they remained locked in battle, both
focused intently on the game in front of them when an icy blast of cold air
swept suddenly in from outside. They looked up, startled as the front
door swung open and a gust of wind blew a large whirl of snow into the
foyer. Through the wide set of double doors leading to the foyer they
watched the men enter the house, vigorously dusting the snow from their
shoulders and stomping it from their boots. Poor Mrs. Burns, their
housekeeper, would surely have a fit when she saw the damage they were doing to
her freshly polished floor Scarlett noted in the back of her thoughts, as she
rose excitedly from her chair to greet her brothers.
“Welcome home!” Conner said, reaching them first.
As Conner was partially blocking Scarlett’s view, she didn’t
notice that a fourth man had accompanied them into the house. She stepped
around Conner, a bright smile upon her face and then froze mid-stride.
Her startled gaze met with an equally startled look from the very set of
brilliant green that had appeared time and again in her dreams and fantasies.
The shock nearly took her breath away.
“Look who we’ve brought
amusement in his eyes. He was probably right. There was no need to
worry. A bit of snow wasn’t likely to hinder Colin, Rory and Gavin’s
return from London. She was anxious for their arrival, that was
all. Not that she hadn’t enjoyed spending time with Conner, of
course. Of all her brothers, Conner was the most intellectual of the
group. He loved history, philosophy, and literature, and enjoyed
discussing those interests with her, while she enjoyed the rare opportunity to
converse about something that didn’t revolve around horses.
Though she had only been gone for just over a fortnight, she
missed Georgie as well, for she had developed a special bond with the lovely
young widow Colin had hired to serve as her etiquette tutor nearly three years
earlier. Directing her attention back to the board, she watched as Conner
reached to move his bishop, and then hesitated and drew back. “Do you
think Georgie is glad to be back in London?”
“I suppose so. Though I’m sure she is far too busy
planning your birthday dinner to do much else,” he replied, though his gaze
remained locked on the board.
Her birthday dinner. The reminder brought forth an odd
mixture of excitement and trepidation. She sighed as her thoughts shifted
to her upcoming introduction to Society. Although Georgie had
prepared her well, she was nervous nonetheless. Though she would never
admit it to anyone but Bethany, the primary reason for her anxiety was not her
societal debut, for she cared little about that, it was instead, the thought of
seeing Alec Weston again.
It had been nearly three years since his last visit to Grey
Oaks, but hardly a day had gone by without him entering her thoughts.
Despite the passing of time, her memories of him hadn’t diminished in the
slightest. She could still recall the exact hue of his striking green
eyes, still recall the gentle waves that ran through his thick black hair, and
in her dreams she could still hear the rich, velvety timber of his voice.
In truth, it was because of her infatuation with Alec that she had finally
embraced her femininity. With Georgie’s help, she had gradually exchanged
her masculine attire and hoydenish behavior for silks and satins and ladylike
deportment, and soon she would find out if all of her efforts had been
worthwhile. In a few short weeks, she would see Alec Weston again.
“Scarlett? Hello…Scarlett.”
She blinked, shaking off her reverie. “What?”
“It’s your move,” Conner stated, eyeing her curiously.
“Oh sorry,” she said quickly. “I’m afraid my thoughts
wandered for a moment.” She immediately dropped her gaze to the
chessboard, hoping there wasn’t a telltale blush staining her cheeks.
Thirty minutes later they remained locked in battle, both
focused intently on the game in front of them when an icy blast of cold air
swept suddenly in from outside. They looked up, startled as the front
door swung open and a gust of wind blew a large whirl of snow into the
foyer. Through the wide set of double doors leading to the foyer they
watched the men enter the house, vigorously dusting the snow from their
shoulders and stomping it from their boots. Poor Mrs. Burns, their
housekeeper, would surely have a fit when she saw the damage they were doing to
her freshly polished floor Scarlett noted in the back of her thoughts, as she
rose excitedly from her chair to greet her brothers.
“Welcome home!” Conner said, reaching them first.
As Conner was partially blocking Scarlett’s view, she didn’t
notice that a fourth man had accompanied them into the house. She stepped
around Conner, a bright smile upon her face and then froze mid-stride.
Her startled gaze met with an equally startled look from the very set of
brilliant green that had appeared time and again in her dreams and fantasies.
The shock nearly took her breath away.
“Look who we’ve brought
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