inheritance to you.”
His brows drew together. “I have no intention of doing anything to outrage Bernard.”
“Then don’t let him see you drinking!” I snapped. ”You have spent half the night dipping into the punch bowl. Don’t you think that Lord Bradford noticed?”
He ran his hand through his hair, causing it to tumble down over his forehead. Amanda and her friends would swoon when they saw it. “I was only having a few cups with my friends,” he said, but I could tell he was now on the defensive.
“Listen to me, Reeve,” I said fiercely. I stepped closer to him and straightened his neckcloth and smoothed back his hair with fingers that were none too gentle. ”You are going to behave yourself while we are engaged, or I am going to back out of this bloody masquerade and leave you hanging in the wind.”
“You wouldn’t!”
“Watch me.”
“Do you know that you are the prettiest girl in the room tonight?” he said unexpectedly.
“You can’t turn me up sweet, Reeve, I know you too well. Now come along. We are going to walk around this little garden for a few minutes and you are going to breathe deeply and try to get your head in order. Then we are going in to supper.”
“How did I ever get myself engaged to such a shrew?” he grumbled, but he let me take his arm and move him onto the graveled path that went around the little garden.
“You begged me,” I reminded him.
“I must have been mad.”
“You were desperate,” I said. ”And you still are. Remember that, Reeve, and remember what I have just said.”
I felt a sudden sharp pull on one of my ringlets. I jumped and made a noise indicative of both surprise and pain.
“I couldn’t resist,” came Reeve’s laughing voice from somewhere close to my ear.
“All right,” I said. ” Touché . Shall we call it even?”
“Even it is.” He linked his arm in mine. “How many turns will we need before you can go and attack the lobster patties?”
He actually seemed to be walking fairly steadily on his own. “Ten,” I said, and, meekly, he agreed.
Chapter Five
WHEN WE WENT INTO THE SUPPER ROOM WE saw Mama sitting with Lord Bradford, and at my urging, we joined them. The fresh air had removed the glaze from Reeve’s eyes, and altogether he conversed with perfect articulation and good sense. I was convinced that he had made a favorable impression on his trustee.
It was not until the following day that I discovered that perhaps Reeve had made too favorable an impression. Lord Bradford arrived at Lambeth House during morning calling hours to invite Reeve and Mama and me to a house party at his home in Sussex.
Reeve was at Tattersalls during our interview, so he did not learn about the invitation until he came home late in the afternoon.
“Bernard what?” he shouted when I told him the news.
“He invited us to visit him in Sussex,” I repeated gloomily. ”He wants to get to know me better, he said. He plans to put together a small house party for our entertainment.”
“Entertainment? Bernard? By God, that’s a joke.” Reeve began to stride around the room like a caged tiger. ”The two words don’t fit together in the same sentence.”
Mama said, “Lord Bradford seems a very pleasant man, Reeve.” She was distressed. “Deborah and I did not know how to turn away such a generous offer.”
“That’s easy,” Reeve said. ”We’ll say we’re busy.”
“Doing what?” I demanded.
“We’ll think of something.”
“What?”
He glared at me out of outraged dark eyes. “Surely you can think of something, Deb. You’ve always been the one with the imagination.”
I thought, I
was not the one who had the brilliant idea to paint the historic house of the Head of my college yellow
.
I held my tongue, however, and said instead, “Do stop prowling and sit down, Reeve. I can’t think of a single thing.” I waited until he was at least leaning against the window wall before I continued patiently, “Now, let us
His brows drew together. “I have no intention of doing anything to outrage Bernard.”
“Then don’t let him see you drinking!” I snapped. ”You have spent half the night dipping into the punch bowl. Don’t you think that Lord Bradford noticed?”
He ran his hand through his hair, causing it to tumble down over his forehead. Amanda and her friends would swoon when they saw it. “I was only having a few cups with my friends,” he said, but I could tell he was now on the defensive.
“Listen to me, Reeve,” I said fiercely. I stepped closer to him and straightened his neckcloth and smoothed back his hair with fingers that were none too gentle. ”You are going to behave yourself while we are engaged, or I am going to back out of this bloody masquerade and leave you hanging in the wind.”
“You wouldn’t!”
“Watch me.”
“Do you know that you are the prettiest girl in the room tonight?” he said unexpectedly.
“You can’t turn me up sweet, Reeve, I know you too well. Now come along. We are going to walk around this little garden for a few minutes and you are going to breathe deeply and try to get your head in order. Then we are going in to supper.”
“How did I ever get myself engaged to such a shrew?” he grumbled, but he let me take his arm and move him onto the graveled path that went around the little garden.
“You begged me,” I reminded him.
“I must have been mad.”
“You were desperate,” I said. ”And you still are. Remember that, Reeve, and remember what I have just said.”
I felt a sudden sharp pull on one of my ringlets. I jumped and made a noise indicative of both surprise and pain.
“I couldn’t resist,” came Reeve’s laughing voice from somewhere close to my ear.
“All right,” I said. ” Touché . Shall we call it even?”
“Even it is.” He linked his arm in mine. “How many turns will we need before you can go and attack the lobster patties?”
He actually seemed to be walking fairly steadily on his own. “Ten,” I said, and, meekly, he agreed.
Chapter Five
WHEN WE WENT INTO THE SUPPER ROOM WE saw Mama sitting with Lord Bradford, and at my urging, we joined them. The fresh air had removed the glaze from Reeve’s eyes, and altogether he conversed with perfect articulation and good sense. I was convinced that he had made a favorable impression on his trustee.
It was not until the following day that I discovered that perhaps Reeve had made too favorable an impression. Lord Bradford arrived at Lambeth House during morning calling hours to invite Reeve and Mama and me to a house party at his home in Sussex.
Reeve was at Tattersalls during our interview, so he did not learn about the invitation until he came home late in the afternoon.
“Bernard what?” he shouted when I told him the news.
“He invited us to visit him in Sussex,” I repeated gloomily. ”He wants to get to know me better, he said. He plans to put together a small house party for our entertainment.”
“Entertainment? Bernard? By God, that’s a joke.” Reeve began to stride around the room like a caged tiger. ”The two words don’t fit together in the same sentence.”
Mama said, “Lord Bradford seems a very pleasant man, Reeve.” She was distressed. “Deborah and I did not know how to turn away such a generous offer.”
“That’s easy,” Reeve said. ”We’ll say we’re busy.”
“Doing what?” I demanded.
“We’ll think of something.”
“What?”
He glared at me out of outraged dark eyes. “Surely you can think of something, Deb. You’ve always been the one with the imagination.”
I thought, I
was not the one who had the brilliant idea to paint the historic house of the Head of my college yellow
.
I held my tongue, however, and said instead, “Do stop prowling and sit down, Reeve. I can’t think of a single thing.” I waited until he was at least leaning against the window wall before I continued patiently, “Now, let us
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