home with us,” Colin said, placing
his hand affectionately on Alec Weston’s broad shoulder.
“Alec, it’s good to see you,” Conner said in friendly
greeting. “What brings you to the country at this time of year?”
Before he had an opportunity to respond, the McPhearson’s
butler hurried into the foyer with two footmen on his heels who quickly began
relieving them all of their heavy coats, hats and gloves.
Scarlett took that moment to step back into the parlor,
trying with no small degree of difficulty to steady her rapidly beating
heart. He was here. She couldn’t believe it! The Duke of
Worthe had returned to Grey Oaks. Good heavens she thought, her
hand fluttering to the base of her neck, she wasn’t prepared. She had
anticipated seeing him in London, fantasized about it actually. She would
have seen him at a ball, he would have asked her to dance, or perhaps she would
have encountered him at the theater where he would have invited her to share
his box. She looked down at her simple, pale-blue cotton day dress in
mute frustration. She certainly wasn’t dressed in the dazzling finery she
had envisioned herself in when next they met, but nevertheless he was here and
she was elated!
Standing in the foyer amidst the four McPhearson brothers,
Alec’s head was suddenly spinning. His brief glimpse of Scarlett had left
him feeling as if he’d just had the wind knocked out of him. He
remembered the lovely young girl from years before, but nothing, absolutely
nothing could have prepared him for the actual, heart-stopping beauty of
Scarlett McPhearson now. Thankfully, the arrival of the servants had kept
him from staring, mouth agape, like an absolute dolt.
Once the men had all been relieved of their outer garments,
Colin quickly ushered Alec and the rest of them into the front parlor.
“Thank heavens you arrived when you did,” Conner said with
feigned gravity, motioning toward the abandoned chessboard. “Scarlett was
setting herself up for the kill.”
“Trouncing Conner yet again, were you,” Colin chuckled, as he
pulled Scarlett into his arms, hugging her tightly. “We missed you,
Minx.”
“I missed you too,” she said, placing a fond kiss on Colin’s
cheek.
“You remember my good friend the
Duke of Worthe , don’t you Scarlett?” Colin asked,
pulling back.
Scarlett struggled to keep her nervousness from showing as
Colin turned her toward the duke. Rory and Gavin offered a quick “hello
Scarlett” before making a mad dash to warm their hands before the roaring fire,
leaving Conner and Alec standing just a few feet from her and Colin.
“Of course,” Scarlett murmured, as she dipped into a polite
curtsey. “It’s so nice to see you again, Your Grace.” Oh so
very, very nice to see you again, she thought as her gaze took him in from
head to toe, or from toe to head rather, as she rose from her curtsey. As
their eyes met, Scarlett felt as though the world had suddenly tilted on its
axis. If possible, Alec Weston was even more handsome than she’d
remembered.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again as well,” he said
smiling. “And please, call me Alec. We’re old friends are we not?”
His smile nearly buckled her knees as their gazes locked and
held. For an instant, the physical awareness between them was nearly
palpable, and then one of her brothers spoke, shattering the moment.
“Conner, how about pouring us some of the earl’s fine
brandy,” Rory called from his spot by the fire, his teasing smile directed
toward Colin. “I’m chilled to the bone.”
“I’ll second that,” Gavin chimed in, briskly rubbing his
hands together. “I’m near frozen myself.”
“I have to keep the expensive stock locked away,” Colin said
jokingly to Alec. “This lot would drink me into the poor house within a
month if I didn’t,” he joked, glancing fondly at his brothers. “Go ahead
and fetch a bottle from my study Conner.
his hand affectionately on Alec Weston’s broad shoulder.
“Alec, it’s good to see you,” Conner said in friendly
greeting. “What brings you to the country at this time of year?”
Before he had an opportunity to respond, the McPhearson’s
butler hurried into the foyer with two footmen on his heels who quickly began
relieving them all of their heavy coats, hats and gloves.
Scarlett took that moment to step back into the parlor,
trying with no small degree of difficulty to steady her rapidly beating
heart. He was here. She couldn’t believe it! The Duke of
Worthe had returned to Grey Oaks. Good heavens she thought, her
hand fluttering to the base of her neck, she wasn’t prepared. She had
anticipated seeing him in London, fantasized about it actually. She would
have seen him at a ball, he would have asked her to dance, or perhaps she would
have encountered him at the theater where he would have invited her to share
his box. She looked down at her simple, pale-blue cotton day dress in
mute frustration. She certainly wasn’t dressed in the dazzling finery she
had envisioned herself in when next they met, but nevertheless he was here and
she was elated!
Standing in the foyer amidst the four McPhearson brothers,
Alec’s head was suddenly spinning. His brief glimpse of Scarlett had left
him feeling as if he’d just had the wind knocked out of him. He
remembered the lovely young girl from years before, but nothing, absolutely
nothing could have prepared him for the actual, heart-stopping beauty of
Scarlett McPhearson now. Thankfully, the arrival of the servants had kept
him from staring, mouth agape, like an absolute dolt.
Once the men had all been relieved of their outer garments,
Colin quickly ushered Alec and the rest of them into the front parlor.
“Thank heavens you arrived when you did,” Conner said with
feigned gravity, motioning toward the abandoned chessboard. “Scarlett was
setting herself up for the kill.”
“Trouncing Conner yet again, were you,” Colin chuckled, as he
pulled Scarlett into his arms, hugging her tightly. “We missed you,
Minx.”
“I missed you too,” she said, placing a fond kiss on Colin’s
cheek.
“You remember my good friend the
Duke of Worthe , don’t you Scarlett?” Colin asked,
pulling back.
Scarlett struggled to keep her nervousness from showing as
Colin turned her toward the duke. Rory and Gavin offered a quick “hello
Scarlett” before making a mad dash to warm their hands before the roaring fire,
leaving Conner and Alec standing just a few feet from her and Colin.
“Of course,” Scarlett murmured, as she dipped into a polite
curtsey. “It’s so nice to see you again, Your Grace.” Oh so
very, very nice to see you again, she thought as her gaze took him in from
head to toe, or from toe to head rather, as she rose from her curtsey. As
their eyes met, Scarlett felt as though the world had suddenly tilted on its
axis. If possible, Alec Weston was even more handsome than she’d
remembered.
“It’s a pleasure to see you again as well,” he said
smiling. “And please, call me Alec. We’re old friends are we not?”
His smile nearly buckled her knees as their gazes locked and
held. For an instant, the physical awareness between them was nearly
palpable, and then one of her brothers spoke, shattering the moment.
“Conner, how about pouring us some of the earl’s fine
brandy,” Rory called from his spot by the fire, his teasing smile directed
toward Colin. “I’m chilled to the bone.”
“I’ll second that,” Gavin chimed in, briskly rubbing his
hands together. “I’m near frozen myself.”
“I have to keep the expensive stock locked away,” Colin said
jokingly to Alec. “This lot would drink me into the poor house within a
month if I didn’t,” he joked, glancing fondly at his brothers. “Go ahead
and fetch a bottle from my study Conner.
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