expression.
Meagan stared at him hard before she spoke again. "I know this is unpardonably rude of me, but I simply cannot help myself! Why ever are you marrying Pris—that is, Miss Wade? Is it for her fortune? I don't think it's as great as it might appear..."
A voice in the back of her mind told her that she was out of place as a servant, but she took another sip of wine to silence it. Lion Hampshire was leaning back in his chair, looking at her with the same interested curiosity she had seen in his eyes the night they had dined together in Baltimore. He grinned, and Meagan felt as though a fire had been lit inside her. It was a dazzling smile and she responded to it instinctively.
"There is something very suspicious about you." He attempted to sound stern. "I sensed it that first day when you ran me down in the entryway at West Hills. The trouble is, I can't put my finger on it. And the other problem is, I like you. I don't trust you—but I like you. And I appreciate your efforts to make this journey as bearable as possible—not to mention safe for your mistress. If I'd been alone with her she'd probably be at the bottom of the Potomac right now." There was a glint of laughter in his eyes as he raised the mug. "Am I right in assuming that we are allies of a sort?"
Meagan strove for a neutral expression. His bluntness took her by surprise, and she knew that any good lady's maid would never show any disloyalty to her mistress. Valiantly she attempted to take Priscilla's side, but when she met his eyes, she felt her cheeks grow hot and the words died on her lips.
Lion grinned triumphantly. "I knew it!" He leaned close to her blushing face, and Meagan felt faint as she breathed in the scent of him. "We are friends, aren't we? I don't suppose you'd care to reveal the solution to your mystery...?"
I must never talk to him alone again, Meagan thought wildly. Aloud, she stammered, "No! That is, there is no mystery! It is all in your mind."
Lion shook his head with amusement as he leaned across the table to light a cheroot on the guttering candle.
"Whatever you say, little one. In that spirit, I also deny any ulterior motives... save the noble one of true love."
Meagan cast a dubious glance at his dancing eyes. "I don't believe you."
"Neither do I believe you." His smile flashed in the shadows. "You are an enigma. I am sure that solving the mystery will provide an entertaining winter diversion."
"Don't trouble yourself," she murmured darkly. Across the room, the three men rolled up the sheaf of papers and got to their feet, chairs grating on the planked floor.
"Careful," Lion taunted. "Let's not be insolent. I shouldn't like to be forced to dismiss you."
"You—" Meagan began, rising to the bait. Her teeth bit her tongue as she stopped herself.
"Ah, that's more like it." Leaning closer, he grazed her neck with a lean finger. His mouth was just inches away.
For a frightened moment, she was unable to exhale, then recovering her senses, she glared at him. "You behave strangely for a man overcome by true love."
Lion laughed out loud at this and reached out to catch her wrist. "What unbelievable nerve! You are the one behaving strangely, my dear lady's maid!"
Meagan snatched her hand away just as a magnolia-scented shadow fell across the table, and they both looked up to find Priscilla standing there.
Immaculately gowned, she smiled at them with narrowed green eyes. "My, what a cozy twosome you make," she purred. "I don't recall giving you permission to leave the room tonight, Meagan."
Meagan's knuckles went white as she gripped the edge of the table, all too conscious of Lion's interested eyes watching them.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. You were asleep, and I felt the need for some fresh air."
"It seems to me that this air is decidedly smoky," Priscilla returned sweetly. "Why don't you run along now, dear? I'm sure you have bored Captain Hampshire quite long enough with your chatter. From now on, I suggest that you
Meagan stared at him hard before she spoke again. "I know this is unpardonably rude of me, but I simply cannot help myself! Why ever are you marrying Pris—that is, Miss Wade? Is it for her fortune? I don't think it's as great as it might appear..."
A voice in the back of her mind told her that she was out of place as a servant, but she took another sip of wine to silence it. Lion Hampshire was leaning back in his chair, looking at her with the same interested curiosity she had seen in his eyes the night they had dined together in Baltimore. He grinned, and Meagan felt as though a fire had been lit inside her. It was a dazzling smile and she responded to it instinctively.
"There is something very suspicious about you." He attempted to sound stern. "I sensed it that first day when you ran me down in the entryway at West Hills. The trouble is, I can't put my finger on it. And the other problem is, I like you. I don't trust you—but I like you. And I appreciate your efforts to make this journey as bearable as possible—not to mention safe for your mistress. If I'd been alone with her she'd probably be at the bottom of the Potomac right now." There was a glint of laughter in his eyes as he raised the mug. "Am I right in assuming that we are allies of a sort?"
Meagan strove for a neutral expression. His bluntness took her by surprise, and she knew that any good lady's maid would never show any disloyalty to her mistress. Valiantly she attempted to take Priscilla's side, but when she met his eyes, she felt her cheeks grow hot and the words died on her lips.
Lion grinned triumphantly. "I knew it!" He leaned close to her blushing face, and Meagan felt faint as she breathed in the scent of him. "We are friends, aren't we? I don't suppose you'd care to reveal the solution to your mystery...?"
I must never talk to him alone again, Meagan thought wildly. Aloud, she stammered, "No! That is, there is no mystery! It is all in your mind."
Lion shook his head with amusement as he leaned across the table to light a cheroot on the guttering candle.
"Whatever you say, little one. In that spirit, I also deny any ulterior motives... save the noble one of true love."
Meagan cast a dubious glance at his dancing eyes. "I don't believe you."
"Neither do I believe you." His smile flashed in the shadows. "You are an enigma. I am sure that solving the mystery will provide an entertaining winter diversion."
"Don't trouble yourself," she murmured darkly. Across the room, the three men rolled up the sheaf of papers and got to their feet, chairs grating on the planked floor.
"Careful," Lion taunted. "Let's not be insolent. I shouldn't like to be forced to dismiss you."
"You—" Meagan began, rising to the bait. Her teeth bit her tongue as she stopped herself.
"Ah, that's more like it." Leaning closer, he grazed her neck with a lean finger. His mouth was just inches away.
For a frightened moment, she was unable to exhale, then recovering her senses, she glared at him. "You behave strangely for a man overcome by true love."
Lion laughed out loud at this and reached out to catch her wrist. "What unbelievable nerve! You are the one behaving strangely, my dear lady's maid!"
Meagan snatched her hand away just as a magnolia-scented shadow fell across the table, and they both looked up to find Priscilla standing there.
Immaculately gowned, she smiled at them with narrowed green eyes. "My, what a cozy twosome you make," she purred. "I don't recall giving you permission to leave the room tonight, Meagan."
Meagan's knuckles went white as she gripped the edge of the table, all too conscious of Lion's interested eyes watching them.
"I'm sorry, ma'am. You were asleep, and I felt the need for some fresh air."
"It seems to me that this air is decidedly smoky," Priscilla returned sweetly. "Why don't you run along now, dear? I'm sure you have bored Captain Hampshire quite long enough with your chatter. From now on, I suggest that you
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